Gaming desktop to gaming laptop -any regrets?

Squink said:
Thank you for the insights above, which have swayed me away from a gaming laptop (though perhaps not entirely dissuaded me). Yesterday, I tried gaming downstairs on an underpowered older laptop and it was a bit of a chew on setting it up because I wanted to use an external keyboard as well as a mouse. It was also not very comfortable.

I've been bored of games for a while and am only making an effort to get back into them because I don't want to miss out on my children's gaming journey - I remember how much a part of my life it once was and I want to share it with them. I'm therefore wary about spending a chunk of money and not using the computer to its full potential. A voice keeps whispering that I should get a Mac, but that would be completely cutting myself off from any chance at worthwhile gaming.
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How about getting a console instead? Much cheaper and a series x with games pass is extremely good value
 
Psycho Sonny said:
You need to sit it on a desk anything else will throttle it. Ythen need space for a mouse mat and a decent mouse.

Other than that they are superb. The idea of sitting on a couch with one just doesn't work. So you would have to use the dining table.

They are extremely loud when they ramp up and that means whilst any form of gaming. You can't really make them quiet or else it will throttle. That also means that you really need to use closed headphones or headset with them.

If you can live with that then it's fine but the idea of you can use it anywhere isn't true for gaming. Basic stuff like browsing yeah but gaming requires a lot of additional thought and accessories.
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Your post doesn’t match my experience.

I’ve not had any of these issues you speak of.
I’ve always used mine on a thin hardback book on my lap so as to not suffocate the intake.

I also don’t game on Max fan profile because I don’t need maximum FPS with maximum detail. sure, I won’t get the same performance of a desktop but it looks very close to me and in a thin and light device.

I use also use mine with Apple AirPods which I think are perfect, I can hear what’s going on in the room and in game at the same time.
 
Kohaashi said:
Your post doesn’t match my experience.

I’ve not had any of these issues you speak of.
I’ve always used mine on a thin hardback book on my lap so as to not suffocate the intake.

I also don’t game on Max fan profile because I don’t need maximum FPS with maximum detail. sure, I won’t get the same performance of a desktop but it looks very close to me and in a thin and light device.

I use also use mine with Apple AirPods which I think are perfect, I can hear what’s going on in the room and in game at the same time.
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Where do you stick your mouse and mouse mat?

I'm also guessing you don't play competitive FPS but much simpler games in terms of mouse accuracy of you can play on a couch.
 
Psycho Sonny said:
Where do you stick your mouse and mouse mat?

I'm also guessing you don't play competitive FPS but much simpler games in terms of mouse accuracy of you can play on a couch.
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I don’t use a mousepad, I just use it on the couch and it works very well. The arm rests are wide and flat and made of leather. I appreciate other peoples experiences may differ.

As for FPS, I play Overwatch on the couch with KB&M but not super competitively. For competitive FPS I’d use it at a desk or a table. But after a days work and sorting the kids in the evening (meal time, bath time, bed time) I’m not likely to be playing competitive FPS.
 
Ive had gaming laptops for at least 10 years. Every time I replace I try and manage an upgrade, which can be tricky due to technology and prices. My current setup is a beast. I LOVE it. I've an MSI GE75 Raider. It's expensive, but so so worth it. I use it to game, and to work. I nearly always run it at full pelt on the mains. On silent mode, it's extremly quiet, even under load. On performance mode, it's too loud, but there's no denying the fans keep the internals nice and cool. It will help longetivity. So there is obviously a compromise. There always is.

But I strongly recommend gaming laptops if you need the space.
 
TLDR: I love gaming on a laptop, but I either take the hit on resolution and stick with 1080p or I take a hit on graphics settings @ 1440p to get the framerates I want.

I made the move from a majorly-overclocked custom watercool rig to laptops a few years ago when I moved in with my GF, who is now my wife.

From what I can remember, it was tricky (performance-wise) at first because:

1) Although the desktop rig was heavily overclocked, it hadn't been upgraded in a while, so definitely wasn't bleeding-edge.
2) I had initially (naively) hoped that I could get away with an ultra-portable laptop, and went with an XPS-13.
3) That was VERY underpowered, so I tried an XPS-14, but again that was underpowered.
4) Once I finally realised I needed a dedicated GPU (duh!) and went with a GTX-960m (I think), it was sweet, as this was slightly more powerful than my desktop at the time.

I tend to upgrade every 3 years and have gone:

Acer Nitro 960M -> Medion 1070M -> Lenovo RTX-2060

Each time, I've just gone with the cheapest laptop I can find with the GPU I can afford. I don't care about battery life / screen quality or CPU, but I usually stick some extra RAM and a decent SSD in.

