Desktop or Laptop?

I’ve been lugging this Dell Latitude around for about seven years now. It’s been in and out of the repair shop a few times, but I think it’s finally waving its white flag. I'm looking for some advice on my next move: should I go for a new laptop or just build a desktop? They both have their pros and cons, so I’d love to hear what you guys think. My budget is capped at around $700. Thanks 🙂

Super simple:

Does it need to be portable?
- If yes, get a laptop.
- If no, go desktop.

Buying a laptop just to let it sit on a desk in one spot doesn't make much sense to me. Especially since desktops are way easier to upgrade or fix, and you generally get much better specs for the same price. What are you even planning to do with it?

That’s exactly where my head was at. I’m running SolidWorks and AutoCAD for school right now, so having a bit more muscle under the hood wouldn't hurt—even if it's just for messing around when I'm bored. And regarding what you asked earlier, it doesn't strictly need to be a laptop. I’m not planning on lugging this thing around anywhere; I barely move my current setup from my desk, so portability isn't really a factor here.

Then you definitely want a PC. Do you need a monitor too? Also—are you mostly working with 2D or 3D stuff in AutoCAD and SolidWorks?

Linda Sanders18 said:That’s exactly where my head was at. I’m running SolidWorks and AutoCAD for school right now, so having a bit more muscle under the hood wouldn't hurt—even if it's just for messing around when I'm bored. And regarding what you asked earlier, it doesn't strictly need to be a laptop. I’m not planning on lugging this thing around anywhere; I barely move my current setup from my desk, so portability isn't really a factor here.

Like graniteharbor85 said, a desktop is the way to go. Now, what kind of gear are we talking about here? Mouse, keyboard, speakers, monitor... and are you hardwired into a router or just stuck on Wi-Fi?

@McLovin - I spend way more time messing with my cat than I do with AutoCAD. When I am actually using CAD, I usually just draft objects to fit a specific sheet size, then print them out later. My printer isn't even connected to this setup; it’s hooked up to a different computer somewhere else in the house. Last time, I just lugged my laptop over to make things easier.

@Robert Rodriguez2 - I've got a mouse since it's attached to my laptop right now, but I'm missing a keyboard. As for audio, I've just got some tiny Microsoft speakers, and I don't have a monitor either.

I went with an all-in-one bundle—basically the tower, keyboard, and speakers all together. Looking back, I think the whole thing cost me somewhere around $4,000.

Wait, so would you actually grab a monitor bundled with a setup like that or not? I’m a little confused since you mentioned you don't have one, but then you didn't include it in the list with the rest of the build and peripherals.

Linda Sanders18 said:@McLovin - I spend way more time messing with my cat than I do with AutoCAD. When I am actually using CAD, I usually just draft objects to fit a specific sheet size, then print them out later. My printer isn't even connected to this setup; it’s hooked up to a different computer somewhere else in the house. Last time, I just lugged my laptop over to make things easier.

@Robert Rodriguez2 - I've got a mouse since it's attached to my laptop right now, but I'm missing a keyboard. As for audio, I've just got some tiny Microsoft speakers, and I don't have a monitor either.

I went with an all-in-one bundle—basically the tower, keyboard, and speakers all together. Looking back, I think the whole thing cost me somewhere around $4,000.

Don't bother with an All-in-One PC. They aren't actually cheaper, usually. It's mostly just laptop parts shoved inside, so upgrading is a pain and repairs cost a fortune. Just grab a standard desktop and call it a day. 🙂

You can easily order a pre-built from a web shop. Everything comes assembled; you just plug in the monitor, keyboard, and mouse, and you're good to go. 😁

Newegg is where my brother has ordered from dozens of times this past year. Always five stars. 🙂

Here's an example of what $400 gets you there:
1 x AOC I2269VWM, IPS monitor 21.5" Wide, WLED, 1920x1080@60 Hz
1 x Asrock FM2A78M-DG3+, AMD FM2+ Socket A78 Chipset MB
2 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Kingston, 1600MHz, CL11, Value
1 x Power Supply FORTRON 400W, HEXA Plus 400, 12cm fan
1 x LG GH24NS DVD burner, DVD±RW, 24x DVD±R ,8x DL , 40x CD-R
1 x Microsoft Phoenix case, Midi tower MBO: ATX, mATX
1 x TOSHIBA 500GB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB, DT01ACA050
1 x AMD Kaveri A8-Series X4 7600 (3.8GHz,4MB,65W,FM2+) box processor
1 x Logitech Z-120 speakers, 2.0, 1.2 W (RMS), USB
1 x Genius keyboard + mouse KM200 PS2/USB, 8 hotkeys

$1352

SolidWorks eats RAM for breakfast. 😁
With this build, you could even play some mid-tier games if that's your thing. 🙂

graniteharbor85 said:Wait, so would you actually grab a monitor bundled with a setup like that or not? I’m a little confused since you mentioned you don't have one, but then you didn't include it in the list with the rest of the build and peripherals.

