Desktop over Laptop

[PXY]

I'm in college and I'm a junior ITEC student. I've been using budget HP laptops up until now. 

 

The college recommends that as a junior or senior ITEC student I have a computer with Intel i7 (or better) and a dedicated graphics card. I think i can do so for under $1000USD on a desktop build. My dad says I should just get another laptop, as long as it fits within the minimum requirements. 

 

The thing is, it's my money I'm spending. This upgrade is happening thanks to a technology scholarship I earned. So I wanna get the most bang for my buck, and I worry that I'll be paying more for less if I go laptop, making me think desktop is the way to go. 

 

I have partpicker.com lists I've made for builds. What I'm asking instead is: What can I say to convince my dad that a desktop is better at this price point?

 

edit:

I'm in a peak corona area so i wont be attending in person classes for months. But even once I go back, our classes have desktops and iMacs in them. If i need a laptop for like word, I have one  But it cant handle heavier workloads of the at home projects and assignments.

 

one of the builds, at around 850 USD

https://pcpartpicker.com/user/PXY_TV/saved/

 

I have peripherals covered, and my college qualifies for Windows 10 Education so i wont have to buy that.

Edited July 31, 2020 by PXY
Adding info to be more clear

[Tristerin]

Unless you haven't had to take your laptop anywhere to do your schools whatevers - and the upcoming courses don't require a portable PC at all - get a desktop, it is more bang for buck.  But if the schooling will require bringing the PC to a classroom, etc - then a laptop will be the better choice.

[5x5]

Considering the price of the monitor, peripherals and accessories, the performance will be similar. Your best option, in my opinion, is a laptop with a Ryzen 5 4600H and 1660 Ti. It'll perform like a desktop Ryzen 5 3600 and 1660 Super while also costing a reasonable amount. Not to mention you'll be able to actually use it during classes.

 

As for convincing your dad - you'd have to lie a lot as a desktop isn't really that much better (if any better at all) at this price point.

 

Something like the Asus A15 (1660 Ti model - avoid the 2060 model as that one overheats) or the Eluktronics RP-15. The Lenovo Legion 5 and HP Omen 15 are both excellent options too. There is also the Acer Nitro 5 - great value if you want to save money.

 

Avoid the Dell G5 and G3

[5x5]

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/asus-15-6-gaming-laptop-amd-ryzen-7-16gb-memory-nvidia-geforce-gtx-1660-ti-512gb-ssd-gray/6409453.p?skuId=6409453

 

You can also get a Zephyrus G15 - it's a solid laptop for this price

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/asus-rog-zephyrus-g-15-6-gaming-laptop-amd-ryzen-7-16gb-memory-nvidia-geforce-gtx-1660-ti-max-q-512gb-ssd-metalic-hairline-black/6335912.p?skuId=6335912

[5x5]

You can even get a model with a desktop 3600 if that's what you'd prefer (though the 4800H is faster and more efficient for battery life) - https://www.newegg.com/p/2WC-0037-00026

 

Another A15 price listing - https://www.newegg.com/fortress-gray-asus-tuf-gaming-tuf706iu-as76-gaming-entertainment/p/N82E16834235407?&quicklink=true

[PXY]

7 hours ago, 5x5 said:

Considering the price of the monitor, peripherals and accessories, the performance will be similar. Your best option, in my opinion, is a laptop with a Ryzen 5 4600H and 1660 Ti. It'll perform like a desktop Ryzen 5 3600 and 1660 Super while also costing a reasonable amount. Not to mention you'll be able to actually use it during classes.

 

As for convincing your dad - you'd have to lie a lot as a desktop isn't really that much better (if any better at all) at this price point.

 

Something like the Asus A15 (1660 Ti model - avoid the 2060 model as that one overheats) or the Eluktronics RP-15. The Lenovo Legion 5 and HP Omen 15 are both excellent options too. There is also the Acer Nitro 5 - great value if you want to save money.

 

Avoid the Dell G5 and G3

I forgot to mention I have the peripherals. A 60 hz Asus IPS monitor, corsair keyboard and mouse, so its just the tower. 

