Gaming on a laptop ain't so bad nowadays.

[Fenixgoon]

i think my next gaming machine may be a laptop, and then i'll hook up to a large monitor at home. as much as i love the expansiveness of my desktop, my setup is the polar opposite of portability. it would be nice to free up desk space and be able to take it over to friend's houses to play coop/team games (overwatch, LoL, etc.) together.

 

[pcslookout]

I have one simple question can a gaming laptop heat up a room as much as a gaming desktop ?

 

[calyco]

I'm with the camp that never could get used to it. Nice clean setup OP but looking at that just makes my neck hurt. Personally I like to unwire when I am outside so not my thing. When I am at home, nothing beats 27" 1440p 165hz gaming glory. I get it though if you are a student, someone really limited on space or travel a lot.

 

[cmdrdredd]

i think my next gaming machine may be a laptop, and then i'll hook up to a large monitor at home. as much as i love the expansiveness of my desktop, my setup is the polar opposite of portability. it would be nice to free up desk space and be able to take it over to friend's houses to play coop/team games (overwatch, LoL, etc.) together.

If I had any friends remotely interested in PC gaming I may feel the same. As it is I haven't even upgraded my desktop in a very long time because I haven't felt the "need". Sure I could get higher fps and run closer to 4k but to be honest I haven't found the games that make me want to do that. Everything else I use my PC for is fine without any upgrades so I don't have much incentive. I've toyed with the idea but always go back and say "do I really need to spend the money?" and the answer is a resounding no.

 

[cmdrdredd]

Just bought that same laptop from Costco. I think what is making laptops good is what's hurting desktops. Unless you are trying to push into 4k resolution, advancements on the gpu front have been rather underwhelming.

Also in general, from my point of view the games have mostly just sucked. Most of the best games I've played on PC were console games first. Not to mention a lot of the games out there only demand extreme GPU and CPU power when you try to push resolution or diminishing returns options.

 

[Fishy4004]

Now, If I had to choose between Laptop or PC, I would say both. Even though you can build your own PC and then make it beefier than a Outback Steakhouse steak, laptops are portable, you can take them to school, work, plane, bus, etc.

 

[Stg-Flame]

Also in general, from my point of view the games have mostly just sucked. Most of the best games I've played on PC were console games first. Not to mention a lot of the games out there only demand extreme GPU and CPU power when you try to push resolution or diminishing returns options.

If Bannerlord ever gets around to releasing, I'll definitely want to upgrade for that game.

I also wanted to get Shadow of War, but considering how they are handling microtransactions, I'm waiting until that game is free before I play it.

 

[cmdrdredd]

If Bannerlord ever gets around to releasing, I'll definitely want to upgrade for that game.

I also wanted to get Shadow of War, but considering how they are handling microtransactions, I'm waiting until that game is free before I play it.

Yeah unfortunately there just hasn’t been that many titles that I want to play on my pc. Some of it does have to do with things you mentioned.

 

[A Casual Fitz]

i've been a PC gamer for over 20 years and i never understood the appeal of gaming on a laptop.
there are just too many cons in my opinion:

smaller screens - or do you have a 24" laptop?
weaker hardware compared to desktop counterparts - gotta save those Watts.
low bang/buck - for the same budget you can usually build a better desktop.
not upgradable - how do you upgrade the most important part fro gaming: the video card?
always plugged in - if you run out of battery very fast when you game without a power cord, just get a desktop instead.
no getting your hands dirty - i like assembling desktop systems, makes me feel like a Man.

if you're the sort of person who really can't stand not gaming when you're out of the house for a couple of days, then MAYBE a laptop can be a solution.

This made me think I was reading a necro thread from 2005. Those arguments would make sense then.

 

[Borealis7]

This made me think I was reading a necro thread from 2005. Those arguments would make sense then.

how so? do you have a 24" laptop??

most gaming laptops have a 17.3" screen.

i remember back in the 90s, we were poor, our fridge was always empty, our roof was full of holes and it dripped inside when it was raining outside. we sat around a fire we made out of newspapers that we gathered during the day, and gamed on a 17" screen at 1024x768.

 

[Stg-Flame]

This made me think I was reading a necro thread from 2005. Those arguments would make sense then.

Have you stepped outside in a while? Unless you're buying a $3,000 Alienware laptop, this all applies today. Just doing a general search at Newegg, there's only 34 gaming laptops listed with 18" screens and a whopping one laptop with a 21" screen. If you really want to try for that 21" screen laptop, you'll be spending $8,999.00 (on sale from $8,999.99!). If you don't care about a 21" screen and just want the smaller 18", you'll still be dropping over two grand for a mid-range one.

No, all of what he said still applies today. If you want mobility, you'll be getting weaker hardware for more money. If you want mobility and power, you'll be pulling a second mortgage on your house.

I understand the appeal of wanting to move your gaming session around the house or maybe just relax on the bed/couch and keep gaming, but you still can't spec a laptop the same as a desktop and expect the prices to remain equal.