Desktop vs. Laptop (for College)

[byalexandr]

I am considering whether I should upgrade my desktop, which currently only has an i5 4570, 16GB of RAM and a 500GB SSD. No GPU right now as I sold it a while ago. Or whether I should sell my current laptop (Dell Inspiron 13 7353, i7, 16GB RAM, 250GB SSD) and part out the desktop and just buy a gaming laptop like the ASUS Strix GL502VS which has an i7, 16GB of RAM, 250GB NVMe SSD, 1TB HDD, and a GTX 1070. It would be a lot more powerful than my desktop, even when comparing it to the GTX 1060 I used to have in there. But it costs $1,400, so I don't know. I will be using it for gaming of course, playing very heavy titles like BF1, GTA V, DiRT Rally, etc. I will also be using it for engineering to build CAD models and run stress simulations and stuff. I know Autodesk Products and Adobe products can use GPU acceleration if I recall.

 

Any thoughts? I will of course keep my keyboard, mouse, and monitor, which I can have at my desk in my dorm, and then take the laptop whenever I'm out or in class or whatever.

[Sin Stalker]

I know many will disagree with me, but for school, I highly recommend a laptop like the Surface Pro 4. Assuming you are taking lots of notes, it really helps you stay organized and easier access to all your stuff, through hand-writing recognition search features. Then keep your desktop, but maybe invest in a recent GPU. I have a classmate with a Pro 3 i7 8gb that can run CAD. I know many use the pro 4 i5 and i7 to run CAD, also the Surface Book.

 

As for a gamin laptop, I have a class mate that uses a gaming laptop for all their school stuff. They don't have time to ever game and they can't use the computer without an outlet. Its basically a portable desktop.

Sticking with an ultra light laptop for school makes easier to run from class to class, from library to late night stints at a coffee shop for studying. Plus its easier on your back.

 

 

And if you get our desktop at home with a new GPU, you could try tunneling in, through a laptop elsewhere, to do more advanced CAD work and some of your games (obviously not BF1). This would let you have the day to day benefits of an ultra light, while being able to tunnel in and get the benefits of a desktop, when needed.

 

Although, a benefit of having it "all in one", is that you don't have to worry about someone coming in and stealing your gaming system while you are gone. Since your gaming system goes with you. Personally, I think that's the only clear benefit of getting your  gaming laptop over having an ultra portable and desktop combo.

[Sin Stalker]

And you could possibly buy a used haswell i7 (k sku) to replace your desktop's current GPU, giving you those additional threads for CAD. That leaves you open to overclocking if you grab a k sku.

[byalexandr]

8 minutes ago, Sin Stalker said:

I know many will disagree with me, but for school, I highly recommend a laptop like the Surface Pro 4. Assuming you are taking lots of notes, it really helps you stay organized and easier access to all your stuff, through hand-writing recognition search features. Then keep your desktop, but maybe invest in a recent GPU. I have a classmate with a Pro 3 i7 8gb that can run CAD. I know many use the pro 4 i5 and i7 to run CAD, also the Surface Book.

 

As for a gamin laptop, I have a class mate that uses a gaming laptop for all their school stuff. They don't have time to ever game and they can't use the computer without an outlet. Its basically a portable desktop.

Sticking with an ultra light laptop for school makes easier to run from class to class, from library to late night stints at a coffee shop for studying. Plus its easier on your back.

 

 

And if you get our desktop at home with a new GPU, you could try tunneling in, through a laptop elsewhere, to do more advanced CAD work and some of your games (obviously not BF1). This would let you have the day to day benefits of an ultra light, while being able to tunnel in and get the benefits of a desktop, when needed.

 

Although, a benefit of having it "all in one", is that you don't have to worry about someone coming in and stealing your gaming system while you are gone. Since your gaming system goes with you. Personally, I think that's the only clear benefit of getting your  gaming laptop over having an ultra portable and desktop combo.

Well my current Inspiron can do some light CAD and PS work, but it struggles to do even simple stress simulations and stuff like blurring or noise reduction in PS. I would still like to game on the go, I do fly a lot and the laptop that I am looking at can use the GPU without a power brick connected (granted it will probably drain the battery a lot quicker but still). I'd rather have one powerful machine, and it'd be nice to have it be portable, my Define Nano S certainly isn't.

 

I can spend top dollar and get a really nice laptop since I have a well paying job right now, and especially since I can sell my current laptop, my i5, my RAM, my mobo, my SSD, my case, my PSU, etc. But I feel like a laptop with a desktop GTX 1070 in it is already pretty incredible, should have no problem lasting me four years. And I type a lot faster than I write, so I don't think I would like the Surface. My mom has a Surface Book that I've used plenty and it's nice but it's not what I'm looking for.

 

And trust me, I will find time for gaming. I don't plan on studying 24/7, you can get burnt out that way. A lot of college students forget that.