[PXY]

7 hours ago, 5x5 said:

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/asus-15-6-gaming-laptop-amd-ryzen-7-16gb-memory-nvidia-geforce-gtx-1660-ti-512gb-ssd-gray/6409453.p?skuId=6409453

 

You can also get a Zephyrus G15 - it's a solid laptop for this price

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/asus-rog-zephyrus-g-15-6-gaming-laptop-amd-ryzen-7-16gb-memory-nvidia-geforce-gtx-1660-ti-max-q-512gb-ssd-metalic-hairline-black/6335912.p?skuId=6335912

I'm moreso at the point where 1000 USD is the hardline max, not min. These are past where i feel comfortable

[PXY]

7 hours ago, Tristerin said:

Unless you haven't had to take your laptop anywhere to do your schools whatevers - and the upcoming courses don't require a portable PC at all - get a desktop, it is more bang for buck.  But if the schooling will require bringing the PC to a classroom, etc - then a laptop will be the better choice.

I edited my post to clarify a few things, and included an example of a possible build. 

[5x5]

Just now, PXY said:

I'm moreso at the point where 1000 USD is the hardline max, not min. These are past where i feel comfortable

In that case just consider the 1650 Ti configartions of the Lenovo Legion 5 or Asus A15. The A15 can be bought with a large 90Wh battery even in the base model and that is good for 9-10 hours of active use.

 

The Legion 5 on the other hand is a very clean design with excellent cooling and build quality.

[5x5]

1 minute ago, PXY said:

I edited my post to clarify a few things, and included an example of a possible build. 

In the build - the power supply is quite poor, the HDD is one of the worst on the market, the CPU is very outdated (3600 is a thing and soon even the 4600 will be available) and the board is very mediocre. Also no cooling and you'll be aol in the case you actually need to show a paper or project in class. A laptop is FAR better in uni. I tried to get through my tuition on a desktop, ended up buying a laptop after the first year. Life was world's easier.

[PXY]

Just now, 5x5 said:

In the build - the power supply is quite poor, the HDD is one of the worst on the market, the CPU is very outdated (3600 is a thing and soon even the 4600 will be available) and the board is very mediocre. Also no cooling and you'll be aol in the case you actually need to show a paper or project in class. A laptop is FAR better in uni. I tried to get through my tuition on a desktop, ended up buying a laptop after the first year. Life was world's easier.

idk man I'm a junior and working off just a laptop for this long has been hell. I'll be doing online classes anyways for awhile thanks to corona so why not upgrade? Also can I improve those things you mentioned for under 1000?

[5x5]

10 minutes ago, PXY said:

idk man I'm a junior and working off just a laptop for this long has been hell. I'll be doing online classes anyways for awhile thanks to corona so why not upgrade? Also can I improve those things you mentioned for under 1000?

You can. This is how it would look like

 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor  ($159.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Pure Rock Slim 35.14 CFM CPU Cooler  ($35.29 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock B550 Phantom Gaming 4 ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory  ($55.00 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial MX500 1 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI Radeon RX 5700 XT 8 GB MECH OC Video Card  ($369.99 @ B&H)
Case: Cooler Master Silencio S600 ATX Mid Tower Case  ($106.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: be quiet! Pure Power 11 600 W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply  ($79.90 @ B&H)
Total: $1032.13
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-07-31 16:08 EDT-0400

 

But honestly, I'd still recommend a laptop. A modern Ryzen-based laptop with a PCIe SSD and proper card such as the 1650 Ti would be a world of difference compared to your current one. If you're absolutely sure you'll never have to move it - then the build above is as good as it gets

[PXY]

4 minutes ago, 5x5 said:

You can. This is how it would look like

 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor  ($159.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Pure Rock Slim 35.14 CFM CPU Cooler  ($35.29 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock B550 Phantom Gaming 4 ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory  ($55.00 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial MX500 1 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI Radeon RX 5700 XT 8 GB MECH OC Video Card  ($369.99 @ B&H)
Case: Cooler Master Silencio S600 ATX Mid Tower Case  ($106.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: be quiet! Pure Power 11 600 W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply  ($79.90 @ B&H)
Total: $1032.13
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-07-31 16:08 EDT-0400

 

But honestly, I'd still recommend a laptop. A modern Ryzen-based laptop with a PCIe SSD and proper card such as the 1650 Ti would be a world of difference compared to your current one. If you're absolutely sure you'll never have to move it - then the build above is as good as it get

I get that this is better in almost every way but something to keep in mind is that budget building doesnt mean I'm getting as close to 1000 as I can. I'll take some of what you have here into account but whatever money here or there i dont have to spend goes to books, clothes, food, medicine, and other expenses. its worth keeping under 1000. And the great thing about the desktop build side of things is upgradability. I don't need the best right off the bat. I just need enough. So having a slightly less efficient power supply or less SSD storage (even its a boot drive and the one I picked has a cache and is m.2, so its better for my purposes), in the long run matters. 

