First gaming computer

GaryTurner

I'm saving up to buy a gaming computer. I don't know whether to get a gaming laptop or gaming desktop.

I would like help with which is better. Should I build a desktop or buy a laptop.

I am going to spend between €800 - €1000.

Digital Solitude

A desktop is better performance for money, laptops tend to be heavy and have relatively short batteries.

Would you prefer the best performance you can get, or weaker performance but portability?

Desktops also tend to have longer lifespans as they can be upgraded over time, i.e. in about 2 years I'll upgrade my GPU and be back to Ultra 1080p60fps for another little while. If I buy a laptop now, I'll have to sell it and buy a new one every time I want to upgrade.

Dave_The_Sheep

Desktop. Desktop all the way.

I won't recommend a build, the guys at PC Building and Upgrading are heroes, they've helped me a half dozen times. Boards.ie Forum.

PCs are objectively better at games than consoles but that's not really relevant. If you want to game from your couch, or 'casually', then stick with your laptop/console (as regards games) as opposed to a laptop.

dis worst of bnoth worlds.

Zillah

There is no reason whatsoever to get a laptop unless you absolutely positively 100% need something highly mobile. You pay twice as much for half the performance.

ShadowHearth

In fairness. Gaming laptops went really damn far this year. Ypu can get a lot pf power for the money. A lot is thanks to new 1050, 1050ti and 1060, which are pretty much on same level as desktop versions. We never ever had that before in hardware world.

Saying that if its a first dip in pc gaming then building your own desktop is a must and its the way of going in to pc gaming.
You can build very decent machines for very good price these days. Ryzen budget cpus are almost here too, which will shake the ground well in low to mid budget setups.

I got myself a nice desktop and now I am looking for a decent laptop too as an adition. I would never go for laptop as main gaming pc device. Desktop is great an all, but I cant really take it with me on the couch or bed, if you know what I mean. I am just being spoiled brat.

Digital Solitude

Zillah wrote: »

There is no reason whatsoever to get a laptop unless you absolutely positively 100% need something highly mobile. You pay twice as much for half the performance.

It's more like 50% more expensive for comparable performance since the 10xx series GPUs

dreamers75

My 1st gaming PC had a 166mhz processor :cool:

Got the wife a ROG laptop for xmas, have to say its impressive 970m GPU and it runs everything.

ShadowHearth

dreamers75 wrote: »

My 1st gaming PC had a 166mhz processor :cool:

Got the wife a ROG laptop for xmas, have to say its impressive 970m GPU and it runs everything.

Pentium 1 200mhz 16mb ram 2mb gpu 1gb hdd like a boss. Want to play fallout 2, great install it. Want to play half life 1? Great, uninstall fallout 2, install half life.

Taylor365

dreamers75 wrote: »

My 1st gaming PC had a 166mhz processor :cool:

Got the wife a ROG laptop for xmas, have to say its impressive 970m GPU and it runs everything.

Can you fry eggs on it?

Sarn

I would say it also depends on your home setup. If you don't have spare space to set up a desktop or don't want to be hogging the tv then a well specced laptop is a good compromise.

It also depends on whether or not you must have every graphic option turned up to max. If you want the full experience then a desktop is the way to go.

Shiminay

You're not buying a good gaming laptop for a grand. You will build a really good desktop for a grand though.

ShadowHearth

Shiminay wrote: »

You're not buying a good gaming laptop for a grand. You will build a really good desktop for a grand though.

Arguable in 2017 to be honest.

Yes, in the end of the day, desktop will be more powerful for same money. Though when you include windows, monitor, keyboard, the price/performance will still be better for dekstop, but the gap is not so massive as it used to. Advantage of self built will always be upgradability.

For example that dell, i5 7300hq 8gb ram, 128gb ssd, 1tb hdd and 1050ti for 899eu.

For a laptop that is some value, which we never ever sow in the laptop market.

Pugzilla

You could get a GTX 1080ti with your budget

Digital Solitude

Pugzilla wrote: »

You could get a GTX 1080ti with your budget

And what else? An Atom and 2gb ram? Not much of a pairing.

A new €1000 laptop would carry a 1050 iirc, I'm not big on laptops so I could be wrong there. 1050 is a sweet card though, all you'd need for 1080p for a few years.

A €1000 PC would have a stronger CPU, possibly and i7 and an 8gb 480, which would be a good leap ahead in power terms and carry you easily at 1440p for a couple years.

Pugzilla

**** that, just get the gtx 1080 and hang it on your wall

Taylor365

Digital Solitude wrote: »

all you'd need for 1080p for a few years.

For medium settings maybe....

ScumLord

Buy and build a desktop just so you can call your PC a "rig".

Gehad_JoyRider

GaryTurner wrote: »

I'm saving up to buy a gaming computer. I don't know whether to get a gaming laptop or gaming desktop.

I would like help with which is better. Should I build a desktop or buy a laptop.

I am going to spend between €800 - €1000.

Hi a little over 4 years ago I built my first pc, it was great. It lasted and I learned so much about computers. .

What I would say is think forwards, if it take an extra week or two to save for so you get a better monitor, get a cherry mx keyboard spend a bit more on fans and a case, get yourself a 120 cpu water coole, nzxt corsair

Gehad_JoyRider

ScumLord wrote: »

Buy and build a desktop just so you can call your PC a "rig".

Ya its easy come to this neck of the woods they helped me build my first computer :cool:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=842

stevencr

My First PC was Pentium II with 333GHZ Processor and 128MB Ram, CRT monitor of 14" and the first game i played in the computer was Pacman

stevencr

Shiminay wrote: »

You're not buying a good gaming laptop for a grand.  You will build a really good desktop for a grand though.

That's for sure!