laptop vs desktop - please advice !

vint

Disciple
I was planning to upgrade my age old rig to i5/dx11 based rig. I got a quote of around 45k, without the monitor.

Now I see that , with more or less specs, I can get a i3 based laptop from Sony for around 50k, which also includes a dx11 card and comes with full HD monitor.

I'll be using this primarily for photoshopping , 3D modelling, animation and gaming. So I'm leaning more towards the laptop than the desktop, since a laptop makes more sense space-wise and portability wise.

But before I make any decision , I wanted to clarify a few points:

1. Is i3 good for running apps like maya, photoshop, mental ray, zbrush etc ?

2. If I buy a i5 based laptop, will it be similar in performance to a i5 based desktop ?

3. How is ATI 5650 , when it comes to gaming ? Will it run the games for the next 2 years atleast on med-high ?

4. Does Sony vaio support pen tablets like wacom bamboo

Also, please advice if you have any better options available for laptops for the above requirements ?
 
core i5 models are availale for less than 50k now (dell inspiron) and more number of cores means better performance for maya and photoshop etc.
 
If you dont want much of portability Desky is the way to go. Even laptops worth ~80-90k cant match the performance of a desktop worth 50k. Plus will a small 15.5" do for 3D modelling etc.. :S
 
Also remember that laptops have 1 year warranty and a vital non-standard component - the motherboard, that if busts, will cost a fortune. So also factor in the cost of extended warranty.
 
DarkAngel said:
Even laptops worth ~80-90k cant match the performance of a desktop worth 50k.


Can you elaborate on this ? I mean, if i use the same i5 processor with 4 gb ram on both desktop and laptop , how is that a desktop giving superior performance ? I usually hear this, but I don't understand how is a laptop with similar configuration inferior to its desktop counterpart !

DarkAngel said:
Plus will a small 15.5" do for 3D modelling etc.. :S
As for the size, I can always buy a full HD 22" monitor and connect my laptop to it. The advantage is, when there is powercut or when I'm outside of my home etc, I can atleast work on my laptop as compared to a desktop.

@desibond,
does the dell inspiron come with full HD support and dx11 cards for 50k ? Can you send me a link of the model you are referring to.
 
DarkAngel said:
If you dont want much of portability Desky is the way to go. Even laptops worth ~80-90k cant match the performance of a desktop worth 50k. Plus will a small 15.5" do for 3D modelling etc.. :S

I disagree with that. I was very happy to get rid of my old desktop computer which even after frequent upgrades remained slow and troublesome. My laptop on the other hand has been fast and trouble free for the last two years. Only once have I upgraded the RAM and HDD in the laptop and the performance has gone up a few notches.

This is a matter of personal opinion and experience. But I do not think laptops are in any way inferior to desktops of similar configuration.
@Topic Starter
If you have mobility in mind then buying a laptop is the right decision. From what you have said backup power and longevity seems important to you, and so buying a laptop should suit your needs.
Check out Dell website where you can configure the laptop as per your needs and then order it directly from them. Without taxes an i5 based computer should come to around 45k. (My friend recently got one and he skipped the taxes because of some contact)
 
Ragin_Ice said:
Also remember that laptops have 1 year warranty and a vital non-standard component - the motherboard, that if busts, will cost a fortune. So also factor in the cost of extended warranty.

you can pay an amount 3k-5k (depending on brand) to get extended warranty.

vint said:
Can you elaborate on this ? I mean, if i use the same i5 processor with 4 gb ram on both desktop and laptop , how is that a desktop giving superior performance ? I usually hear this, but I don't understand how is a laptop with similar configuration inferior to its desktop counterpart !
As for the size, I can always buy a full HD 22" monitor and connect my laptop to it. The advantage is, when there is powercut or when I'm outside of my home etc, I can atleast work on my laptop as compared to a desktop.