The change from 960M to 1070M was big, the 2060 not so much.

I would definitely advise sticking with 1080p if possible, but I have recently upgraded to a 3440 x 1440 because there weren't any 34" monitors with 1080p and high refresh rate that were in stock.

The 2060 definitely struggles @ this resolution in some of the latest games, but only because I'm a fan of the highest frame rates possible (I try to ensure minimum 60 FPS and average 100 FPS).

BUT, for me the pros outweight the cons, especially as we're both working from home now.

I have (at least) four locations where I can work / game:

1) Kitchen table.
2) Living room sofa (either laptop or 1080p TV, soundbar and subwoofer)
3) Study with the new 34" monitor.
4) Loft (either laptop or 1080p projector, hifi system for audio)

Yes, this could *probably* be achieved with things like Steam streaming from a powerful desktop, but I can't be bothered experimenting with that (yet) and my house wifi / ethernet isn't the best.

Tempted with a 3xxx series laptop, but I only got the 2060 a few months ago! :D
 
Don't underestimate the comfort and ergonomic advantage of sitting in a proper adjustment office chair and a decent desk especially if you're gaming or working for long periods.

Sitting on the sofa or at a dining table hunched over a laptop is going to be bad for your posture and health long term.

A laptop is something you should buy for the portability of being able to use it anywhere. Not so you can save space by working on the sofa/bed/dining table instead of at a proper workstation!
 
silvagti said:
Don't underestimate the comfort and ergonomic advantage of sitting in a proper adjustment office chair and a decent desk especially if you're gaming or working for long periods.

Sitting on the sofa or at a dining table hunched over a laptop is going to be bad for your posture and health long term.

A laptop is something you should buy for the portability. Not so you can save space by working on the sofa/bed/dining table instead of at a proper workstation!
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Wholeheartedly agreed. When at home, I only ever gamed on my laptop when it was on my desk in a good ergonomic position. Otherwise over the long term you are just asking for trouble as far as health is concerned.
 
A few years back, I went from a gaming desktop (AthlonXP 3200, Radeon 9700Pro...;)) to an Alienware 17R4 (i7-6820HK, GTX1080) and thoroughly appreciated the upgrade!

Honestly, I got the laptop because I thought I’d be taking it into work and gaming a little on night shifts. I did a few times, then couldn’t be bothered. I’d probably get a desktop next just because upgrades are easier and price/performance is a little better.
 
Jimbo Mahoney said:
TLDR: I love gaming on a laptop, but I either take the hit on resolution and stick with 1080p or I take a hit on graphics settings @ 1440p to get the framerates I want.

I made the move from a majorly-overclocked custom watercool rig to laptops a few years ago when I moved in with my GF, who is now my wife.

From what I can remember, it was tricky (performance-wise) at first because:

1) Although the desktop rig was heavily overclocked, it hadn't been upgraded in a while, so definitely wasn't bleeding-edge.
2) I had initially (naively) hoped that I could get away with an ultra-portable laptop, and went with an XPS-13.
3) That was VERY underpowered, so I tried an XPS-14, but again that was underpowered.
4) Once I finally realised I needed a dedicated GPU (duh!) and went with a GTX-960m (I think), it was sweet, as this was slightly more powerful than my desktop at the time.

I tend to upgrade every 3 years and have gone:

Acer Nitro 960M -> Medion 1070M -> Lenovo RTX-2060

Each time, I've just gone with the cheapest laptop I can find with the GPU I can afford. I don't care about battery life / screen quality or CPU, but I usually stick some extra RAM and a decent SSD in.

The change from 960M to 1070M was big, the 2060 not so much.

I would definitely advise sticking with 1080p if possible, but I have recently upgraded to a 3440 x 1440 because there weren't any 34" monitors with 1080p and high refresh rate that were in stock.

The 2060 definitely struggles @ this resolution in some of the latest games, but only because I'm a fan of the highest frame rates possible (I try to ensure minimum 60 FPS and average 100 FPS).

BUT, for me the pros outweight the cons, especially as we're both working from home now.

I have (at least) four locations where I can work / game:

1) Kitchen table.
2) Living room sofa (either laptop or 1080p TV, soundbar and subwoofer)
3) Study with the new 34" monitor.
4) Loft (either laptop or 1080p projector, hifi system for audio)

Yes, this could *probably* be achieved with things like Steam streaming from a powerful desktop, but I can't be bothered experimenting with that (yet) and my house wifi / ethernet isn't the best.

Tempted with a 3xxx series laptop, but I only got the 2060 a few months ago! :D
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You should really pay more attention to the screen quality tbh. It's what you will be looking at 99% of the time.

It's amazing the difference a slight bump in a better screen makes.
 
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