If you'd like to buy a new computer, you may be wondering whether to opt for a laptop or a desktop. A desktop provides the most power at the lowest price but a laptop provides similar performance in a much smaller package.

If you value portability above all else, a laptop is the only logical choice. Outside of this scenario, however, it's easy to argue that desktops are a significantly better product overall. Here are ten reasons why desktops are superior.

1. Desktops Are More Powerful

Someone playing CSGO on a computer
Image Credit: JJFarq / Shutterstock.com

Power is the obvious reason to buy a desktop. While laptops are increasingly powerful, there's a limit to what can be achieved when every component must fit into such a small device. Top-of-the-line performance is only found in desktop computers. And if you want a laptop with specs similar to a desktop, you can expect to pay significantly more for identical performance.

It's worth noting that the importance of power does depend heavily on what you want a computer for. If you only want to browse the web, watch videos, and do word processing, desktops offer almost no advantage.

2. Desktops Have Lower Pricing

Like for like, desktops are significantly cheaper than laptops. The difference is particularly noticeable on high-end computers, where a desktop can easily be half the price of a comparable laptop.

This is obviously important if you are on a budget, but it's worth considering regardless of what you are spending. If you're paying significantly more for the same specs, the difference in price could easily be spent on more powerful components or peripherals.

3. Desktops Are Easier to Upgrade

Laptops are very convenient when you want to transport them from place to place, but they are the opposite when you want an upgrade. If you want to upgrade a desktop, it's simply a matter of opening the case and adding a component. Some desktops are even designed in such a way that there's space already available.

In a laptop, everything is packed against each other. This leads to significant restrictions on what you can upgrade. It also makes actually installing anything difficult.

4. Desktops Are Easier to Repair

A person using multiple PC screens

Laptops can also prove problematic when you need to make a repair. When an individual component breaks, that component obviously needs to be replaced. On a desktop, this is something that can be achieved with minimal technical knowledge.

On a laptop, opening up the device without breaking anything can be challenging, and individual components cannot always be replaced.

5. Desktops Can Be Left On

One advantage of desktops that many people overlook is that they can be left on indefinitely. This is useful for people who want to run programs during the night or who wish to use their computer as a remote server.

A laptop can also be left on indefinitely, but they are not designed for this purpose, and you run the risk of damaging the hardware.

6. Desktops Are Harder to Steal

Laptops are ideal for taking from place to place, but they are also popular with thieves for the same reason. Desktop computers are often difficult to carry and are therefore only stolen by people with a certain level of determination.

Laptop theft is a potential problem both when you take it outside and when you use it in a public place. It's worth noting that you can purchase locks to prevent laptop theft, but many of these accessories do reduce portability and convenience.

7. Desktops Produce Less Noise

Desktops vary widely in terms of noise emission. But if you want to buy a desktop that's completely silent regardless of what programs you are running, they aren't difficult to find. This is because a desktop has sufficient space to install as many fans as necessary to keep things cool without adding noise.

The fans installed in laptops are primarily chosen for their size. This causes many laptops to become quite noisy when running resource-intensive applications.

8. Desktops Offer More Ports

Desktops have a wide variety of ports, and this allows you to connect as many peripherals as you want. If a specific port isn't available, it may also be possible to add one.

Laptops do not offer this level of flexibility. Due to space restrictions, there's a limit to how many ports can practically be installed. And this can prove problematic when you want to add new peripherals.

9. Desktops Have Larger Screens

Two computer monitors set up with a microphone and desk light.

Laptop screens have seen significant improvements in recent years. 17-inch screens are now commonplace, and they have so many pixels that you can comfortably work using multiple tabs and programs open simultaneously. Despite this fact, laptops simply cannot compete with desktops in terms of screen size.

Desktop screens typically start at 20 inches, and most desktops are now equipped with screens that are significantly larger. While you can obviously add an external monitor to a laptop, this takes away the portability that many people purchase laptops for.

10. You Can Build Your Own

Laptops are now sold in a wide variety of configurations. Most manufacturers provide a wealth of options in terms of processor, RAM, and hard drive. At the same time, you are still choosing from a specific list provided by the manufacturer.

When you opt for a desktop, you can literally build your own. This provides a much higher level of choice and allows you to design a computer that is tailored to your specific needs. Not everyone needs or even wants this level of customization, but it's an option that is only found on a desktop.

Desktops Are Superior—Provided You Don't Need Portability

Laptops are highly portable, and for some people, this makes them the obvious choice. If you need a computer that you can use in different locations throughout the week, a desktop is obviously unsuitable.

The same logic applies if you are short on space. A desktop requires a desk, whereas a laptop can be used anywhere.

Outside of these specific scenarios, however, the advantages of desktops mean that they are the better option for most people. They provide the most power at the lowest price, are easy to upgrade/repair, and come with screens that make most tasks easier to perform.