[byalexandr]

11 minutes ago, Sin Stalker said:

And you could possibly buy a used haswell i7 (k sku) to replace your desktop's current GPU, giving you those additional threads for CAD. That leaves you open to overclocking if you grab a k sku.

I have a B85 chipset. If I end up going the upgrade route I will be doing a full overhaul, probably a Xeon E3 or if there are ever any AM4 ITX boards that come out a Ryzen 1600X. That along with a GTX 1070. I was planning on that before, with a custom loop using stainless steel tubing. But if I can't ever use it as much as I would the gaming laptop then what's the point? Sit there and look pretty

[TVwazhere]

Almost all of Autodesks's product are very CPU based and only renders I believe are GPU taxing. Not sure about stress tests. (I am a CAD technician)

 

If you get a high clocked i7 like the 7700hw or the 7820hq, I would go with the laptop since it will be more portable and useful in a College scenario.

[Drake10114]

Laptop, 100%.

Something like the surface pro 3 or 4 (depending on your budget) are good options and allows for light gaming, when you have time.

Also consider weight when choosing a laptop for school, having to lug a 10lb laptop around sounds easy, but after factoring in textbooks/notebooks, etc.), it gets incredibly heavy.

 

Also a laptop comes in handy for all those group meetings on campus, and the ability to work on assignments in your free time on campus, etc.

[byalexandr]

4 minutes ago, TVwazhere said:

Almost all of Autodesks's product are very CPU based and only renders I believe are GPU taxing. Not sure about stress tests. (I am a CAD technician)

 

If you get a high clocked i7 like the 7700hw or the 7820hq, I would go with the laptop since it will be more portable and useful in a College scenario.

The one I am looking at has a 7700HQ, so still a lot faster than my 6500U. Plus it's a quad core with hyperthreading IIRC.

[byalexandr]

Just now, Drake10114 said:

Laptop, 100%.

Something like the surface pro 3 or 4 (depending on your budget) are good options and allows for light gaming, when you have time.

Also consider weight when choosing a laptop for school, having to lug a 10lb laptop around sounds easy, but after factoring in textbooks/notebooks, etc.), it gets incredibly heavy.

Most textbooks are online from my experience so far, and a lot of stuff is on Blackboard which most professors use. I don't really mind the weight, people complain about that a lot but it's not something that really bothers me. Plus the laptop I'm looking at is only 5.2lbs, not very heavy at all.

[Drake10114]

11 minutes ago, byalexandr said:

Most textbooks are online from my experience so far, and a lot of stuff is on Blackboard which most professors use. I don't really mind the weight, people complain about that a lot but it's not something that really bothers me. Plus the laptop I'm looking at is only 5.2lbs, not very heavy at all.

I had a 17.3 Sony Vaio that weight about 8lbs, was more annoying finding a backpack that fit 17" laptops...

My school used blackboard too, but cool that they are moving to e-books for texts.

[byalexandr]

For reference, this is the exact laptop I'm looking at:

 

http://www.microcenter.com/product/475524/ROG_Strix_GL502VS-WS71_156_Gaming_Laptop_Computer_-_Black_Aluminum

 

ASUS GL502VS-WS71

 

Core i7 7700HQ

16GB DDR4

256GB SATA III SSD (not nVME like I thought earlier)

1TB 5400RPM HDD

GTX 1070 8GB

15.6" 1080p

 

Seems like a very fast machine. And the price tag isn't bad either. I still need to research its display outputs since I do plan on using a 144Hz monitor when I have it back in my dorm.

 

Edit: It looks to have a Mini DisplayPort so I can use that to have 1080p 144Hz

[byalexandr]

Just now, Drake10114 said:

I had a 17.3 Sony Vaio that weight about 8lbs, was more annoying finding a backpack that fit 17" laptops...

My school used blackboard too, but cool that they are moving to e-books for texts.

This one is 15.6".

[Drake10114]

11 minutes ago, byalexandr said:

This one is 15.6".

Should be fine then, since backpack makers seem to enjoy making that size.... mine was literally 2 options.

[TacticlTwinkie]

I would not reccomend a big, "gaming" laptop for college use. As someone who has recently gone back to college, the number one feature I was seeking in a new laptop was battery life. You will not always be able to sit near an outlet, and with a schedule that potentially has many classes back-to-back-to-back, you may not have an opportunity to charge between classes. 

 

My personal recommendation is to have a desktop at home/dorm room, and a thin and light laptop with great battery life for class, plus utilizing a cloud service like Google Drive to keep files accessible across machines. Yes, its more expensive, but the user experience is so much better. I am extremely happy with my decision to go this route.

[byalexandr]

Just now, TacticlTwinkie said:

I would not reccomend a big, "gaming" laptop for college use. As someone who has recently gone back to college, the number one feature I was seeking in a new laptop was battery life. You will not always be able to sit near an outlet, and with a schedule that potentially has many classes back-to-back-to-back, you may not have an opportunity to charge between classes. 