 

Also how was my cooling and HDD bad choices? I wont be overclocking so 4 case fans should be more than enough. And SeaGate is very reputable. The HDD speed doesnt matter as much as that isn't typically used as the boot drive. And an ASRock 450 MOBO is perfectly fine for my uses. I don't need a super diverse I/O, and its got room for upgradability. And I even know to get a 6 series compatible version of the 450, but that wont be hard to do.  

[5x5]

Just now, PXY said:

I get that this is better in almost every way but something to keep in mind is that budget building doesnt mean I'm getting as close to 1000 as I can. I'll take some of what you have here into account but whatever money here or there i dont have to spend goes to books, clothes, food, medicine, and other expenses. its worth keeping under 1000. And the great thing about the desktop build side of things is upgradability. I don't need the best right off the bat. I just need enough. So having a slightly less efficient power supply or less SSD storage (even its a boot drive and the one I picked has a cache and is m.2, so its better for my purposes), in the long run matters. 

 

Also how was my cooling and HDD bad choices? I wont be overclocking so 4 case fans should be more than enough. And SeaGate is very reputable. The HDD speed doesnt matter as much as that isn't typically used as the boot drive. And an ASRock 450 MOBO is perfectly fine for my uses. I don't need a super diverse I/O, and its got room for upgradability. And I even know to get a 6 series compatible version of the 450, but that wont be hard to do.  

Do NOT cheap out on the power supply - a garbage unit can cause a house fire or even kill you. If you want to save money, start with the GPU. Get a 5600 XT (same performance as a 2060) or a 1660 Super if you want to go further down. Don't skimp on the component that is responsible for protecting the entire system from damage in the event of issues.

 

Second, the SeaGate Barracuda drives are some of the worst on the market. Don't take it from me, take it from repair techs. There are countless threads on the internet where people like Louis Rossmann comment on the insane failure rates of low end SeaGate drives. If you value your data even remotely, do NOT buy those drives. They ALWAYS fail.

Next - the B550 board is not just extra I/O - it's a MUCH higher quality board with a vastly superior power delivery. If you want upgradeability - it's B550 or bust. the board you selected uses the same anemic VRM as the B450 Pro4 which, while fine for a 3300X or 3600, cannot handle a 12-core or 16-core. If you want the ability to ugprade - you're looking at a proper board with proper VRM power delivery.

 

Furthermore - airflow is important. If you don't have any - you can easily see a massive surge in thermals because heat accumulates and cannot escape the case. The minimum recommended is 2 intakes, 1 exhaust.

 

[5x5]

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor  ($159.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Pure Rock Slim 35.14 CFM CPU Cooler  ($35.29 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock B550 Phantom Gaming 4 ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory  ($55.00 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial MX500 1 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI Radeon RX 5600 XT 6 GB MECH OC Video Card  ($269.97 @ B&H)
Case: Corsair 270R ATX Mid Tower Case  ($63.46 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: be quiet! Pure Power 11 600 W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply  ($79.90 @ B&H)
Total: $888.59
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-07-31 16:35 EDT-0400

[5x5]

As low as you can get without ending up slower than a laptop while also costing more.

 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 3 3100 3.6 GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($109.99 @ B&H)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Pure Rock Slim 35.14 CFM CPU Cooler  ($35.29 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock B550 Phantom Gaming 4 ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory  ($55.00 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial MX500 1 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon RX 5500 XT 4 GB PULSE Video Card  ($183.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 270R ATX Mid Tower Case  ($63.46 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Cooler Master MWE Gold 550 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply  ($74.28 @ Amazon)
Total: $746.98
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-07-31 16:37 EDT-0400

[PXY]

3 minutes ago, 5x5 said:

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor  ($159.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: be quiet! Pure Rock Slim 35.14 CFM CPU Cooler  ($35.29 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock B550 Phantom Gaming 4 ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory  ($55.00 @ Amazon)
Storage: Crucial MX500 1 TB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI Radeon RX 5600 XT 6 GB MECH OC Video Card  ($269.97 @ B&H)
Case: Corsair 270R ATX Mid Tower Case  ($63.46 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: be quiet! Pure Power 11 600 W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply  ($79.90 @ B&H)
Total: $888.59
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-07-31 16:35 EDT-0400

Why are you replacing the stock CPU cooler that AMD series processors ship with? Thats wasted budget

[5x5]

Just now, PXY said:

Why are you replacing the stock CPU cooler that AMD series processors ship with? Thats wasted budget