I'd just pick up an All-in-One PC, from what I can tell.

Yeah, I probably just misread things—I thought I saw those three items bundled together at a Best Buy for $4k, so I was wondering why the price jumped for those two guys. But hey, I totally agree with Robert Rodriguez2 on this one—don't even think about an All-in-One PC. A separate tower and monitor setup is way better.

If you want to go with an i5 build just to have some peace of mind for a while, here’s a solid option:

i5 4440
MSI H81M P33
Kingston HyperX 8GB 1600 MHz
Seagate 1TB SATA 3 HDD
LG DVD-RW SATA
Fortron Hexa 400W 80+ Active
Naviatec NVT 603 MATX

AOC 22" IPS 1080p
Genius USB Keyboard/Mouse Set

= $1500This includes shipping and assembly.

- You can always toss in a dedicated graphics card later (like an Nvidia GT 740 or GTX 750) and a 120GB+ SSD (maybe a Patrio Blaze, Kingston HyperX, Intel 520/530, or Samsung EVO 840/850).
- Just hang onto your other peripherals—upgrading them later is usually pretty easy.
- If you don't really need a disc drive, skip it and grab a better case, like a Zalman T1 +, T2+, or T5... though honestly, this Naviatec case is a decent enough box for builds that aren't running super hot (I can post a few pics of the 601 & 603 models if you want, because they actually surprised me for the price). If you want lower temps and better airflow down the road, you can always add extra 90mm fans (back) or 120mm fans (side).
- You could also save a bit more money by going with an Acer VA model.

graniteharbor85 said:Yeah, I probably just misread things—I thought I saw those three items bundled together at a Best Buy for $4k, so I was wondering why the price jumped for those two guys. But hey, I totally agree with Robert Rodriguez2 on this one—don't even think about an All-in-One PC. A separate tower and monitor setup is way better.

If you want to go with an i5 build just to have some peace of mind for a while, here’s a solid option:

i5 4440
MSI H81M P33
Kingston HyperX 8GB 1600 MHz
Seagate 1TB SATA 3 HDD
LG DVD-RW SATA
Fortron Hexa 400W 80+ Active
Naviatec NVT 603 MATX

AOC 22" IPS 1080p
Genius USB Keyboard/Mouse Set

= $1500This includes shipping and assembly.

- You can always toss in a dedicated graphics card later (like an Nvidia GT 740 or GTX 750) and a 120GB+ SSD (maybe a Patrio Blaze, Kingston HyperX, Intel 520/530, or Samsung EVO 840/850).
- Just hang onto your other peripherals—upgrading them later is usually pretty easy.
- If you don't really need a disc drive, skip it and grab a better case, like a Zalman T1 +, T2+, or T5... though honestly, this Naviatec case is a decent enough box for builds that aren't running super hot (I can post a few pics of the 601 & 603 models if you want, because they actually surprised me for the price). If you want lower temps and better airflow down the road, you can always add extra 90mm fans (back) or 120mm fans (side).
- You could also save a bit more money by going with an Acer VA model.

I realized from the last post that I shouldn't go over $1333 😳

Alright, I hear you on that "eye" thing. I'll definitely give your suggestion some thought. My main question, though, is whether SolidWorks runs any better on Windows 8 or Windows 7?

Honestly, it’s totally up to you, but I’d say just go with Windows 7 (SP1 64-bit)—it’s a much smoother OS, way less bloatware to deal with, and honestly just feels more productive.

Linda Sanders18 said:Alright, I hear you on that "eye" thing. I'll definitely give your suggestion some thought. My main question, though, is whether SolidWorks runs any better on Windows 8 or Windows 7?

SolidWorks will run on 7 and 8, even on Windows XP (though nobody supports that OS anymore)

like graniteharbor85 said, Windows 7 64-bit is the way to go

SolidWorks is a 3D CAD program, and much like its sibling SolidWorks, it really craves a decent graphics card. I guess it would be pretty useful to throw some solid graphics in there just for rendering 3D models—especially when you're dealing with complex assemblies. Once you start adding lighting and different materials, it tends to push both the CPU and the GPU pretty hard. I'm assuming you're using the student version of V5R19. It really depends on what you're actually doing in the software, though; if you're just making simple models, you probably don't need anything too powerful.

