Best Value Gaming Solution - Mobile vs Desktop

[Wonka0998]

Hello Everyone,

 

I want to get a new casual 1080p 60+ FPS High/Ultra Graphics gaming setup.

The thing is that I want to get some more opinions from you guys regarding what's going to be the best out of these two options, also considering the price difference. Which one is the best bang for the buck:

 

• Upgrade my existing laptop with an eGPU:
  • Lenovo ThinkPad P50
    • Core i7 6700HQ (4 cores, 8 threats, 3.2GHz stable turbo boost)
    • 32GB SODIMM DDR4 RAM
    • 500GB M.2 SATA SSD + 1TB SATA HDD 5400RPM
    • Gigabyte Aorus GTX 1080 Gaming Box Graphic Cards (Using external display, not the laptop built-in display)
    • Havit 5 Fans Laptop Cooling Pad
• Buy a new desktop gaming machine:
  • Ryzen 5 2600
  • 16GB DDR4 2666 RAM
  • 500GB NVMe M.2 SSD
  • EVGA 600W 80 Plus Power Supply
  • AMD Radeon RX580 8GB Graphics Card
  • ASUS ROG STRIX B450-F Mother Board
  • Bitfenix Enso RGB - White Case
  • Be Quiet! Pure Rock Slim Heat Sink
  • 3x Cheap 120mm Fans

In addition to the computer components themselves, I am also going to be getting some new peripherals since well I have none because I have a laptop.

This is the list of peripherals:

• MSI Optix G24C 24'' 144Hz Monitor
• Corsair M65 Pro RGB Mouse
• Thermal Paste
• Mouse and Keyboard Wrist Rest
• Extended Mouse Pad
• Yama RedDragon K550W Mechanical Keyboard

 

Now let's talk about the price.

The laptop upgrade solution will cost about 1400 USD (Including shipping to my country, where taxes are ridiculously high, and peripherals).

The new desktop computer setup will cost about 1820 USD (Again including shipping and the aforementioned peripherals).

 

Based on that, guys, I'd like to know what you think about it. What's going to be the best solution for playing with the specs that I mentioned at the beginning of the post?
All I want is to play Shadow of the Tomb Rider 1080p 60 FPS High/Ultra graphic settings!

 

If you are wondering why I don't sell the laptop and get a super cool RGB GAMING! Desktop with the money, is because I actually have to continue using it. I do some pretty heavy network equipment virtualization labs that I need to be able to take with me wherever I go study; the P50 is an awesome mobile workstation.

 

Any comments will be much appreciated!

 

- Wonka0998

[Cereal5]

Linus mentioned in the $69 gaming PC that you can buy a used Dell optiplex and put a GPU in it and have a decent PC for less than a couple hundred bucks.

 

I found an Optiplex on my local craigslist with an i7-6700 for like $300. All you would need is to throw a used 970 at it and you could play anything 1080p 60fps ultra, or 144 high/medium for the next multiple years. All in price under $500.

 

That said, you can get a full PC (with shipping and peripherals) for less than what you have listed. I would of course recommend a PC over a laptop, but I also have both so...

 

edit: why are you getting a 144Hz monitor if you only want to play tomb raider @ 60

[LienusLateTips]

Get the new desktop.

 

Is that a pre built? Looks like some questionable part choices in there.

 

You don't need to buy thermal paste.

[Jurrunio]

Anything you will benefit from having 2 computers? Otherwise I'd recommend the eGPU route. With an RX 580, it's not like the desktop will outperform the bottlenecked GTX 1080 unless the game is very CPU heavy, like for example Assassin's Creed Origins and Odysseys.

[Wonka0998]

On 10/8/2018 at 9:43 PM, Alexsolo said:

Personally I would keep a laptop for portability and working on the road or for studying outside of the house. Carrying around a GPU in an external box doesn't seem like a fun idea.

What's fun is to have a desktop that's upgradable and expandable easily and is installed in your house and doesn't have to move around. Possibility of having a full keyboard and mouse as well as multiple screens and a killer sound system. 

Sounds good man, I think you've opened my eyes, thanks!

 

On 10/8/2018 at 9:45 PM, Cereal5 said:

Linus mentioned in the $69 gaming PC that you can buy a used Dell optiplex and put a GPU in it and have a decent PC for less than a couple hundred bucks.

 

I found an Optiplex on my local craigslist with an i7-6700 for like $300. All you would need is to throw a used 970 at it and you could play anything 1080p 60fps ultra, or 144 high/medium for the next multiple years. All in price under $500.

 

That said, you can get a full PC (with shipping and peripherals) for less than what you have listed. I would of course recommend a PC over a laptop, but I also have both so...

 

edit: why are you getting a 144Hz monitor if you only want to play tomb raider @ 60

Well the thing is that I don't wanna go so cheap. I do have budget for a middle range PC that I'd like to keep for longer than what an already 2 generations old low end hardware could stand.

About the price I listed, it's because I live in Costa Rica, central America. That means that a Ryzen 5 2600 that costs 159USD on Amazon costs 210USD through Amazon Global without any warranty, and 235USD at the best computer store in my country with unbeatable prices and warranty. Now imagine adding 76USD to each one of the parts or something around that depending on what part it is... What I listed is the best price I could get... T.T

The 144Hz monitor is because I'm also planning to play other older titles that I've always wanted to play, like the whole assassins creed franchise and so... And also because it gives more scalability if I get a better machine in the future.

 

On 10/8/2018 at 10:03 PM, LienusLateTips said:

Get the new desktop.

 

Is that a pre built? Looks like some questionable part choices in there.

 

You don't need to buy thermal paste.

Yeah I think I'll go the desktop route exclusively for gaming, because I don't rely too much on AMD's virtualization capabilities on consumer CPU's. My laptop is powerful enough to get my virtual labs done.

It's not a pre-built, I did choose some questionable parts on purpose to save some bucks Feel free to let me know what I should change Thanks!

 

On 10/8/2018 at 10:08 PM, Jurrunio said:

Anything you will benefit from having 2 computers? Otherwise I'd recommend the eGPU route. With an RX 580, it's not like the desktop will outperform the bottlenecked GTX 1080 unless the game is very CPU heavy, like for example Assassin's Creed Origins and Odysseys.

I think I'll still go with the desktop instead because if I bring that eGPU and it doesn't work for incompatibility or whatever, I can't get a refund or find someone else interested in buying something like that in my country; it's just too risky. And the desktop will provide me the scalability I need for the future when I happen to have a few more bucks to put in my Hobbie.

 

 

Thank you all for your responses! They are much appreciated!!