Laptops may have long surpassed the sales of desktop computers, but I wouldn’t count the desktop out just yet.
Despite what some may say, there are still many reasons for you to buy a desktop. In fact, purchasing a desktop may make more sense than purchasing a laptop when you really think about it. Sure, laptops may be the darling of the PC market today, but desktops can provide you with an overall better experience depending on how you use it.
Today, we take a look at some of those reasons so you can recognize the value of these devices despite their reputation today.
Five Reasons to Buy a Desktop
Let’s get on with it, shall we? Let’s take a look at five reasons you should buy a desktop today. Once you understand these, you will be able to determine if a desktop is right for you even in this age of ultraportable laptops and tablets.
Best Price to Performance Ratio
For most of us a budget is important. We all look at how much a new computer is to buy before we invest our hard earned money. If you are looking to get the most power that you can out of your budget, then your best option by far is a desktop.
You see, desktops are, for the most part, cheaper than their laptop counterparts. In fact, you can often get a desktop with much more powerful hardware for the same price or less than a laptop with slower specs. This is because these components come to the desktop first and because they are cheaper to make for the desktop platform. This is especially true for cheap gaming PC’s where desktop-based graphics has a significant edge.
If you want to get the most bang for your buck, you definitely should consider buying a desktop. You will end up with a much faster machine in the end for the same amount of money no matter what. It just a fact.
More Comfortable to Use
One look at a laptop and you will know that they aren’t very ergonomically sound. Sure you can add other peripherals such as a mouse, keyboard and a monitor to make it more ergonomic, but if you have to do that should you have just gotten a desktop in the first place?
Laptop keyboards and uncomfortable to use and you often end up hunched over looking at the smaller monitors if you don’t do anything about it. A desktop, on the other hand, is much larger and comes with a full size keyboard and mouse. On top of that you have to add a monitor that will sit at just the right height for you to maintain better posture while you work or play.
Because of this, the desktop ends up being a much more comfortable computer to use especially over long periods of time. If your hands or eyes get strained while you use a computer, then you definitely should make sure you use a desktop. Your body will thank you for it.
Better Upgrade Options
Desktop PC’s are very easy to get into. Usually it is only a couple of screws and you have full access inside the system. This means that you can easily swap out parts at will. Due to the very modular nature of a desktop PC, you can easily upgrade virtually any component inside your system whenever you want. This allows you to keep your computer up to date with the latest hardware without having to completely replace it with a new one.
Do you want to add more memory to your machine? No problem. Decided you want to improve the sound card in your system, that is easily done as well. No matter what you want to upgrade, it is usually only a few screws away, not counting the motherboard, at least. That one is always a difficult upgrade no matter what kind of system you have. However, even the motherboard is much easier to do compared to a laptop.
Ease of Repair
Because they are so easy to get into and upgrade, they are also very easy to repair. In many cases with a quick search online you can even perform these repairs yourself. If your video card starts to go, just buy a new one and install it right where the old one was. Even your power supply can be easily fixed simply by disconnecting a few wires and removing a few screws.
Contrast that to laptops, while you can add memory and maybe a hard drive, not much else is very easy to upgrade. You may even have to send it off to the manufacturer since they have all the parts and most of the time those parts are readily available for purchase. This increases your down time and often the overall expense of the repair as well.
If you want something you can repair yourself, you simply must go with a desktop. There is just no better option out there.
Gaming Is Just Better
Now this one in many ways harkens back to the first one in our list – best price to performance ratio. However, this one is a tad bit more specific. Gaming is by far a much better experience on a desktop. Why is that? It’s simple. You can get the very best hardware for the desktop that is out there. The top of the line processors, RAM and graphics cards are always made first for the desktop, before they start looking at how to implement them on the smaller laptop form factors.
That means that if you are a gamer and want the very best experience, a desktop is definitely the way to go. You get the best hardware for the best graphics and speed performance you can. You can also easily add full sized keyboards and monitors without it being an awkward setup on your desk. If you are looking to game, this is definitely the way for you to do it.
What Desktops Aren’t
As great as a desktop can be, they aren’t the be all end all of computing. There are a couple things that they are not. Let’s take a quick look, shall we?
First, they are not as energy efficient as a laptop. If you are worried about your electric bill, then you may want to invest in a laptop. Desktops are much larger machines with bigger and often more powerful components. That means that it will pull more power when in use. Sure, it has gotten a lot better in recent years and with sleep you can save a ton of energy, but they still pull a lot more power than a laptop ever will.
Second, they are definitely not portable. Just look at them. You have the big and often bulky box with all the components, a monitor, keyboard and mouse. As you can see, packing all those up and taking them with you really isn’t very convenient and downright impossible in many cases. If you need portability above everything else, a laptop will be best for you. However, if it isn’t a concern, why spend the extra money on a laptop when a desktop will suit you just perfectly.
Best of Both Worlds
Instead of picking up a laptop, why not split the difference to get the best of both worlds? What I mean is why not invest in a high quality desktop with great performance and then pick up a tablet for your more portable needs. Remember, tablets today are great for a portable experience and with all the peripherals available, you can easily turn it into a mobile workstation that you can use when you really need it.
Then you save your desktop for the heavy computing lifting and you can use your tablet when you are sitting on the couch or need to hit the road. It’s really the best of both worlds and eliminates the need for a potentially expensive laptop.
Which Do You Prefer?
Do you prefer a laptop or a desktop? Maybe you have both for different situations. I would love to hear about your usage and what your thoughts are on the whole laptop versus desktop debate. Comment below to let me know what you think.
Final Thoughts
While the laptop may have surpassed the desktop in many ways, I wouldn’t count them out yet. Some experts have been proclaiming for years that the desktop is dead, but that just isn’t the case. The fact is there are many reasons to buy a desktop and often it just makes more sense, especially when you start looking at the differences in price.
After considering your options, you may find that a desktop is really a better fit for your needs no matter what they world may tell you. So don’t feel like you are buying an outdated system if you decide to go with a desktop. In fact, they are often faster than laptops and will provide a better overall experience, providing you don’t need to take it with you wherever you go.
