{"id":29814,"date":"2011-12-23T02:14:34","date_gmt":"2011-12-23T00:14:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/?p=29814"},"modified":"2011-12-23T10:21:53","modified_gmt":"2011-12-23T08:21:53","slug":"gaming-laptops-and-desktops-compared","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/hardware\/29814-gaming-laptops-and-desktops-compared","title":{"rendered":"Gaming laptops and desktops compared"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Many gamers are shocked at the price tags of high-end gaming laptops; with many\u00a0 not able to justify spending north of R25,000 for a portable gaming system.<\/p>\n<p>Lack of upgradeability and extreme depreciation (more so than high-end desktop components) also turn many people away from a portable gaming solution.<\/p>\n<p>Below we compare a high end Asus gaming laptop to various desktop systems and see how much you\u2019re really paying for portability.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"my-4\">The laptop<\/h3>\n<p>The Asus G74SX, which retails for around R26,500, locally is a good example of a high end gaming laptop.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>It will also last much longer than cheaper gaming laptops thanks to the powerful (for a gaming laptop) 560m GPU.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_29821\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Asus-G74SX-gaming-laptop.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-29821\" class=\"size-full wp-image-29821\" title=\"Asus G74SX gaming laptop\" src=\"http:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Asus-G74SX-gaming-laptop.jpg\" alt=\"Asus G74SX gaming laptop\" width=\"500\" height=\"436\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Asus-G74SX-gaming-laptop.jpg 500w, https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Asus-G74SX-gaming-laptop-300x261.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Asus-G74SX-gaming-laptop-250x218.jpg 250w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-29821\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Asus G74SX gaming laptop<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Here are the specs:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>CPU: Intel Core i7 2670QM<\/li>\n<li>Motherboard: Intel H55 chipset<\/li>\n<li>RAM: 2 x 4GB DDR3 1333Mhz<\/li>\n<li>SSD: 160GB SSD<\/li>\n<li>Hard Drive: 750GB 7200rpm drive<\/li>\n<li>Graphics card: Nvidia GTX560m GPU<\/li>\n<li>Screen: 17.3 inch Full HD 3D capable monitor + Nvidia 3D vision kit<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>Now that we have a base, let\u2019s see what R26,500 will get you if you were buying a desktop PC.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"my-4\">The Desktop<\/h3>\n<p>If you decide to scrap the idea and spend the same amount on a gaming PC, you could potentially end up with the following:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>CPU: Intel Core i7 2600k \u2013 R3,000<\/li>\n<li>Motherboard: Asus Maximus IV Gene-Z \u2013 R2,100<\/li>\n<li>RAM: G.Skill Ripjaw X 8GB set 2133Mhz (2 x 4GB modules) \u2013 R1,500<\/li>\n<li>SSD: Intel 160GB 320 series \u2013 R3,500<\/li>\n<li>Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Black 750GB \u2013 R1,250<\/li>\n<li>Graphics card: EVGA GTX560 overclocked edition &#8211; R2,300<\/li>\n<li>Screen: Asus VG236H with Nvidia 3D vision kit &#8211; R6850<\/li>\n<li>Keyboard: Logitech G510 gaming keyboard \u2013 R1,200<\/li>\n<li>Mouse: Logitech G500 \u2013 R700<\/li>\n<li>Power supply: Power supply: Corsair GS800 800w \u2013 R1,350<\/li>\n<li>Case: Coolermaster RC-692-KWN1 CM690 II \u2013 R950<\/li>\n<li>OS: Windows 7 Professional 64 bit \u2013 R1,400<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Total Cost: R26,100<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_29822\" style=\"width: 510px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Asus-VG236H.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-29822\" class=\"size-full wp-image-29822\" title=\"Asus VG236H\" src=\"http:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Asus-VG236H.jpg\" alt=\"Asus VG236H\" width=\"500\" height=\"413\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Asus-VG236H.jpg 500w, https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Asus-VG236H-300x247.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Asus-VG236H-250x206.jpg 250w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-29822\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Asus VG236H<\/p><\/div>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>What you lose in portability, you gain in longevity.<\/p>\n<p>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\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"my-4\"><strong>Matching the laptop specs<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>If you\u2019re looking for a gaming system that matches the hardware in the laptop spec for spec, you could end up with the following:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>CPU: Intel Core i7 2500 \u2013 R2,050<\/li>\n<li>Motherboard: Asus P8P67-M \u2013 R1,300<\/li>\n<li>RAM: Corsair CMX 1333Mhz (2 x 4GB) \u2013 R550<\/li>\n<li>SSD: Intel 160GB 320 series \u2013 R3,500<\/li>\n<li>Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Black 750GB \u2013 R1,250<\/li>\n<li>Graphics card: Asus Nvidia Geforce GTX550ti \u2013 R1,500<\/li>\n<li>Screen: Asus VG236H with Nvidia 3D vision kit &#8211; R6850<\/li>\n<li>Keyboard: Logitech G110 gaming keyboard \u2013 R800<\/li>\n<li>Mouse: Razer Lachesis \u2013 R600<\/li>\n<li>Power supply: Corsair GS800 800w \u2013 R1,350<\/li>\n<li>Case: Coolermaster Storm Scout \u2013 R850<\/li>\n<li>OS: Windows 7 Professional 64 bit \u2013 R1,400<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Total Cost: R22,000<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_29819\" style=\"width: 610px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/western-digital-caviar-black-750GB.