Ever since gaming became a thing there has always been the age-old question- PC gaming or laptop gaming? While there is no clear answer to the topic, you can always choose the one that you prefer depending upon your lifestyle, living condition, and many other factors. PC gaming is not really a new thing but as for laptops, they were not specifically built for gamers since it was hard to pack powerful hardware inside such a small frame.
As of now, gaming laptops have risen in popularity because of their capability to perform much better than their predecessors which were not possible at a certain point in time in the past. Tech manufacturers like Asus, Alienware, and HP have really changed the game recently with their lineup of gaming series laptops and are slowly becoming a good alternative to PC gaming.
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PC Vs Laptops
PC gaming is not really a new thing, while the first gaming PC dates back to the 1900s, the first true gaming laptop only made its mark in 2010 when Razer introduced the Razer Blade Gaming laptop. While both are a good option now, there are always some advantages and disadvantages that one has over the other.
Portability
When it comes to portability and ease of use, laptops easily take the cake which is obvious since the sole intention of inventing a laptop was to make computers portable. Therefore before you go on to buy your first gaming machine you should make sure whether you want something that is portable and easy to carry or not. With portability being a laptop’s primary strength, you have the ability to do everything that you do on a computer just about everywhere.
Being a hodophile myself I love to take my work and games anywhere I go and if you are also someone who loves to travel then a is always the preferable option to go with. Previously laptops used to be bulky but modern laptops are portable and compact than ever, so one should have no trouble just putting it in a backpack and then head outside.
Gaming rigs, on the other hand, are quite bulky and even an ITX build is not portable enough and you will always need an extra monitor to play games. If you are someone who has their own home and do not head out a lot then getting a gaming PC is the best way to go.
Budget
Honestly speaking, no matter how cheap gaming laptops become, PC gaming will always be a cheaper option since you have the ability to choose hardware components from a number of manufacturers which means you can always go with cheaper hardware that delivers the same performance as from another manufacturer. Take graphics cards as an example. Nonetheless, you can still find a gaming laptop under 300 dollars that do perform quite good and you can take a look at my list if you are planning to get one.
While building a gaming rig you can cut down on your expenses by skimping out on some components like the PC case, keyboard, mouse, monitor, or even internal hardware which is not possible in the case of laptops where the components are preselected and already put together. If you are tight on your budget then I will definitely recommend considering PC gaming as your preferred choice.
Upgradability And Customization
The reason why most avid gamers choose PC as their option is simply because of the fact that it provides them the ability to upgrade their systems in the future which is not always the case with laptops. While you sometimes do get the ability to increase the RAM on your laptop or install a new storage device like an SSD or an HDD the options are limited. Customization is also very limited as it is not much you can do with your laptop both in terms of aesthetics and performance. So if you do get a new laptop you will always be stuck with pretty much the same internal components for a long time and you might need to invest in a new laptop in the future.
With a PC you have an almost unlimited number of things that you can upgrade. Stuck with an old processor? Get a new one. Running out of storage? Just get a new SSD or an HDD. Not enough graphics processing power? Get a new GPU. The options are endless which also means that you can still use your current gaming PC in the future and all you need to do is just install a few new components. A great example of how a PC is much more flexible when it comes to upgradability are all the AMD systems. Most of the new Ryzen based motherboards are designed so that they can support all the new processors from AMD in the near future which is a great thing.
Even for customization, PC is always the best choice. For aesthetics, you can buy from hundreds of RGB components and beautiful PC cases or even invest in perhaps a curved display. This is the reason why most PC building enthusiasts and modders are also into PC rather than laptops.
Performance
Whenever it is about gaming, performance plays a big role. Whether it be processing power or the amount of memory you have each and every ounce of it can create a major difference in your gaming experience and gaming potential.
Earlier, laptops had a bad reputation to be underpowered than PCs which was true but this is not the case anymore. Most modern gaming laptops are geared towards providing you a performance similar to that of gaming PCs. As for me, I think that this is the only aspect where PC and laptops are on the same page.
Final Verdict
There is no clear winner here as for the most part it is subjective whether PC gaming is better or laptop gaming. Nonetheless, there will always be one that is more suited to you and allows you to have a better experience. For hardcore gamers who want an aesthetic system with tons of upgrade and customization options, a PC is always the best option. On the other hand, I will definitely recommend getting a laptop over a PC if you do not stay at one palace for a long time or need to move to different locations.