More and more of us are working from home over the past few years, with less need for the portability of a laptop. Many companies are offering a more flexible work routine, and you may even have the choice between working in the office, and working from home.

So, do you even need a laptop for your home office? Or, would you actually be much better off opting for a desktop computer instead? We’re going to look through some of the main reasons why you may, or may not, want to switch from laptop to desktop.

For: Desktops offer great value for money

Probably the most important reason why a desktop may be the right option for you is that you can find them at ridiculously good prices. If you’re fed up of dealing with the specs of a slow laptop, then you’d likely be surprised at just what you can get for your money if you switch to a desktop.

Most laptops are going to start at around £600-1000 to get an average model, and can go well into the thousands if you want to upgrade to better components. You can actually find a decent enough desktop, with the same amount of power, for much less than this.

Against: You can’t take a desktop with you anywhere (for the most part)

Laptops were made for comfort and travel. The ability to take such a powerful device with you wherever you go can’t be overlooked, as some people like the ability to check their emails from a coffee shop or library. And with laptops coming down the near the kilogram mark in weight, they’re more portable than ever.

There are some mini desktop computers that you could take with you anywhere, like the Mac Mini. However, when you add in the need to carry a monitor, mouse and keyboard around with you too, then it becomes less and less feasible to do so. So, you can’t beat a laptop when it comes to portability.

For: You can upgrade a computer

Whilst some new Windows laptops will allow you to upgrade the memory of your laptop, that’s about as far as it goes when it comes to improving your device. Usually, the processor is soldered to the motherboard, meaning that it’s not possible for you to upgrade it.

This is the same for the graphics card of your laptop too. Now, there are exceptions to the rule – a few gaming laptops, like certain Alienware models, will allow you to upgrade your CPU and GPU (though they haven’t been particularly successful). But when it comes to most premium consumer laptops like a Macbook, you can forget upgrading anything – even the memory.

Against: Desktops use more power than laptops

As a general rule, it’s a good idea to assume that your desktop is going to use double the amount of power a much smaller laptop would use. When you add in not just the computer itself, but also the additional monitor and peripherals, then it’s easy to see why it requires more power.

Although it can take a little longer for you to set a desktop computer up, this isn’t much of an issue for most people. So, it’s only really the additional power usage of a desktop computer that we’ll have to consider.

For: Your posture will thank you later

There are ways that you can make a laptop more comfortable to use. But for the most part, this is typically by emulating the posture you’d have if you were using a desktop computer.

Getting a laptop stand and using your device with a keyboard and mouse is a great idea if you spend a lot of time typing, and it’s much better for your wrists. With a desktop though, you’re going to be using a larger display, which is much better for your eyes than a smaller 13 inch screen.

Conclusion

Deciding between a desktop and laptop is difficult, and it really comes down to what you need. To get the most for your money, a desktop computer provides excellent value for money and it’s likely to be more comfortable for those that work online.

A desktop like an iMac is the complete opposite to this, with no portability whatsoever. However, what you do get is a much better display to use, as well as the ability to upgrade it further along down the line.

If there are times where you know you’d like the ability to work away from your desk, then a good compromise is to go for a laptop. Then, pick up an additional monitor, keyboard and mouse to use with it, and you can use your laptop essentially as you would a desktop computer anyway – with the ability to unplug it and travel when you need to.