Desktop or Laptop for my situation?

[Kaishen]

Howdy!

I currently play FFXIV on a fairly low-end laptop (at least low-end as far as FFXIV specs are concerned). I have to keep basically all effects turned off/lowest and have my resolution buffer set to 3/4 to run the game somewhat smoothly. I am thinking about replacing my computer (solely to play FFXIV), but need some advice.

As mentioned, I play on a laptop. I've used laptops for years, and greatly prefer them to desktops. I travel a fair bit for work, and also bring my laptop with me to work so that I can play during downtime. I absolutely hate desktops because I hate being tied to a computer desk, and really there is no good spot to put a computer desk in my apartment anyway.

That having been said, other than not running FFXIV with decent graphics settings, my laptop still runs very well, and does everything else I need it to do with no problems. Were it not for FFXIV, I'd have no thoughts of replacing it.

What I've been thinking of doing, in order to get more bang for my buck, is building a desktop, getting a wireless keyboard etc, and just using my 40" LCD TV as my monitor. That way I don't have to purchase a monitor, and I can still play from my couch as I currently do.

The advantage of the desktop route, as I see it, is that I could get a much nicer computer for the same amount of money. The problem with the desktop route is that when I am traveling or at work, I'd still be playing on my current laptop with crappy graphics.

The other problem with the desktop route is that I have never built a PC before and know literally next to nothing about the various components. I know the general categories of components I need (i.e. I know that I need a mother board, a processor, etc), but as far as which specific parts to get, I know nothing. I don't really understand much about computers and the threads I've read where people explain why one particular video card is better than another go way over my head.

In my particular situation, do you think I should go with a laptop or a desktop? If desktop, I'll need to be pointed towards some resource that can either 1) help me understand which components I should buy and why, or b) just tell me which ones to get.

The other thing to take into consideration is that I likely won't have the extra cash to upgrade until around March of next year, so at that point maybe it just makes more sense to buy a PS3 and play the PS3 version when I'm at home. Thoughts?

Also, my potential budget is around $1200-1500 is that impacts anybody's decision.

[sruon]

That's a tricky situation, do you spend enough time on the move to warrant buying a better laptop? A desktop-couch (or PS3) will cost substantially less than a laptop : With $1200-1500 you can build something completely epic which isn't necessarily true with laptops.

I'd go the desktop-couch route if it was me anyway, and just put up with laptop graphics while working

[Cooleko]

you could build a nice PC for that $$$, please read around the forums. Those of us that would help you have already helped you (just read the same thread where we gave the same advice to the same question) Sorry to tell you to search but everyone who posts here wants to build a 1200 PC and we have already built this price range 10-15 times in this thread already. Happy hunting

[Kaishen]

That's a tricky situation, do you spend enough time on the move to warrant buying a better laptop? A desktop-couch (or PS3) will cost substantially less than a laptop : With $1200-1500 you can build something completely epic which isn't necessarily true with laptops.

I'd go the desktop-couch route if it was me anyway, and just put up with laptop graphics while working

Basically I travel very little between the beginning of May and the beginning of October. From October through December, I travel about 2 weeks a month. Then I am out of town (but in one location) for all of January through the beginning of May. I could potentially bring a desktop with me during that period.

The more I think about it, the more I think that a PS3 might be the best solution. My biggest worry about PS3 is that I absolutely loved spellcast and expwatch for FFXI, and if similar stuff comes out for a FFXIV windower, I would be very upset if I couldn't take advantage of it.