What is the difference between a Laptop and a Desktop Computer

The confusion while buying a new computer is a common scenario in many of our lives. People have a wide range of choices to choose different types, different software operating systems. Some stay in doubt whether to buy a desktop or a laptop.

Moreover, some remain in the dark about choosing between the Windows operating system or Mac OS. You have some specific criteria that your computer can fulfill.

So now the question arises which one should you go for? The perplexity is real. We know how you might feel in such a dilemma to decide which one to choose between laptop and desktop.

Don’t worry. We are here for you to clarify your doubts about choosing the right computer for you. Here we are going to make a difference between a laptop and desktop computer, analyzing their features:


A desktop consists of a monitor, a rectangular box known as a tower, Central Processing Unit (CPU) or computer unit, a keyboard, etc. A monitor, hard drive, disk drive, keyboard, and touchpad are notable laptop computer units in a laptop.


The design of desktop pcs focuses on keeping them at a particular place all the time. It consists of a monitor, Central Processing Unit (CPU), keyboard, and others. Because of having several accessories, it is large and not easy to move.

Laptops are much more convenient to carry as compared to desktops. All the parts remain in the laptops and so they are easily portable. Their compact size allows moving anywhere with them via a laptop bag or a carrying case.

Screen Size

Desktop monitors can have a variety of sizes. You can buy a desktop monitor with a screen from 14″ to even 50″. So basically it is similar to a TV nowadays. So you can assume the screen size of a desktop can be similar to a TV screen size.

Regarding the laptop monitors, the screen size is not that big. As the manufacturers have to keep in mind their portability while building them, the laptop’s screen sizes mostly vary from 10 inches to 15 inches. However, you can connect your laptop to an external monitor to have a more enormous screen experience.


A desktop being large isn’t always bad. That’s because its big size can carry a powerful processor. Day by day, the desktop processor has impressive upgrades and so you can always find desktops available on the market with high-performance processors. At present, Intel and AMD Rygen are the most popular processors to use in a pc.

On the other hand, laptops have some limitations to being smaller in size. In fact, you can get almost the same performance from a laptop similar to a desktop but that will cost you much more. So if you require a computer with a top-class processor, buying a laptop will cost a lot.

Ease of Assembly

Building desktop computers is cumbersome for having so many components. You need to give extra effort to set things up before using a desktop. We are not saying assembling them is a mountainous task. But connecting all components in a desktop is more challenging than a laptop for sure.

In the case of a laptop, the effort to assemble it is minimal. You have to take the laptop out of the box after buying it, plug it in, and press the power button. Here you go! Your new laptop will start running. That’s how easy it is to make a new laptop ready to use.

Keyboard and mouse

The use of a keyboard and mouse varies from a desktop computer to a laptop. Desktop computers allow using full-size keyboards that have a number pad on them.

For having the facility of a dedicated keyboard, it is comfortable to use a desktop. Alongside the keyboard, you can use a mouse to control your desktop pc.

However, laptops can be difficult to operate by using a keyboard consistently. Smaller laptops don’t come with number pads. But you can get them on the right side of your laptop if you opt to buy a relatively larger one.

In terms of use by a mouse, every laptop has a touchpad below its keyboard. But we recommend you not to overuse them. That practice will deteriorate the touchpad quality. Instead, feel free to use a mouse by connecting it to the laptop.

Storage System

Internal Storage

In a desktop PC, you have the freedom to install multiple internal drives. But on laptops, you can have only one internal hard drive. If you require an internal drive of greater storage space in laptops, you need to replace the old one with a new disk drive.

External Storage

Desktops have multiple data ports to connect several external drives. Therefore, you can add as many hard drives as you want externally to a desktop pc.

As compared to one internal hard drive, laptops come with multiple external drives. However, the number of data ports in a laptop is few. So the options are limited than a desktop pc does have.

Power Usage

Because of being bulk in size, it is apparent desktops use a lot of power. That’s why processing power in desktops is high to cover the usage of several components inside them. Hence, the computer terminal of a desktop runs on a direct power source that connects to a wall socket all the time.

However, if your power supply suddenly goes down, you might lose your incomplete work on your desktop. For this reason, we suggest you buy an Uninterrupted Power Source (UPS). The electrical apparatus is helpful to give backup to your desktop even after load shedding.

On the other hand, laptops are smaller in size. So they consume much less power than the desktop pcs. As they run on batteries, during power fluctuation, you need not worry about losing your work. Just make sure to keep a decent amount of charge on your laptop always to stay risk-free.


A desktop computer system is ideal for a smooth gaming experience. It can use video cards of high power which can reduce or dissipate heat at an impressive rate. You can use several video cards at the same time on desktops easily.

In contrast, laptop computers are difficult to cope up with high powered games. As laptops have limited physical space, their graphics performance is relatively lower than the desktops.

However, with a high powered laptop, you can have better graphical performance while playing video games. For that reason, gaming laptops need to enhance various component options, such as Graphics Card, Processor, and RAM. Also, you need to improve the laptop processors for better gaming performance.


Cost is an essential factor when you go to buy a computer. It can make a big difference between desktops and laptops. The price of desktops varies a lot depending on specifications.

But we can assure you that the starting point of desktops is much cheaper than laptop computers. You can get a high-end desktop at $400 only whereas the laptops cost a lot more.

For similar spec computers, you need to buy a laptop at a higher price. With a better graphics card, better RAM management, and other better computer units, you can surely use a laptop to fulfill your requirements. Such high-end laptops can cost more than $1000 for sure.


To repair a desktop computer is simple for its function. If any of the parts of your desktop pc stops working, you can easily remove it and buy a new one from a computer retail store.

On the other hand, repairing a laptop is a complicated task. The components of a laptop are integrated in such a manner you can’t separate parts easily by yourself often. If an accessory starts malfunctioning in laptops, it will be troublesome to replace it with a new one.

Final Verdict

Desktop vs laptop is a continuous debate that will never end. There are hardly any people who got confused at least once in life to fix their mind between desktop and laptop. For this reason, it is crucial to understand the differences between a desktop computer and a laptop computer.

Many people prefer desktop computers just because they have a limited budget and don’t need to port the desktops everywhere. That’s why freelancers or business users tend to choose desktop computers rather than laptops.

Every year software companies introduce desktops and laptops of different specifications. The customers must find out which one goes with their requirements. Now the question is what your priority is? Should you buy a laptop or a desktop?

Let us clear your doubt after all the discussion of laptop vs desktop. If your main preference is video production, graphics designing, go for a desktop computer. Besides, while using various engineering CAD software, a desktop computer is the best choice to run them smoothly.

On the other side, if you need to move here and there with your computer, better choose a laptop. However, a laptop will not be a good idea if you can’t operate it properly. The repairing and replacing component parts of laptops are difficult indeed.

Also, gaming with a laptop will give you a challenging experience unless you buy one with a handsome budget. You need to have a decent processor, RAM storage, the graphics card in a laptop to play games. But with much less budget than a laptop computer, you can play games comfortably on a desktop.

So list your priorities before buying your dream pc and choose the right one that perfectly fits your requirements.

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