@desibond,
does the dell inspiron come with full HD support and dx11 cards for 50k ? Can you send me a link of the model you are referring to.

The Dell Online Store: Build Your System

it's Dell Studio and you can configure the display to be FullHD.

Though for the same price, you will get much more powerful desktops, you can also increase your budget a bit and search for laptops that come with Quadro graphics.
 
Can you elaborate on this ? I mean, if i use the same i5 processor with 4 gb ram on both desktop and laptop , how is that a desktop giving superior performance ? I usually hear this, but I don't understand how is a laptop with similar configuration inferior to its desktop counterpart !

The i-5 in laptops is a dual core whereas you can get a quad core i-5 desky. You are comparing a dual core with a quad.

Components Description Price (INR)
Processor Core i-5 750(2.66Ghz, 4 cores) 9850
Motherboard Intel DP55WB 5450
RAM CORSAIR XMS3 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3 1333MHz TW3X4G1333C9 6200
HDD 1 TB Seagate 7200.12 4100
GPU Sapphire HD5670 512MB GDDR5/Sapphire 1GB GDDR5 HD5770 5200/9800
Monitor Dell S2009W 6500
Cabinet CM Elite 310 1550
PSU/SMPS Seasonic S12II 430 3000
Key Board Logitech MM combo 700
Mouse NA -
ODD L.G. GH22NS30 /Samsung SH-S22F SATA DVD-Writer 1100
Speakers Altec Lansing 2.1 BXR1121 1100
Total 44750/49350

Try getting a laptop with similar power of that of the i-5 750 and a HD5770. You would definitely end up spending 80-90k. Also the RAM is a performance 4GB kit from Corsair with 10 years warrany. If you go for the likes of Kingston value RAM you can save Rs.700~. Also upgrading is a breeze. You can add HDD's rather than going for external ones and upgrade the GPU when needed.

disagree with that. I was very happy to get rid of my old desktop computer which even after frequent upgrades remained slow and troublesome. My laptop on the other hand has been fast and trouble free for the last two years. Only once have I upgraded the RAM and HDD in the laptop and the performance has gone up a few notches.
:lol: That may be because you have replace a 5yrs old P-3/P-4 desktop with a C2D laptop. All H/W components have 3-5 years warranty in case of desktop. But in case of laptop you have to consioder the extended warranty costs too which is around 5k for a 2 year extension. Also you can buy good quality components when assembling a desktop. My dell inspiron has Hynix RAM :mad:
 
I agree with phoenix844884. A few years back, the equation between desktops and laptops was so one-sided that no one would consider a laptop for performance. But, I think a point was reached around 4-5 years back, when laptop performance became more than acceptable for most mainstream users. Today, a laptop would suffice for most people, the only exceptions that I can think are

- gamers, who need maximum bang for buck

- work a lot with video

- need expandability, though most devices are usb nowadays

- on a very tight budget

The one area where desktops score highly is ergonomics. Nothing beats a big screen monitor with an ideal chair/keyboard/mouse position, which is why when my desktop dies, I intend to hook up my laptop to my monitor full time.
 
vint said:
Can you elaborate on this ? I mean, if i use the same i5 processor with 4 gb ram on both desktop and laptop , how is that a desktop giving superior performance ? I usually hear this, but I don't understand how is a laptop with similar configuration inferior to its desktop counterpart !
Both are not same. Even if some model is Dual core and run at same speed with similar sized cache the mobile proccy wont outperform the desktop counterpart as the mobile is designed for TDP and eventually the performance is low. Check the benchmarks and you will know the huge difference ;)
 
Thanks for the info DA, i5 on mobile is dual core - thats new info to me :(. Also, how good is the ATI 5650 card for gaming ? Will it last another 2 years, its 1 GB and dx 11.
 
The HD5670 outperforms it as evident from the naming. For a laptop resolution(1366*768) it should do fine. The amount of VRAM doesnt matter for that card(HD5650). There is hardly any performance difference between a 512MB and 1GB HD5650 version.

