[SOLVED] Desktop tower vs. Mini desktop vs. Laptop

[manuzzang]

Hi all,

I've been looking to purchase a new PC, mainly for video editing and some minor gaming.
As I'm moving around quite frequently (about once a year) I'm a bit reluctant to commit to a desktop tower.
For that reason I've been looking at some mini PCs (HP Z2, Intel NUC, Asus Vivo Mini),
but as far as I can see a mini PC would be more expensive than a laptop with similar specs (i.e. i7 CPU, 16gb RAM, 512gb nvme SDD, Nvidia GeForce RTX or Quatro T1000).
So I'm wondering if a mini PC has any merit at all?
Of course I could always buy a desktop tower and take it with me, just trying to explore some different options.
I realize this is quite a vague question, but is the performance difference between desktop and laptop (with similar specs) really that huge?

Would love to hear some opinions on this!

Cheers,

M.

 

[Lutfij]

Why not build a mini itx form factor system? What sort of a budget are you allocating to the system? Also parse a list of apps you want to tax the system with. You could look into a laptop but they cost a pretty penny and often times they lack any upgrade options down the road, not to mention that replacement parts are hard to find or cost the same as a new laptop(some times).

 

[RNGITproblems]

If you need mobility I would just go with a laptop, the premium you pay for convenience is worth it imo. It's true they're not upgradeable really, aside from RAM or more storage, but a decent modern laptop will be future proof enough not to really worry about it. Besides you can always get external drives and such if needed.
With a desktop you also have to factor in the monitor, mouse, keyboard and the general bulk of the setup. You cant exactly drag a tower and a monitor to a Starbucks or something if you want to get some work done in a different environment for a day.

 

[manuzzang]

If you need mobility I would just go with a laptop, the premium you pay for convenience is worth it imo. It's true they're not upgradeable really, aside from RAM or more storage, but a decent modern laptop will be future proof enough not to really worry about it. Besides you can always get external drives and such if needed.
With a desktop you also have to factor in the monitor, mouse, keyboard and the general bulk of the setup. You cant exactly drag a tower and a monitor to a Starbucks or something if you want to get some work done in a different environment for a day.

Thanks, I'm leaning heavily towards that option now!

 

[manuzzang]

Why not build a mini itx form factor system? What sort of a budget are you allocating to the system? Also parse a list of apps you want to tax the system with. You could look into a laptop but they cost a pretty penny and often times they lack any upgrade options down the road, not to mention that replacement parts are hard to find or cost the same as a new laptop(some times).

I'm a bit reluctant when it comes to custom builds...Checking it out though, thanks for the input.

 

[Why_Me]

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