So I’ve decided to finally go desktop and get myself a serious workhorse for both video editing and 3d rendering. This was a whole lot more of a process than I thought but very rewarding, so I thought I would write my thoughts on the matter.
First off, I realize there is an association with desktops as being old, or outdated now that we have laptops, but that is far from the truth. Yes, laptops can replace a lightly-to-medium used desktop completely, but if you need to get any serious work done, it gets done better, faster and more comfortably on a desktop. You have this whole space for staying focused and getting the work done, while comfortably having second media next to you. Another great benefit is the ability to have more than one monitor all of the time when you need it. As a friend once said, “once you get two monitors, there's no going back”.
As for the meat of the matter, it goes to say that you are gonna either need to know your stuff or someone else who can know your stuff. I say this because if you do light work, you can be a little more realistic, and cost-effective to opt for a lighter processor, less storage if most of your work is online, less RAM if it is less demanding and overall less costly than for the laptop counterpart.
One of the reasons I have decided to turn to the desk side is because I had always struggled with staying on the particular project I was working on. I find with a desktop, there is a sense of organization that can be matched only under ideal conditions with a laptop. In addition, when you need power, you don't need it everywhere you go, and unless you work at a coffee shop all day, you and I can agree, the work can be done at home and more responsibly. These are important to me because of the work I need to do as a college student, and a budding creator.
To be frank, as well, I chose to build a PC so I would have the freedom, if I so choose it, to play games if the mood struck me. I have begun to realize after attempting to play some graphics and game-play heavy titles, that it would not be as enjoyable at 480p, with lag. As well, I realized my collection of PC games versus PS4 games weighed heavily on how much each costs; and at $59.99 per game on PS4, I found myself buying from STEAM sales more often. That said we move on.
Now some ask of portability, and if you absolutely need to get some work done on the go, you can get a lesser powered laptop or Chromebook. I would suggest these because they can be bundled up into a more cost effective package than buying a $900-$1,200 more “powerful” laptop every other year, just to stay recent.
Whereas with a desktop, if a part needs replacing you can buy the individual part and replace it to work better while costing less. All in all, it depends on the person you are, and how much work you are willing to put into learning your own habits, for the sake of success.