Many gamers are shocked at the price tags of high-end gaming laptops; with many  not able to justify spending north of R25,000 for a portable gaming system.

Lack of upgradeability and extreme depreciation (more so than high-end desktop components) also turn many people away from a portable gaming solution.

Below we compare a high end Asus gaming laptop to various desktop systems and see how much you’re really paying for portability.

The laptop

The Asus G74SX, which retails for around R26,500, locally is a good example of a high end gaming laptop.

It features one of the highest specification levels of any gaming laptop available in the country, and is capable of handling modern games on relatively high settings.

It will also last much longer than cheaper gaming laptops thanks to the powerful (for a gaming laptop) 560m GPU.

Here are the specs:

• CPU: Intel Core i7 2670QM
• Motherboard: Intel H55 chipset
• RAM: 2 x 4GB DDR3 1333Mhz
• SSD: 160GB SSD
• Hard Drive: 750GB 7200rpm drive
• Graphics card: Nvidia GTX560m GPU
• Screen: 17.3 inch Full HD 3D capable monitor + Nvidia 3D vision kit

Impressive specifications, and the presence of a 3D capable monitor and Nvidia 3D vision kit is a welcome addition that is sure to boost the price of the unit.

Now that we have a base, let’s see what R26,500 will get you if you were buying a desktop PC.

The Desktop

If you decide to scrap the idea and spend the same amount on a gaming PC, you could potentially end up with the following:

• CPU: Intel Core i7 2600k – R3,000
• Motherboard: Asus Maximus IV Gene-Z – R2,100
• RAM: G.Skill Ripjaw X 8GB set 2133Mhz (2 x 4GB modules) – R1,500
• SSD: Intel 160GB 320 series – R3,500
• Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Black 750GB – R1,250
• Graphics card: EVGA GTX560 overclocked edition – R2,300
• Screen: Asus VG236H with Nvidia 3D vision kit – R6850
• Keyboard: Logitech G510 gaming keyboard – R1,200
• Mouse: Logitech G500 – R700
• Power supply: Power supply: Corsair GS800 800w – R1,350
• Case: Coolermaster RC-692-KWN1 CM690 II – R950
• OS: Windows 7 Professional 64 bit – R1,400

Total Cost: R26,100

The system above consists of many faster components, such as the processor, RAM, an SSD for games, the storage drive for media, and a graphics card significantly superior to the onboard 560m GPU in the laptop. We also have a feature-rich gaming motherboard, a screen nearly 6 inches larger, and gaming peripherals to complete the package.

What you lose in portability, you gain in longevity.

The higher-end hardware will provide more performance and allow you to enjoy games in greater detail, for longer. There is also the opportunity to upgrade the system, adding in more storage, a second graphics card or a faster CPU is not only possible, it’s easy.

Matching the laptop specs

If you’re looking for a gaming system that matches the hardware in the laptop spec for spec, you could end up with the following:

• CPU: Intel Core i7 2500 – R2,050
• Motherboard: Asus P8P67-M – R1,300
• RAM: Corsair CMX 1333Mhz (2 x 4GB) – R550
• SSD: Intel 160GB 320 series – R3,500
• Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Black 750GB – R1,250
• Graphics card: Asus Nvidia Geforce GTX550ti – R1,500
• Screen: Asus VG236H with Nvidia 3D vision kit – R6850
• Keyboard: Logitech G110 gaming keyboard – R800
• Mouse: Razer Lachesis – R600
• Power supply: Corsair GS800 800w – R1,350
• Case: Coolermaster Storm Scout – R850
• OS: Windows 7 Professional 64 bit – R1,400

Total Cost: R22,000

The Intel Core i7 QM2670 is comparable in performance to the vanilla Core i7 2500 found in the machine above, while the Asus motherboard is more feature rich than its rival.

The graphics card is slightly faster than the 560m, and the screen represents the closest size monitor that provides a Full HD resolution at a cost effective price.

The rest of the components are fairly comparable and will yield the same if not better performance.

So the cost of having a desktop system nearly as powerful as the laptop above will save you R4,000 and some pocket change.

This is slightly inflated though, given the price of a 3D vision capable monitor and 3D vision starter kit. If one replaced the Asus VG236H with a good quality 23 inch Full HD minus the 3D vision capabilities, you could easily shave another R4,000 off the total system cost.

The best of both worlds (sort of)

A system in between a full desktop PC and laptop is practically non-existent on the market today (all-in-one PC’s such as the Mac pro aren’t really aimed at gamers), but the below represents something close:

• CPU: Intel Core i7 2500 – R2,050
• Motherboard: ZOTAC H67-ITX WiFi – R1,650
• RAM: Corsair CMX 1333Mhz (2 x 4GB) – R550
• SSD: OCZ Agility 3 240GB SATA III – R4,200
• Hard Drive: Hard Drive: Seagate 1.5TB low power Sata III – R1,650
• Graphics card: EVGA GTX560 overclocked edition R2,300
• Screen: Asus VW227D 21.5 inch Full HD LCD – R1,150
• Keyboard: Logitech G110 gaming keyboard – R800
• Mouse: Razer Lachesis – R600
• Power supply: Coolermaster Extreme power plus 600w R750
• Case: Lian Li PC-Q08 M-ITX chassis – R1,150
• OS: Windows 7 Professional 64 bit – R1,400

Total Cost: R18,250

For slightly more than the equivalent spec desktop, you get a system that provides one hell of a punch in a mobile form factor, thanks to the ITX motherboard and Lian Li PC-Q08 chassis.

Specifications are better than the Asus G74SX, and the system is nearly as portable. Well not nearly, but it’s a hell of a lot more portable than the full spec system above.

I’ve removed the 3D vision capable monitor and kit because in my opinion, it’s a waste of money. The technology is too expensive to justify its place in a portable gaming rig.

Portability doesn’t come cheap, and often you’ll find yourself shelling out upwards of R4,000 for the ability to pack medium-high spec hardware into a portable package.

When you think of the engineering required to get portable performance into a mobile package, along with the low volume of gaming laptops shipped vs. gaming desktop systems, you begin to realise that the price tag of a high-end gaming laptop is justified (mostly).

That said, if you require a powerful, portable machine for work, consider a Macbook air or one of the upcoming Ultrabooks from a range of Intel partners, then spend the rest on a medium spec desktop PC that will be much better suited to gaming.

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