A Desktop or Laptop for Uni.

Hey,
I hopefully plan on getting into Staffordshire Uni (stafford campus) and i need a computer/laptop for uni.
Im doing the Computer games design.
Im currently not sure what to get, either a Desktop computer or a Laptop.

Desktops are typically cheaper and higher spec than laptops.
But i wont be able to take it out of the uni (for obvious reasons) Plus i would have to get a monitor with that as well.
Where as with a Laptop i can take it where ever i go + i dont need to fish out more money for a monitor.

I want to use this Rig for High spec gaming AND Rendering out video files/ Extensive work using 3ds max & Maya.

Im wondering, is anyone here been to any uni and had the same decision as im having?
Do people typically have Full Desktop computers in theyre rooms?

Ive got a £2000 spending limit. But i might be able to go over that by a good £100-200 If possible (depends how much i earn from now till september)
If you know a high spec laptop or a good rig suitable to that then please enter the model name below and i'll research it up.

P.S to help a Bit i would like a Directx 11 rig.

I just finished my first year with only having a desktop. My dad offered to buy me a £500 laptop and there were only a few times where I thought it would be good to have one. Not many people make notes on their laptops. I prefer using pen/paper because when they have a graph or diagram up I can actually note it down.

I know a few people with desktops. My housemate has an old mini case, my coursemate has an old desktop he put Ubuntu on and my other coursemate has an i5 gaming rig.

I took my TV/Monitor thing down so I could use it for my PC and Xbox and I would have used it for TV if the aerial wall socket wasn't broken.

I had a laptop at uni and used it eagerly at the start but there is no real point in having one. Printing of the lecture slides and making notes on them is much better. Buy a desktop!

i took my desktop and a netbook for use in lectures and stuff. Ironicaly probably turned out around the same price as a very good laptop. Reasons for my decision were:

--Still wanted a powerful, easily upgradeable system for games and work etc
--Needed a high battery life portable machine for note taking etc.

Worked out great to be honest. So this is what i would do in your shoes as you can get some great netbooks for the money and put the rest towards the rig. But its up to you

I would got for a desktop, you will get much more power for the money and if you really need a laptop you can buy a >£300 celeron which will do the jobs you might need it for.

I fancy boys said:

i took my desktop and a netbook for use in lectures and stuff. Ironicaly probably turned out around the same price as a very good laptop. Reasons for my decision were:

--Still wanted a powerful, easily upgradeable system for games and work etc
--Needed a high battery life portable machine for note taking etc.

Worked out great to be honest. So this is what i would do in your shoes as you can get some great netbooks for the money and put the rest towards the rig. But its up to you

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this is exactly what im going to do when i go to uni in september ( london hopefully (Y))


got a good overclocked rig which i will take and am also gonna use a cheap netbook to take down notes etc

I had to make that choice when I went to Uni two years ago to do Mechanical Engineering. I went for a £800 laptop, but have recently built a desktop.

It really depends on a few things:

How often are you going to work in Uni? I can't work very well at home (always get distracted) so come into Uni quite a lot, but use the desktops here instead of bringing my laptop.

If you're doing games design, then I guess whichever you choose is gonna have to be pretty powerful. I certainly prefer to do CAD on a desktop rather than 15" laptop screen. Are there enough computers that are up to speed at the uni?

Also, are you going to be going home home a lot in the holidays? If you go down the laptop route then you won't have to be taking your desktop + monitor back and forth.

Having said that, i'm currently doing a summer research placement at uni so keep my laptop in my office here for use in the day and my desktop back at home which is nice.

Also, as others have mentioned, might it be worth going for both and spending £1500 on a desktop and £500 on a laptop?

I've just finished my first year with just a laptop. The only time I used its mobility was moving it and my TV to the common room so we could all watch a film.

Next year I'm going to buy a high powered desktop and then, if I feel I need the mobility, get myself a netbook.

Don't try and get a laptop that does everything, you will only end up being disappointed

I brought my desktop to uni after this same decision making process for an IT degree. I cant think of a time I really would have needed a laptop. Besides for all the things you quoted you'd like to do it sounds like a desktop is the only logical choice.

your better off with a more powerful desktop and maybe get a cheap netbook fot notes if need be.

Cool, thanks for the info.

I'll props get a desktop now.

Im thinking of getting the 3D Titan Spectre system.
Though im not sure whether 3D is really worth it at the momant.
Anyone here tried it out at all?

White_hell said:

Cool, thanks for the info.

I'll props get a desktop now.

Im thinking of getting the 3D Titan Spectre system.
Though im not sure whether 3D is really worth it at the momant.
Anyone here tried it out at all?

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The Spectre is a excellent system. Its got all the bells and whistles you could need.

Desktops are always better for value for money and money for performance than laptops. Plus a desktop will last you a lot longer than a laptop in terms of futureproofing.

Nvidia 3D is awesome but only works in certain games at the moment but the amount of compatible games increases with every new release.

If you get a laptop you'll likely regret not having the power of a desktop. Whereas if you get a desktop you won't regret not having the mobility of a laptop because the chances are there'll always be a computer available on campus.

JamesTuc said:

If you get a laptop you'll likely regret not having the power of a desktop. Whereas if you get a desktop you won't regret not having the mobility of a laptop because the chances are there'll always be a computer available on campus.

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For me the times when I wanted a laptop were when I didn't want to sit in my crappy chair and watch a movie in bed.

Get a macbook and job done! Rest of the money on booze or get an imac.

TBH i go to city university and the computer plan sucks, i dnt think its actual the computer its self but rather the network and how everything is connected but you cant like open 2 tabs in firefox without some huge lag. So im really happy I got a laptop, I cant really study at home so I go to uni a lot of the time to study and I also take my laptop with me. I think if you spend around £1100 on a tower and £400 on a good screen set up then you could have some money left for a laptop, decent laptops are quite cheap these days.

Desktop trust me or both (expensive desktop and cheap laptop IF you need a laptop)

Personally I would say a good desktop with 2 screens and a netbook would be ideal.

The great thing about Desktops is their upgradability, you could start with a £1000 pc and then if you find you really need a Laptop then spend the other grand on a laptop, or you could then reinvest that money in making the desktop better.