 

My personal recommendation is to have a desktop at home/dorm room, and a thin and light laptop with great battery life for class. Yes, its more expensive, but the user experience is so much better. I am extremely happy with my decision to go this route.

But that limits me my gaming or intensive CAD or other suite work to my dorm room. Say I am at a coffee shop with some classmates and we need to work on a project together that involves a lot of CAD simulations or computing. I can't do that with a thin and light.

 

My point is that I'd rather have one physical machine instead of syncing across devices. And with that I'd rather have it be powerful enough to do everything I need it to do (including gaming). This laptop is not some giant 17" 12lb monster, it's a 15.6" machine that weighs 5.2lbs. That's not much more than a regular laptop.

[Sin Stalker]

36 minutes ago, byalexandr said:

Well my current Inspiron can do some light CAD and PS work, but it struggles to do even simple stress simulations and stuff like blurring or noise reduction in PS. I would still like to game on the go, I do fly a lot and the laptop that I am looking at can use the GPU without a power brick connected (granted it will probably drain the battery a lot quicker but still). I'd rather have one powerful machine, and it'd be nice to have it be portable, my Define Nano S certainly isn't.

 

I can spend top dollar and get a really nice laptop since I have a well paying job right now, and especially since I can sell my current laptop, my i5, my RAM, my mobo, my SSD, my case, my PSU, etc. But I feel like a laptop with a desktop GTX 1070 in it is already pretty incredible, should have no problem lasting me four years. And I type a lot faster than I write, so I don't think I would like the Surface. My mom has a Surface Book that I've used plenty and it's nice but it's not what I'm looking for.

 

And trust me, I will find time for gaming. I don't plan on studying 24/7, you can get burnt out that way. A lot of college students forget that.

 

 

Then yeah, sounds like you should go with the gaming laptop. You could also invest in some extra batteries or a laptop battery bank, to help deal with the massive power drain. 

 

You could also get a cheaper/older tablet, for times that you don't want to pull out the large laptop. 

[Sin Stalker]

15 minutes ago, byalexandr said:

But that limits me my gaming or intensive CAD or other suite work to my dorm room. Say I am at a coffee shop with some classmates and we need to work on a project together that involves a lot of CAD simulations or computing. I can't do that with a thin and light.

 

My point is that I'd rather have one physical machine instead of syncing across devices. And with that I'd rather have it be powerful enough to do everything I need it to do (including gaming). This laptop is not some giant 17" 12lb monster, it's a 15.6" machine that weighs 5.2lbs. That's not much more than a regular laptop.

It doesn't necessarily limit your CAD. It will limit your games, should you be doing FPS or online gaming.

 

Remember, you can use your laptop to tunnel into your desktop and use the desktop power remotely.  You could try this out right now with your laptop and desktop setup, to see how you like the feel of tunneling in.

[TacticlTwinkie]

58 minutes ago, byalexandr said:

But that limits me my gaming or intensive CAD or other suite work to my dorm room. Say I am at a coffee shop with some classmates and we need to work on a project together that involves a lot of CAD simulations or computing. I can't do that with a thin and light.

 

My point is that I'd rather have one physical machine instead of syncing across devices. And with that I'd rather have it be powerful enough to do everything I need it to do (including gaming). This laptop is not some giant 17" 12lb monster, it's a 15.6" machine that weighs 5.2lbs. That's not much more than a regular laptop.

Again, my personal main concern for a school laptop is battery life. According to Anandtech's review of that laptop, you can expect about 3 hours just web surfing/light productivity. That would only be enough to get through 2 average length classes, or one long class. To me, that's a deal breaker, but its your choice.

 

reference: http://www.anandtech.com/show/10885/the-asus-rog-strix-gl502vs-review-mainstream-gtx-1070/6

 

edit/addon: 

In my first go-around in college, I had a similar sized laptop with about 3 hours batter life (a Sony Vaio 16 incher from around 2011). At first, I used it with class and I could deal with the size and bulk, and managed with living at a power outlet. That got old fast. Yes, the increased power is nice to have when you need it. BUT the batter life is a killer, and trying to get a seat near a power outlet doesn't always happen. Seating in college is first come-first serve. 

 

I would consider choosing another laptop that still has some umph, but does better battery life. According to that Anandtech link, the battery in your laptop choice is relatively small. Perhaps something with a 1060 rather than a 1070, and a physically bigger battery.

 

Edit 2:

I know I'm going on and on, but I'm trying to save you some headache. Another thing I did not mention is that college desks are pathetically small. I have a 13.3 inch ultrabook and it hangs off all sides of the desk. Most desk are oriented to one side, usually to the right. The left edge of the desk writing surface doesn't even reach the middle part of the seat. Its big enough for a note taking by hand on a single piece of paper or spiral notebook. Any laptop bigger than 13.3 inches would be unwieldy on a standard college desk. Yes, some classes have tables or bigger desks, but not many in my experience (both university and community college).

 

this is the same size of desk you will be using in class. You you want a big laptop while using that?