BGs Opinion.

**Misuicide** · 2011-11-01 19:39

Alright, I have a question BG, and i'm trying to decide what will be best for me when i get to my duty station.
Should I build myself a new PC or buy myself a gaming laptop? I really don't know. A laptop would be more convenient, on the other hand building me a new PC would be far less cheaper. I just don't know. I already have the parts I want picked out, and it ran me about 1,100 bucks, new case and monitor and all. Not a bad deal. I was checking out ASUS laptops and they have some nice ones for around 1500, and can be a good gaming machine. I just don't know what the better choice will be.
What do you think BG Military guys (or anyone for that matter), Laptop or PC? oh ya I am single so i wont be living in any on base housing. Just the 2 man Dorms.
Thanks!

**hey** · 2011-11-01 19:46

A desktop is always going to be a lot better and a lot cheaper. If you don't absolutely need to be able to carry it around with you, you should not get a gaming laptop.

**Sonomaa** · 2011-11-01 19:49

Id build a new PC, laptops are nice and stuff but a new PC is far faster and much much cheaper

**Misuicide** · 2011-11-01 19:57

Thanks for the input Hey and Sonomaa, I was leaning towards the PC myself, I just wanted to know what others thought! Thanks! Ya i was suprised at how strong of a PC i am gunna build and how cheap it turned out, i was wowed and how much has changed since i've been in training, haha.

**Kohan** · 2011-11-01 21:01

If you were prepared to comfortably spend $1,500 anyway, I strongly suggest posting your build here, and letting people constructively criticize it. If you can spend a little more and potentially get far more life out of your PC, it will still be a greater value than any laptop you would purchase, even at a higher price tag.

**Dmitry** · 2011-11-03 01:24

If you won't have any issues shipping the computer and monitor, definitely get that. You could spend way more on a laptop and still not get as good of a performance from it. Plus with a laptop, you're limited to battery life if you wouldn't be able to plug it in for some reason.

Definitely post your parts like Kohan said and we'll let you know what's up with them.

**chiyio** · 2011-11-03 11:06

build the gaming Desktop, and get a super cheap netbook or something for when you need a computer on the go. Gaming laptops will pretty much always suck compared to the Desktop. The mobile gfx cards are a LOT weaker than their desktop counterparts.

**The Stig** · 2011-11-03 11:18

Build desktop
Buy cheap netbook as portable/toy with the spare change

With desktop, you can easily swap/replace/upgrade and not face significant heat issues that will drown laptops eventually.

**Hyan** · 2011-11-03 11:31

It's been an eternity in internet-time, but when I built a pc last year there was simply no good compromise for gaming laptops for the price range of 1k or so.

However, I think there has been some technical advancements at least when it comes to saving energy lately, so things might be different today.

**Timwakefield** · 2011-11-03 11:46

Originally Posted by Kohan

If you were prepared to comfortably spend $1,500 anyway, I strongly suggest posting your build here, and letting people constructively criticize it. If you can spend a little more and potentially get far more life out of your PC, it will still be a greater value than any laptop you would purchase, even at a higher price tag.

This. I trust the people here more than most of my own family members.

**Isiolia** · 2011-11-03 13:25

Originally Posted by Hyan

It's been an eternity in internet-time, but when I built a pc last year there was simply no good compromise for gaming laptops for the price range of 1k or so.

However, I think there has been some technical advancements at least when it comes to saving energy lately, so things might be different today.

I don't think things have really improved on that front. Then again, I don't even look at "desktop replacement" behemoths. Usually at 14" or smaller, since those actually tend to be suited for portable use.

That said, if the OP will be moving a lot, and be limited on how much stuff he can bring, then some giant-ass 17" laptop might actually suit. I dunno. Haven't lived on/around a base in a while. Back when I worked at AAFES in Japan, plenty of the dorm-living guys were buying desktops, home theater stuff, etc...so I assume a desktop would be fine (and thus preferable)...but it was also an Air Force base

DAKPluto · 2011-11-03 13:35

Originally Posted by Isiolia

I don't think things have really improved on that front. Then again, I don't even look at "desktop replacement" behemoths. Usually at 14" or smaller, since those actually tend to be suited for portable use.

That said, if the OP will be moving a lot, and be limited on how much stuff he can bring, then some giant-ass 17" laptop might actually suit. I dunno. Haven't lived on/around a base in a while. Back when I worked at AAFES in Japan, plenty of the dorm-living guys were buying desktops, home theater stuff, etc...so I assume a desktop would be fine (and thus preferable)...but it was also an Air Force base

Misawa, Yokota, or Kadena?

**Isiolia** · 2011-11-03 14:54

Yokota.

DAKPluto · 2011-11-04 11:48

Originally Posted by Isiolia

Yokota.

Ah. Back when I was a brat (about a billion years ago) we were stationed at Misawa for 3 years. Had to do our transfers in and out of Japan through Yokota though.

**Kerberoz** · 2011-11-04 20:13

The only reason to really consider a laptop is if you need it for work/school. Otherwise, you're nearly always better off spending the money on a desktop plus a smartphone/tablet/netbook for your mobile needs. Spend the money you save, by building a desktop, on multiple monitors, and you'll never want to be handcuffed to a laptop again.

**Toxictaru** · 2011-11-04 23:27

Ehhh, space is also a consideration. I don't have room in my apartment for more desks, so a desktop wouldn't have its own space (my wife has her desktop which occupies a lot of space). I also needed something portable but also powerful enough to run the shit I play on a regular basis. I did settle on an ASUS laptop, and it has worked well for me so far. I don't need much more than a lap desk (solely for comfort).

A desktop is always going to be more powerful, but the only person who can answer what you really need is you. Do you NEED portable power? Do you have room and don't need to move your computer around? The answer to either of those questions should pretty much sum up what you need.

**Misuicide** · 2011-11-05 07:23

Ill post my build later today . To see what you think. Thanks for the input.

**Misuicide** · 2011-11-05 07:53

Edit: My build so far just missing the MOBO. Need a case and Powersupply too, but i already know what i want. I generally prefer ASUS mobos cause every build i've done they have worked flawlessly. I had one picked out but its out of stock now so i took it off. http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/Pu...umber=21899927

**Fairy-Killer** · 2011-11-05 17:20

Iirc, the 6870 get a little more bang for $20 more (or when I built my little brother's comp) so I'd probably change that. And I'm partial to Intel CPUs... The 1090T is a good processor but idk, never been a big fan. This is what I would go for instead: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115072. There was actually a huge article I found that gave a lot of benchmarks with the 1100T/1090T, the 2500k, and the FX8150 and the 2500k trumped in a lot of things with it's measily 4 cores. At least while overclocked... Let me see if I can find it.

**Fairy-Killer** · 2011-11-05 17:21

Also, what are you going to be doing that will require 16 GBs of RAM? That's pretty cheap for 16 GB, though...

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