Is the same internals on a desktop better the same internals on a laptop?

[Daniel Ferri]

I'm debating whether to upgrade my desktop to a better desktop or a laptop. I want an Intel i7 processor 16GB of RAM 250GB SSD Nvidia Graphics/Intel Graphics
I am a musician/video producer and these things are very important to me. I was thinking about getting a laptop - hook it up to monitors so when I need to go out, I can take my work with me.
But I'm just wondering, if you take the same "specs" and put them in a computer and a laptop. Will they run exactly the same? Or do laptops have harder trouble keeping up since they're crammed in such a tiny space?

 

[ranger133x]

I custom ordered a Toshiba laptop with less Memory and a normal HDD about 2 years ago for just over $1000. It is still working great today. I'm not sure how impressive this is, but it can run most games on higher end settings. It runs Skyrim on the highest settings fine.

If you do a laptop I would highly recommend Toshiba. I have owned 3 of their laptops and they all still work great. They offer similar (if not better) components as Dell, but for much better prices.

What is your budget?

If you play around on the Toshiba website, sometimes you can find a base laptop and customize to be better than some of the more expensive laptops, but for the same price.

My laptops base price was $700, I customized it and the total came to like $1180. It had WAY better components than some of their @1500-$2000 laptops.

 

[gwapito]

No, same specs but not the same performance.

Laptops are in a disadvantage compare to desktop because of space and heat. But what they lack in those areas they compensate in mobility. Lets take example a gtx 770 for desktop. If you compare the laptop version which is gtx770m, it lags behind its big brother because they reduce clock and lower its core for better heat management. If they put the same specs like the desktop 770, they would need lots of fan to cool it down. So the answer is no, same specs but different performance.

 

[g-unit1111]

No, same specs but not the same performance.

Laptops are in a disadvantage compare to desktop because of space and heat. But what they lack in those areas they compensate in mobility. Lets take example a gtx 770 for desktop. If you compare the laptop version which is gtx770m, it lags behind its big brother because they reduce clock and lower its core for better heat management. If they put the same specs like the desktop 770, they would need lots of fan to cool it down. So the answer is no, same specs but different performance.

That's half true - it has more to do with power consumption than anything else. Laptop CPUs and GPUs are designed to conserve power so they can run on a battery properly. Plugged in, the laptop CPUs and GPUs still aren't as powerful as their desktop counterparts. The reason desktop CPUs and GPUs are much more powerful is that they're designed to run off a central power supply and don't have the power saving requirements that the laptop parts do. Cooling is one issue, but power is the main issue. A desktop i7 cannot run on a laptop battery, but an i7-XXXXm CPU can run on a battery.

 

[gwapito]

thanks for the heads up moderator

power consumption=heat. HEAT and SPACE issue is what i pointed out in my post.

more power=more heat=more fans=more required space

 

[gwapito]

Essentially OP .. serious gamers use desktops .. idiots use laptops as their main gaming PC.

You can post a PC anywhere you want these days for peanuts so unless you are moving every few weeks the old mobility argument is bollocks too.

Amazing how many under achievers "need" a laptop for school work, university etc...


I am a musician/video producer

- i think you missed that one bro. OP is not a serious gamer

 

[g-unit1111]

thanks for the heads up moderator

power consumption=heat. HEAT and SPACE issue is what i pointed out in my post.

more power=more heat=more fans=more required space

There was an article published on the main page of this site about this very subject. It's a bit outdated but proves exactly what I'm talking about. Let me go dig it up.

Found it: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-hd-6990m-geforce-gtx-580m-deception,3118.html

 

[leeb2013]

You can't really get the same internals. What sounds similar in a laptop like an I7 and gtx 880m are very cut down and liw power versions of desktop parts. But, if you spend enough on a laptop, it could perform similar to a midrange desktop. As mentioned above, it's all down to heat and power consumption. You can't have a laptop consuming 700w as it would melt in the 5mins the battery would last!