The laptop versus desktop debate is an age-old topic, and it continues to get more heated as advancements in technology bring the two setups closer in terms of performance and capability. These days, you can purchase high-quality gaming laptops that are portable despite their powerful specs, making them more enticing than bulky desktop PCs for newcomers and computing veterans.

However, pre-built and custom-made rigs have their own benefits, and there are plenty of reasons why you should consider a desktop over a laptop as your daily driver.

1 Desktops offer superior performance

It’s true that laptops, especially those designed for gaming and professional workloads, have seen tremendous leaps in capabilities over the last decade. Unfortunately, it’s still not possible for a laptop to meet the performance standards set by desktops, and even the most powerful laptops can’t hold a candle to similarly priced desktop setups as far as raw computational power is concerned. Comparing the best consumer-grade GPUs on laptops and desktops, an Nvidia RTX 4090 graphics card can easily crush a laptop RTX 4090 GPU, and it's not even a competition at this point. Just one look at the official specs for Nvidia’s RTX 4090 laptop and desktop graphics cards will make it clear why the latter are generally 70% faster than the former.

Likewise, desktop processors and memory kits will almost always offer superior processing power than their laptop equivalents. Of course, the difference in performance will be less noticeable when you compare the specs of entry-level gaming laptops with low-end desktop PCs. But even then, desktops have an edge over laptops as far as performance is concerned. And that’s before you add cooling and the issue of thermal throttling to the mix.

2 Desktops don’t suffer from the thermal limitations of laptops

Running the latest games can be taxing on your hardware, and you’ll end up hitting high temperatures quite frequently, regardless of whether you run a laptop or a PC setup. However, laptops are prone to thermal issues as their portability comes at the cost of better cooling capabilities. Even though the graphics cards inside gaming laptops are rated at lower TGP than their desktop counterparts, they’re not very good at dissipating heat due to the limited number of fans and smaller heatsinks.

Meanwhile, larger PC cabinets have better airflow and feature plenty of mounting brackets for larger fans and radiators. Most cabinets allow you to set up AIO liquid cooling solutions, and you can even go for custom water cooling loops if you don’t mind putting in the extra effort. In contrast, built-in liquid coolers are extremely rare in laptops, and even the ones that ship with water cooling blocks come with extremely high price tags.

3 Desktops are more customizable and have better upgradability

Building your own PC allows you to pair the most aesthetically pleasing components that money can buy. From RGB lighting, custom cooling solutions, and case mods, there are plenty of ways to deck out your desktop, and the same holds true for the upgrade options. If your PC is starting to lag, you can simply unmount the slower components and slot in the latest parts while reusing everything else.

At worst, upgrading a CPU may require replacing the motherboard, RAM, and perhaps the PSU if they are incompatible with your new processor. But you won’t need to swap out the storage drives, cabinet, or GPU, and you can wait for a generation or two before upgrading the graphics card. Likewise, you may only need to upgrade the PSU if you wish to grab a better GPU for your setup without spending a premium on other components. Moreover, the entire process is extremely simple as desktops are designed to be easy to upgrade even for beginners.

On the other hand, laptops allow you to upgrade only the storage and/or the RAM, assuming the memory isn’t soldered onto the motherboard. Therefore, it's impossible for laptop users to upgrade their CPU or GPU without purchasing a new model with beefier specs. Sure, there are devices like Framework laptops that offer better customizability, but they are more of the exception rather than the norm.

4 Desktops are easier to repair

If any of your desktop components die out, you can easily replace them by opening the cabinet, removing the faulty component, and slotting in the replacement part. The process is the same for all components, be it the processor, motherboard, memory, or graphics card, and most of the internal components are easily accessible. Heck, the only big hurdle you could encounter while repairing your desktop is that you may need to unmount and reinstall some other parts if you’re having a hard time reaching the dead component.

In contrast, most of the components inside a laptop are soldered into the motherboard, making it hard to replace faulty parts. The disassembly procedure is complex for laptops as you may have to remove the back cover, optical drive, battery, and keyboard to gain access to the internals.

Considering the difficulty in finding OEM hardware for old laptops, it's highly probable that you'd have to go for lower-quality parts from third-party manufacturers if you’ve been using the laptop for a long time. You might end up paying a premium price for the replacement components, and that’s before you consider the costs of hiring a technician if you aren't tech-savvy enough to repair it by yourself. So, desktops always have the upper hand when it comes to ease and cost of repairs. And speaking of costs ...

5 Desktops are more cost-effective

Despite their superior performance, desktop components are cheaper than their laptop counterparts. In our mainstream gaming PC guide, we were able to create an all-rounder rig for a little more than $1,000. If you aim to buy a laptop with “comparable specs” to our build, you could end up spending more than 1.5 times the amount of money on a weaker machine that still won’t be able to beat a desktop when it comes to gaming or thermals.

As mentioned earlier, the disparity in performance between desktops and laptops increases as you go up the pricing ladder. From a price-to-performance standpoint, even pre-built systems are cheaper than most gaming laptops. All in all, desktop systems are better value propositions than laptops, especially if you’re into high-end gaming or run heavy-duty workloads on a regular basis.

Should you ditch laptops entirely and switch to desktops?

Absolutely not! While laptops can’t beat desktops in terms of cost-to-performance ratio, temps, or upgradability, modern laptops are perfectly capable of providing a fulfilling experience. From a portability standpoint, laptops make for better travel companions. It’s true that some Mini-ITX builds can have a smaller form factor than laptops, but they need external peripherals. Meanwhile, laptops are standalone devices that have built-in displays, trackpads, and keyboards.

Laptop users also don’t have to worry about losing their unsaved work in case of a sudden power outage thanks to proper battery backup. Moreover, laptops require significantly less power to run, so they’re less likely to increase your electricity bill than a gaming desktop. Not to mention, laptops are more convenient and easier to use than desktops when it comes to everyday tasks like checking mails, browsing the web, and light gaming.

In the end, the choice of a laptop or a desktop depends largely on your budget and needs. If you value portability over all else, there’s no reason not to get a new laptop. But for users who want affordable and better-performing hardware, desktop PCs are the way to go!