Miscellaneous laptop discussions forum: Laptop Vs Desktop Performance

No notebook holds top speed AMD or Intel dual core 64-bit CPUs with RAID arrays spinning at 10K or faster hard disks. Yes, you might see that Alienware but you are more than welcome to research what happens to said unit in year 2.

We can also fit 4GB or more in desktops.

But back to reality. Most use will do fine on today's laptops except for nuclear simulators.

Bob

your only 14 how the hell can you afford Dell XPS M1710!! :P

Go shuttle pc man!!!

I'm on my third desktop replacement notebook from HP. The performance is excellent for all applications I run, with the exception of gaming - LCD displays are just not fast enough to keep up with CRTs. That's not to say they can't run games, I regularly play Half-Life 2-based FPS games like Day of Defeat on it and it does a respectable job, just not stellar. One MAJOR problem with a notebook of this caliber is heat - the reason I'm on my third machine is that the first two died (fortunately while still under warranty) due to overheating. The first machine (zd7015us) had to be sent in for service 5 times in the first year before HP simply replaces it with another (zd7380us), which had to be sent in for service 3 times, it died again two days after getting it back from the last service, and HP again replaced it, this time with a zd8200CTO (That's "Customized To Order). During my (many) conversations with HP's customer service, I was told that since they pack so much "stuff" into these little packages, that they are PRONE to overheating when playing video games, and in particular "World of Warcraft". I've always made sure that none of the vents are blocked, and now in the third incarnation I see where HP has added more vents, a third cooling fan and the rubber feet on the bottom are taller to keep the box up higher off the desk. So far this new machine has not had any problems running any app, they seem to be getting better and better, but I think if it's all-out performance you're after, go with a desktop. If it's portability you want, get a "normal" notebook. If you're looking for a balance between the two or have a limited budget (that's my case, could not afford/justify buying a desktop AND a notebook) then go with a "desktop replacement" notebook. Also be aware that this type of machine is HEAVY - my load clocks in at over 20 lbs. when travelling with what I consider "necessary accessories", 10 of which is the machine itself, and that battery life is poor, maybe 90 minutes if not taxing it, 60 if playing games.

What it honestly comes down to when you're thinking about grabbing a desktop or a laptop is what you want the computer for. I have a laptop because it allows be the ability to take it with me, but the fact is I rarely take it out of the house. For the $800 I paid for the laptop at the time, I could have gotten a desktop with 25-50% better performance in the graphics arena. The same holds true today. If you want performance, get a desktop. The equivalent "desktop replacement" won't perform as well still and with battery life usually lasting under a few hours, it might as well be a desktop anyway.

Yes, it is a desktop chip - it's sold as a ''desktop replacement''. Normal is to heat up, but a machine should be designed so that it does not OVERheat. The original zd series had two cooling fans and a few vents - now there are THREE fans and vents all over it. I think HP got tired of replacing machines under warranty and did a complete redesign of the case. And actually, it was not the CPU that was failing, it was the video chip. The first two models had nVidias the current one has the ATI. So far, so good - I play Day of Defeat on it almost every night, and I'd say the machine is on a good 12-14 hours a day since I got it in December. For a little insurance, I always prop up the rear of the case about 2 inches off the desk and when it's in the expansion base I put a small wedge between the back of the base and the case to give it more breathing room: http://www.jerseydog.com/pix/hpwedge.jpg

Yes, you're right. Shouldn't have to do that, BUT - as you say it was a mistake to put a P4 in a notebook. However, over three years ago when I bought the first zd7015 it seemed like a good idea, and the dual-core processors were not available in a notebook. To HP's credit, they stood behind their mistake and have replaced TWO notebooks AND my original expansion base (the zd8200 was not compatible with the old base) and a spare power supply. A cooling base is a great idea, but one cannot be used in the expansion base, hence the wedge to provide more airspace. If I had it to do over (and someday I will!) I'll go for a dual-core machine.

you have a good point laptops would be the same speed but laptops do way more processes I also beleave the 14 year old on the parts and specs. Because look @ solid state drives. Also laptops have less distance for the info to travel. So in short It is the processes that kill the laptops speed

A couple of years ago I need to switch my main computer from desktop to laptop, so I bought a state-of-the-art laptop, which still works great. BUT.
1) ATI doesn't support the 128MB video card (there is a guy out there who rewrites the ATI drivers for mobile cards, not exactly a professional solution).
2) I do graphics and I can't upgrade the video card.
3) I recently wanted to add a second drive so I could move the pagefile off the system and drive and the manufacturer (Sager) no longer makes the compartment to hold the drive (and you can't put the pagefile on an external drive).

Bottom line, if you want upgradeability and don't NEED to have a laptop, stick w/the desktops.

Mitch

Back in 1987, my first 3 PCs were laptops (mostly for work), and I thought they were great. Then I got my first desktop, and have been using them ever since (I still own a laptop for the odd trip where I would need one). So, to me, the key advantage of laptops is "Mobility/Portability". In my opinion, Desktops are far, far better than Laptops. Why?
Power and Space... Two elements that affect customization, expansion, maintenance and cooling.
- Laptops are Almost impossible to fix, clean or upgrade yourself.
- Power-consumtion considerations put Laptops at a disadvantage: They cannot have the most powerful processors, memory chips, audio and video cards nor the biggest/fastest drives. We rarely get them with more than one hard disk, and will never see them with Two CDs/DVDs (At least not with present technology).
- Heat-related problems are more frequent in laptops.
Consider the following;
LESS space = more heat = more cooling = more power = MORE space????
Each two adjacent parts of the equation are correct, only the first and last parts together are NOT.

Having said all that, get both when possible, and if not, the best thing to say is: To each his own. You are the only one to know what you really need, and what compromises you're willing to make.
That is until the next breakthrough in technology.

Any info on this would be appreaciated but I've heard that the merom processor is the be the main high end processor for the Intel line when it comes out now if this is true and forgetting about hd speed and graphics cards(yes I know these are relevant) but in theory this would put the same processor in both desktops and laptops allowing the same computing power. As for laptop part inferiority as compared to the desktop couterpart well I'd have to say of course they are your using a machine built to give you the best performance but while maintaing a relativly low temperature and well the price of power until they figure out how to work it otherwise is heat or in other words energy. And well with a laptop you have less room to dissapate the heat naturally and thus either have to wait for technology to catch to make a chip of comparable strengh anyways all common since stuff. Anyways you buy a laptop for portability like a few have said and it will always be more portable than your destop even the 17-19" version that are 12 pounds are lol but those really will fry their hd every year or so as someone else mentioned. But anyways my word is basically this if you want a good computer to go into your room and lay back on your bed and use or just move around the house take the laptop and a good quality one if you want to do some things with it if you want to run all the new games and the best stuff take and portabilty doesn't matter to you take the desktop its not to hard to upgrade on your own but if your running the top parts b4 the heat reduction technology for them comes out you might want to look into a lot of fans or some other type of cooling for them anyways hope that jumble helps anyone out there trying to pick between the two. As a few have said to each his own.