Advice Request One PC or two?

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rndmblk

rndmblk

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Nov 18, 2020
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Western Australia
I currently have a 4 year old laptop and its fine for what I use it for. If I want to look up some info, have a general browse I'll use it on my lap. If I want to use it for longer I use it in my 'home office' - basically a spare bedroom with a desk. I use the same room on days where I'm working from home. It has an external monitor, mouse and keyboard so suits a full day's work.

I haven't played video games for years. When I did I played some PC games but mostly on a console, the most recent being a PS3. Like a lot of people my age I dont have a lot of time for gaming but have been thinking it would be nice.

The question then becomes whether I should have a console and laptop or go for a 'gaming laptop or maybe a regular laptop and gaming PC in the lounge.

I like the laptop portability for quick use and like to be in the 'home office' for work. If I was gaming I'd prefer to do that in the lounge and use a controller. If I were to use a gaming PC my better half would prefer a smaller case so it's not so obvious!

Probably the answer comes down to personal choice so anyone willing to share their preference would be most welcome :)
 
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NG Consoles are very scarce at the moment, as are the Nvidia 3-series GPUs for PC builds. If you're not crazy about the best specs, the Xbox Series S is a neat choice (and cheapest base price).

A desktop PC would be advised for upgradability and customisation options.
 
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If you work at home sometimes, it's wise to have two PCs. You never know if and when one of them will suddenly go belly-up, leaving you stranded. Make sure your mission-critical files are synced to the cloud, or else make frequent backups to an external medium. Then if disaster strikes, you don't miss a beat. You just pull out the second PC and keep on rolling.
 
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shmu26 said:
You just pull out the second PC and keep on rolling.
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Better yet, they keep their existing laptop as the backup. Also a smartphone works as a PC, it can use Office, Email and Chat etc.

(Existing Laptop, New PC, Current/NG Console and a Smartphone)
 
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If you want upgradability, then I would suggest a desktop pc, especially if you want gaming. If a component in your pc lacks performance, you can just replace that specific component(e.g graphics card). If you want to prioritize portability, then maybe get a laptop, but then you won't be able to upgrade without replacing the entire device.
 
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I have a desktop pc that I use for everything. When I travel, mostly for fun, I bring my Chromebook for general browsing and to look for information and my Iphone as a gps , to take pictures and to check my accounts.
 
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Thanks all for your replies. As many have said it does depend on individual preference more than anything. Budget and upgradability are factors too.

I'm not looking for top level gaming performance so a current generation console might be the way to go for that side of things. Obviously a gaming PC could be an alternative but consoles 'just work' with a TV

For the other device I think I'm used to having a laptop - phones are great but I'm not great typing on them and would rather browse using a 12 inch or larger screen. Since gaming won't be required on it then I don't need to worry about specs as much
 
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If your going to game the larger screen the better, a console with a 55 inch or bigger screen for sure. I could never game on a laptop, I don't even like using a laptop, screen is just too small for me.
 
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