Choosing Between Desktop and Mobile Computing Workstation

From gaming to areas like high-end 3D rendering and many others that involve significant computing and processing demands, today’s clients have several great options at their disposal. One major theme that’s often considered for those investing in such a workstation upgrade to their setup: Do you need the setup to be mobile?

At Xidax, we’re proud to offer numerous workstation solutions to a variety of clients in need for several different purposes, plus a wide array of laptops and others that are more mobile and easy to move around. Whether you gravitate toward a desktop or laptop for your workstation or related needs will largely depend on your specific workflow and other similar details – here’s a primer on the benefits of each of these formats to those in the space, then offer a final word on how to make your decision if you’re unsure.

Desktop Workstation

As the name suggests, the desktop workstation – which is the more common setup here – refers to one that’s generally not mobile, at least not within reason. A large desktop CPU unit can technically be moved, sure, but doing so requires significant hassle, plus moving and re-connected several other components, a process that will generally take hours even for a short distance traveled.

Some of the key benefits of desktop workstations include:

• Value and ROI: Simply put, desktop workstations create better value for their customers than their equivalent mobile counterparts. The components required to build a high-quality desktop workstation are simply less expensive than the mobile versions of these same components virtually across the board – there’s more space in a desktop CPU, for starters, and parts are more easily replicated. This means that in nearly every case, you’ll be getting much more computing power when you go with a desktop over a laptop, especially when considering the dollars you spend for each unit of power. For those who care about the value they’ll be able to draw from their workstation, this is a major consideration.
• Configurations: There’s also much more versatility available in desktops than in other mobile alternatives. This begins with processor options: While these obviously exist for laptops, companies like Intel and AMD produce far fewer varieties here, and far more for desktops. The same is true for professional graphics solutions, which are vital for many ordering a workstation: Laptops may be limited here, but a desktop can be outfitted with virtually limitless CPU, GPU, RAM and HDD features to meet any need you have.
• Upgrades: Another major benefit of desktop workstations is the constant ability you have to upgrade and add to your setup. As new hardware items are released, for instance, it’s relatively easy to infuse these new components into your current system without impact any of its current features. Laptops, on the other hand, tend to be limited only to RAM or hard drive upgrades, and even these often involve sending the device in for a factory installation. It’s much simpler and more convenient to upgrade a desktop, which is a big factor for many gamers or others in the field.
• Power: While both desktops and laptops in the year 2021 are able to achieve high levels of power and performance, the ceiling is higher for desktops. For instance, you can’t really find laptops with dual processor systems, multiple hard drives or the kinds of professional-level graphics many of our clients need – but you can find those in desktops without much trouble, plus other features like huge amounts of ram, powerful cores and many others.

Mobile Workstation (Laptop)

For many of our most common needs, our desktop workstations are the preferred option. However, we have many clients who have alternative needs or desires for their setup, and may prefer a mobile workstation laptop setup instead. Here are a couple reasons why this might be the case:

• Mobility: As you may have guessed, the top reason why some of our clients gravitate toward laptops is the need for mobility. Whether it’s due to traveling around for client meetings, working in multiple locations or any other related need, some of us have a top priority of movement capability for our computing devices. Lugging around a fully-configured desktop CPU unit is just a ridiculous proposition for those in these positions – but getting a high-performance laptop is a great alternative. And while it’s true that laptops don’t have the same upper ceilings as desktops in terms of total computing power and long-term upgrades, modern technology has improved these mobile options exponentially in recent years. You have a number of high-performance options at your disposal that will not limit your capabilities at all, while still allowing for easy transportation and setup of your computing needs.
• Compact workspace: Even while you’re in one place, many of us prefer a workspace that’s smaller and less cluttered. Instead of dealing with a box, monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers and possibly several other additional elements of a CPU, a laptop combines all these elements into a much smaller, more compact space for you to work with.

Making Your Call

If you’re unsure about which to choose between these two, the important consideration here is simply how often you’ll have a need for your computing device outside your primary home or office setup. If the answer is never or very rarely, you’re likely to prefer the increased computing power and upgrade capability of a desktop workstation; if the answer is more commonly, or especially if you travel regularly for work or related purposes, you should at least consider a laptop solution – or, if you have the budget, consider both.

For more on choosing between a desktop and mobile workstation setup, or to learn about any of our gaming computers and other high-quality solutions, speak to the staff at Xidax today.