I’ve known which is better for a long time when it comes to desktop versus laptop performance, but it isn’t talked about very much online for some reason.
Desktops have higher performance than laptops because the space restrictions, cooling challenges, & battery life requirements in laptops limit the devices used to make it. High-performance chips with a higher density of transistors need more space, sufficient cooling, & significantly more power.
This article will dive into some details about why a desktop has better performance than a laptop and why it probably always will.
Does a PC have better performance than a laptop?
Typically speaking, you will be able to get more performance with a desktop. That being said, improvements in technology have made it such that laptops have enough power to be useful in many applications where they couldn’t measure up in the past.
For example, in many business environments, it used to be that IT departments used only desktops. Today, a laptop with a docking station has replaced many workstations, increasing mobility while meeting all of the needs of business users.
Most students will also be pleased with the level of performance provided by a new laptop. The portability and small footprint will usually support the way they will need a computer the best. Having the ability to take notes in class, collaborate on projects away from home, or work on assignments and projects when visiting family can be an indispensable asset for college students.
What causes the performance difference?
Modern processors have increased the number of transistors they use from year to year. This march towards more and more transistors is often referred to as the density. Mostly because smaller and smaller transistors are packed closer and closer together.
One of the ways this has been leveraged is by adding multiple cores. Each core provides a processing section within a single processor, and they can all work simultaneously. This is great for expanding the processor’s performance, but it consumes considerably more power and creates the need to dissipate more heat.
It also makes the processors and their sockets markedly larger. So the transistors are shrinking, but the number of them is increasing at a faster rate.
In a laptop, the amount of power available is limited by the battery. The power budget is tight, and only so much can be allotted for the processor. Conversely, in a desktop, the power supply can be sized accordingly to meet the demands of any processor.
Laptops are built with constrained spaces. They are equipped with cooling systems adequate for their needs but are limited on how much heat can be transported effectively in such a small space. On the other hand, a desktop has a large case with space.
It can be equipped with fans or liquid-cooled heatsinks to remove any amount of heat necessary to maintain the machine’s health. The constrained space in a laptop also limits the size of the processor that can be installed. Whereas in a desktop computer, any size processor can be accommodated.
The graphics cards installed on laptops are notoriously underpowered. Unless you buy a laptop designed for gaming, the graphics card will be lacking. Obtaining a laptop with a more capable graphics card is actually quite expensive since it’s difficult to make a version small enough for a laptop.
Graphics cards are one of the densest devices available on the market today. They usually have hundreds of cores, even thousands of them. All optimized for rendering graphics. These devices can consume a tremendous amount of power and, as a result, need to get rid of a lot of heat.
This isn’t an issue on a desktop, where cooling is plentiful and can be added if necessary. However, on a laptop, this can be a tall order. The battery can’t provide all the power, and the heat is difficult to deal with.
Power on a desktop should never be a problem. Since you can plug into the wall, you should be able to run anything that you want. You may be constrained by the size of your current power supply, but you can replace it with a larger variant that meets your needs.
On a laptop, this luxury doesn’t exist. The restrictions imposed by the battery are fixed, and you can’t change them. You might be able to buy a slightly larger battery that lets you have a longer battery life, but it won’t do much to expand the capability of your laptop.
Do desktops have better cooling than laptops?
Desktops have more space and power available for cooling and can be designed to have more powerful cooling systems right from the factory. If you upgrade your desktop and it can’t get rid of the heat, you can upgrade the cooling system to achieve your computer’s heat transport needs.
You can even upgrade to liquid-cooled systems if your application requires it. Normally that kind of exotic cooling is only found in the more extreme gaming applications.
A laptop has limited space, meaning the cooling system designed for it is often a compromise. Today’s general approach is to shrink more and more into a smaller form factor meaning there’s continually less to work with.
Rest assured that the engineer who designed your laptop will have included adequate cooling for the parts installed, but they may have had to choose lesser capable parts to make the whole system work. Parts that consume less power and, as a result, generate less heat.
As part of this, the parts chosen need to work with the included battery while still providing a reasonable duration between charges. Often these efforts are complementary.
If your laptop does get hotter than the design allows for, it has features built-in that throttle back the performance to protect the machine while allowing you to continue to work. If you notice that your laptop is getting very warm, ensure your laptop has adequate ventilation around the casing so heat can escape. You’ll protect your computer and have a better experience overall.