Because on the 3600 it's worth getting a cheap aftermarket one. The stock stealth is fine on a quad-core, on a 6-core it gets loud and warm. It's a massive quality of life improvement and can easily be reused. Say, you decide to upgrade to a different CPU - just reuse the Pure Rock - it can handle up to a 12-core 3900X

[PXY]

18 hours ago, 5x5 said:

Because on the 3600 it's worth getting a cheap aftermarket one. The stock stealth is fine on a quad-core, on a 6-core it gets loud and warm. It's a massive quality of life improvement and can easily be reused. Say, you decide to upgrade to a different CPU - just reuse the Pure Rock - it can handle up to a 12-core 3900X

https://pcpartpicker.com/user/PXY_TV/saved/H67Dcf

 

How's this? I'm fine with upgrading things like cpu cooler and GPU down the line, this is a starting point. I also have a friend who is giving me some case fans to save me like 20 bucks. 

[5x5]

15 minutes ago, PXY said:

https://pcpartpicker.com/user/PXY_TV/saved/H67Dcf

 

How's this? I'm fine with upgrading things like cpu cooler and GPU down the line, this is a starting point. I also have a friend who is giving me some case fans to save me like 20 bucks. 

The board is utter garbage and has no cooling on the VRMs. Massive downgrade. You're overspending on the GPU by quite a bit. The 1660 Super is about 20% slower than the 5600 XT and costs the same. The HDD uses EXTREMELY slow SMR tech. Overall - you downgraded by a lot. The SN550 has no DRAM cache and will be much slower than a regular SSD - abysmal as a boot drive.

 

Here's what it looks like with the minimum recommended for each component.

 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor  ($159.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock B550 Phantom Gaming 4 ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory  ($57.49 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX500 500 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($64.98 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate IronWolf NAS 2 TB 3.5" 5900RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($79.99 @ Adorama)
Video Card: MSI Radeon RX 5600 XT 6 GB MECH OC Video Card  ($269.97 @ B&H)
Case: Phanteks Eclipse P400A Digital ATX Mid Tower Case  ($94.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: be quiet! Pure Power 11 500 W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply  ($69.90 @ B&H)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit
Total: $912.29
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-08-01 11:23 EDT-0400

[PXY]

5 minutes ago, 5x5 said:

The board is utter garbage and has no cooling on the VRMs. Massive downgrade. You're overspending on the GPU by quite a bit. The 1660 Super is about 20% slower than the 5600 XT and costs the same. The HDD uses EXTREMELY slow SMR tech. Overall - you downgraded by a lot. The SN550 has no DRAM cache and will be much slower than a regular SSD - abysmal as a boot drive.

 

Here's what it looks like with the minimum recommended for each component.

 

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 3600 3.6 GHz 6-Core Processor  ($159.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock B550 Phantom Gaming 4 ATX AM4 Motherboard  ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) DDR4-3200 CL16 Memory  ($57.49 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial MX500 500 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($64.98 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate IronWolf NAS 2 TB 3.5" 5900RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($79.99 @ Adorama)
Video Card: MSI Radeon RX 5600 XT 6 GB MECH OC Video Card  ($269.97 @ B&H)
Case: Phanteks Eclipse P400A Digital ATX Mid Tower Case  ($94.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: be quiet! Pure Power 11 500 W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply  ($69.90 @ B&H)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit
Total: $912.29
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-08-01 11:23 EDT-0400

How can I tell if an m.2 NVME has DRAM cache? I was told this one had it by a few people, but its not listed on marketplaces

[5x5]

Just now, PXY said:

How can I tell if an m.2 NVME has DRAM cache? I was told this one had it by a few people, but its not listed on marketplaces

Google. The SN550 is a DRAMless model. You have to google all models or, just get the MX500 as it's one of the best mid-range SSDs. Same quality as a Samsung 850 EVO

[PXY]

2 minutes ago, 5x5 said:

Google. The SN550 is a DRAMless model. You have to google all models or, just get the MX500 as it's one of the best mid-range SSDs. Same quality as a Samsung 850 EVO

 

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/fgZFf7/crucial-mx500-500gb-m2-2280-solid-state-drive-ct500mx500ssd4

This?

[5x5]

2 minutes ago, PXY said:

 

https://pcpartpicker.com/product/fgZFf7/crucial-mx500-500gb-m2-2280-solid-state-drive-ct500mx500ssd4

This?

Yes but why M.2? It's still SATA

[PXY]

1 minute ago, 5x5 said:

Yes but why M.2? It's still SATA

Same price but more hidden, no cables required