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-29819\" class=\"size-full wp-image-29819\" title=\"Western Digital Caviar Black 750GB\" src=\"http:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/western-digital-caviar-black-750GB.jpg\" alt=\"Western Digital Caviar Black 750GB\" width=\"600\" height=\"556\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/western-digital-caviar-black-750GB.jpg 600w, https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/western-digital-caviar-black-750GB-300x278.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/western-digital-caviar-black-750GB-250x231.jpg 250w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-29819\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Western Digital Caviar Black 750GB<\/p><\/div>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>The rest of the components are fairly comparable and will yield the same if not better performance.<\/p>\n<p>So the cost of having a desktop system nearly as powerful as the laptop above will save you R4,000 and some pocket change.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"my-4\">The best of both worlds (sort of)<\/h3>\n<p>A system in between a full desktop PC and laptop is practically non-existent on the market today (all-in-one PC\u2019s such as the Mac pro aren\u2019t really aimed at gamers), but the below represents something close:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>CPU: Intel Core i7 2500 \u2013 R2,050<\/li>\n<li>Motherboard: ZOTAC H67-ITX WiFi \u2013 R1,650<\/li>\n<li>RAM: Corsair CMX 1333Mhz (2 x 4GB) \u2013 R550<\/li>\n<li>SSD: OCZ Agility 3 240GB SATA III \u2013 R4,200<\/li>\n<li>Hard Drive: Hard Drive: Seagate 1.5TB low power Sata III \u2013 R1,650<\/li>\n<li>Graphics card: EVGA GTX560 overclocked edition R2,300<\/li>\n<li>Screen: Asus VW227D 21.5 inch Full HD LCD \u2013 R1,150<\/li>\n<li>Keyboard: Logitech G110 gaming keyboard \u2013 R800<\/li>\n<li>Mouse: Razer Lachesis \u2013 R600<\/li>\n<li>Power supply: Coolermaster Extreme power plus 600w R750<\/li>\n<li>Case: Lian Li PC-Q08 M-ITX chassis \u2013 R1,150<\/li>\n<li>OS: Windows 7 Professional 64 bit \u2013 R1,400<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 class=\"my-4\">Total Cost: R18,250<\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_29820\" style=\"width: 519px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Zotac-H67-ITX-Wifi.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-29820\" class=\"size-full wp-image-29820\" title=\"Zotac H67-ITX Wi-Fi\" src=\"http:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Zotac-H67-ITX-Wifi.jpg\" alt=\"Zotac H67-ITX Wi-Fi\" width=\"509\" height=\"372\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Zotac-H67-ITX-Wifi.jpg 509w, https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Zotac-H67-ITX-Wifi-300x219.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/12\/Zotac-H67-ITX-Wifi-250x182.jpg 250w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 509px) 100vw, 509px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-29820\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Zotac H67-ITX Wi-Fi<\/p><\/div>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>Specifications are better than the Asus G74SX, and the system is nearly as portable. Well not nearly, but it\u2019s a hell of a lot more portable than the full spec system above.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve removed the 3D vision capable monitor and kit because in my opinion, it\u2019s a waste of money. The technology is too expensive to justify its place in a portable gaming rig.<\/p>\n<p>Portability doesn\u2019t come cheap, and often you\u2019ll find yourself shelling out upwards of R4,000 for the ability to pack medium-high spec hardware into a portable package.<\/p>\n<p>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).<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How do top end gaming laptops compare price- and spec-wise with their desktop counterparts?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":169,"featured_media":29826,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sma_x_autopost_status":"idle","_sma_x_autopost_error":"","_sma_x_post_id":"","_sma_x_attempts":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20,7],"tags":[1704,1702,21],"class_list":["post-29814","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","category-hardware","tag-gaming-desktop","tag-gaming-laptop","tag-headline"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29814","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/169"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29814"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29814\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29818,"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29814\/revisions\/29818"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29826"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29814"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29814"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mygaming.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29814"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}