
Laptop vs Desktop: Which is Right for You?
Check out our infographic buyer's guide to find the right HP laptop for your everyday needs
The age-old debate between laptops and desktops comes down to a single question:
Which is right for you?
Infographic text:
Laptop:
Pros
- Portability - Freedom from power cables lets you take your digital to-do’s from the office to the comfort of your home
- No assembly required - Ready to use right out of the box
- Several styles - Modern laptops come in a number of different exciting form factors that cater to different types of users
- Laptop Convertibles - Flippable, switchable, and supremely flexible
- Laptop Workstations - Rugged multi-core processing
- Laptop Detachables - Tablet or laptop? Get the best of both worlds
- Compact - Typically measuring less than 1-inch tall, laptops are excellent space savers
- Lightweight - Your sprawling digital world weighs less than 5 pounds (on average[1])
Desktop:
Pros
- High-performance power - Greater size means greater work capacity. Desktops are the first to feature the latest, most innovative tech rolled out by PC manufacturers
- Cost efficient - Affordable desktops offer higher processing power and functionality than an affordable laptop of similar grade
- Upgradable - Deconstruct and reconstruct the internal hardware of a desktop with mechanical ease. Changeable components include:
- CPU & motherboard
- Graphics card
- Memory
- Storage
- Larger screen - More screen real-estate gives way to a more immersive visual experience
- Specialized form factors - Today’s desktops are more stylized than ever for every PC user’s needs
- Desktop All-in-One (AiO)
- Desktop Towers
- Desktop Workstations
- Desktop Small Form Factor (SFF)
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Laptop vs Desktop: Which is Best for Your Daily Computer Needs?
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The Casual User: You depend on your PC for web browsing, word processing, movie watching, and other low maintenance tasks.
Our vote: Desktop
HP’s choice: HP c410 20-inch All-in-One Desktop
Why?
- Infallible performance for your everyday needs
- More affordable than a basic laptop
- Expansive storage promising years of use
The Student: Your work and play schedule calls for a keen balance between final project creation and late-night gaming sessions.
Our vote: Laptop
HP’s choice: HP Spectre x360 13-inch Touch Screen Laptop
Why?
- Portability that takes you from the classroom to your dorm room
- High-performance power to accommodate your busy agenda
- Convertible laptops offer heightened usability
The Artist: the graphic designer, the architect, the photographer (could prompt graphics idea) A day in the life of the digital artist revolves around creating masterful designs, visionary pieces, and breathtaking visuals.
Our vote: Desktop
HP’s choice: HP Z8 G4 Workstation and HP Z27 27-inch UHD 4K Monitor
Why?
- Dedicated GPUs deliver more robust visual quality
- Desktops are broader in setup, enabling more comfortable computing with full-sized features
- Multi-tasking is made easy with mightier RAM capability
The Power User: the businessperson, the technologist, the number-cruncher (could prompt graphics idea) From data-crunching to executing full-scale simulations, your busy agenda requires far more work than play.
Our vote: Laptop
HP’s choice: HP ZBook Studio G5 Mobile Workstation
Why?
- Wireless mobility grants ease of transport from meetings to the office
- Portability promotes collaboration
- Workstations offer high-end computing for powerful mobile processing
The Gamer: Your digital gametime is dependent on powerful processing, vibrant graphics, and responsive technology for tactical level-ups.
Our vote: Desktop
HP’s choice: HP OMEN 45L Gaming Desktop and HP OMEN34c G2 Ultrawide Curved Gaming Monitor
Why?
- Increased screen size creates more immersive gameplay
- Unleash overclocking power
- The option to upgrade unlocks limitless hardware opportunities


