For the apps that you use, more the no. of cores, the better. So i would recommend a core i-5 750 setup or a AthlonII X4 630, AM3 mobo setup for 10-11k and get those 6-core demons (Thuban) which should be priced about 10-11k~ when they are released in ~2 months/ when needed.
 
archish said:
Both are not same. Even if some model is Dual core and run at same speed with similar sized cache the mobile proccy wont outperform the desktop counterpart as the mobile is designed for TDP and eventually the performance is low. Check the benchmarks and you will know the huge difference ;)

what's TDP ?

And DA,
Between this laptop - http://www.sony.co.in/product/vpceb16fg

and the i5 based desktop you have put up, can you tell me how much is the performance difference for gaming , and for the CG apps I mentioned above ? A rough approximate would do.
 
Ragin_Ice said:
Also remember that laptops have 1 year warranty and a vital non-standard component - the motherboard, that if busts, will cost a fortune. So also factor in the cost of extended warranty.

Would like to highlight this comment as it seems to have been passed over :)

Buy a laptop ONLY if portability is a requirement.

The quality of laptops these days is no where what they were like 5-10 yrs back. This is why they are more affordable but they use lower quality parts.

The desktop in this case becomes and even better option.
 
^^Dude. optical drive failures, hdd failures, k/b and mouse not holding for more than a year, even speakers like mx-5021 getting lesser quality components. rise of low quality mobo manufacturers like biostar. Even desktop manufacturers are eyeing for low price low quality segment.

it's hard to run a new desktop for 3-5 years now without problem and desktops from 90's still run fine in every internet centre across India day-in-day-out.
 
You don't get to chose the mobo the laptop wil use but what about for the desktop ;)

I'm aware of what you've said and those perpherals can be replaced for MUCH cheaper on a desktop.
 
Hi guys,

looks like i'm back to square one with all the pros and cons. Can you tell me how much of a performance gain would I get from a desktop over a laptop with similar config ? That should help me narrow down my choices i guess....

bump, advice please :D
 
vint said:
Hi guys,
looks like i'm back to square one with all the pros and cons. Can you tell me how much of a performance gain would I get from a desktop over a laptop with similar config ? That should help me narrow down my choices i guess....

Performance wise I think you will get a huge bump when it comes to desktops at the same price point.

I was in the same dilemma like you, but i figured out desky is the way to go if you want best performance:price ratio.

If portability is not a major issue then go for a desk.:) anyways a desktop replacement lappy is also a powerhog and won't run long enough on full load before the battery drains out.(correct me guys if i'm wrong) :)
 
check out the performance stats for the 5650 card which comes as part of sony vaio laptop:

Notebookcheck: ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650

what do you guys think ? At 49k , isn't this worth buying over a desktop ?

sh@sh, desktop might give good performance, but then its stuck to one place, you can't carry it with you. Although laptop won't give a very good performance, won't it give me atleast 2 hours of battery life without connected to the power supply ? sometimes that itself is more than enough considering the frequent powercuts in blore. Also, remember that you don't need an external monitor, since this comes with a very good full hd monitor.
 
^^ Nope, if portablility is not required desky wins hands down. You can get a 1000VA UPS ~ 4-5k if you need a hour or so of back up power. Plus you can get much powerful processor, GPU and other stuff for the same price.

Upgrading is easier and cheaper and in case if some component fails then replacement is cheaper and also warranty period is longer(3-5yrs).

If you have made up your mind in a laptop no point in discussing it further.

looks like i'm back to square one with all the pros and cons. Can you tell me how much of a performance gain would I get from a desktop over a laptop with similar config ? That should help me narrow down my choices i guess....

What made u come back to square one. :| Read through the same thread again and you will see how powerful a desktop is over this laptop at the same price point. IMO you will get at least double the performance from a desky at this price when compared to this laptop.
 
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