Adam Diaz67 said:SolidWorks is a 3D CAD program, and much like its sibling SolidWorks, it really craves a decent graphics card. I guess it would be pretty useful to throw some solid graphics in there just for rendering 3D models—especially when you're dealing with complex assemblies. Once you start adding lighting and different materials, it tends to push both the CPU and the GPU pretty hard. I'm assuming you're using the student version of V5R19. It really depends on what you're actually doing in the software, though; if you're just making simple models, you probably don't need anything too powerful.

If they're just working from home for school projects or some hobby, an integrated chip will get the job done. No need for anything overkill.

But if this is their actual job—if it's how they put food on the table—then yeah, absolutely. A good card will jump their productivity to a whole different level.🙂

Yeah, we're talking about the 32-bit version of V5R19. Anyway, thanks to everyone for jumping in and helping me out. Once I scrape together a little more cash, I'll be adding 😁
to my setup.

Robert Rodriguez2 said:If they're just working from home for school projects or some hobby, an integrated chip will get the job done. No need for anything overkill.

But if this is their actual job—if it's how they put food on the table—then yeah, absolutely. A good card will jump their productivity to a whole different level.🙂

I mean, I basically agree with you. This is mostly just coming from my own experience, I guess.
I'm not saying he needs an ATI FirePro or an Nvidia Quadro right this second, but having a decent mid-range gaming card definitely helps. Especially with 3D work. Integrated graphics will get the job done—honestly, today's integrated chips are probably better than the old discrete cards I used during my freshman year when we were first learning computer-aided design and engineering graphics (the card in his laptop is already older than that, XD). It’ll work, but it might be slow as hell, especially if he starts tackling more complex stuff in SolidWorks involving 3D assemblies—the kind of things you hit in upper-level classes. I’m assuming the OP is a mechanical, marine, or aerospace engineering student? If he gets into it and starts experimenting, a discrete GPU would definitely speed things up.
Just wanted to share this so someone else doesn't run into the same headaches I did. If you set a render to run and then head out for a couple of coffees only to find things didn't go as planned... well, yeah. Just a friendly tip: if you can stretch your budget a little, definitely grab a decent graphics card. It’ll make everything run way faster and cut down on that annoying stuttering. But, if you're mostly doing 2D work, you can probably just ignore everything I've said here. 😉

Look, I don't need anything groundbreaking or top-of-the-line. I just want to be able to run some games on medium settings and have my software run without everything lagging out. But honestly, I'm still trying to wrap my head around what kind of build I actually need to pull this off, you know?

Man, you guys are just starting to learn CATIA in college... I was running it back in high school around 2003 or 2004 on a Pentium 4 with 512MB of RAM and integrated graphics... took a full 10 minutes just to boot up... and trying to pull up an assembly drawing of a gearbox? Forget it. Took 25 minutes from the time I hit the clock xD

Here’s the full build including a dedicated GPU that can actually handle decent medium settings. CATIA will run just fine. The only "weakness" is the 4GB of RAM, but I cut corners there to stay within the budget. If you find it's lagging, that's the easiest part to upgrade later.

And yeah... all peripherals are included, plus you can use your existing speakers.

1 x Gigabyte 970A-DS3P, AM3+, AMD 970 SB950, 4x DDR3 2000(O.C.)/1866
1 x AMD FX-Series X6 6300 Processor 3.5GHz, 14MB, 95W, AM3+, FD6300WMHK
1 x DDR3 4GB (1x4GB) Kingston, 1600MHz,
CL11, Value
1 x Seagate BarraCuda 500GB, 7200rpm, SATA 6 Gb/s, 32MB
1 x Fortron Power Supply
400W, HEXA Plus 400, 12cm fan
1 x Spire Kepler Rev.2 Cooler, 1156/775/FM1, 96.5×51×125 mm, 92mm
1 x AMD Radeon R7 250 1G GDDR5 PCI-E HDMI / DVI-I / DP, 950MHz / 1125
1 x MSI Phoenix Midi tower case, ATX, mATX
1 x Acer V236HLBd 23" IPS
panel, Resolution: 1920x1080, Diagonal
1 x Genius Keyboard + Mouse KM200 PS2/USB, Number
of "hotkeys": 8
$1530

www.newegg.com
Free shipping and assembly on orders over $2$0.00