Laptop or Desktop
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scott199
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hi Jess.
Do you know what sort of thing you will be photographing?
as some things will require more editing than others.
I can happily edit a full football match worth of pictures on my iPhone, but other things like landscape etc would be almost impossible with the mobile app.
knowing this would also help to give you an idea of laptop or desktop, do you intend to only edit at home ? or would you like to be mobile (at friends, sat on the sofa, on holiday etc)
Do you know what sort of thing you will be photographing?
as some things will require more editing than others.
I can happily edit a full football match worth of pictures on my iPhone, but other things like landscape etc would be almost impossible with the mobile app.
knowing this would also help to give you an idea of laptop or desktop, do you intend to only edit at home ? or would you like to be mobile (at friends, sat on the sofa, on holiday etc)
Andy Into The Wild
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In general you will get more bang for your buck with a desktop, but obviously laptops are portable so you need to decide how important that is to you. Personally I find a laptop very convenient (but I do have a more powerful desktop as well for heavier tasks).
Specs come down to budget but look for multi core machines (4+), lots of ram (8gb+) and a fast boot hard drive (an M.2 SSD preferably).
Specs come down to budget but look for multi core machines (4+), lots of ram (8gb+) and a fast boot hard drive (an M.2 SSD preferably).
Hi scott
i'm hoping to do family shoots animals and babies
i've always used a laptop but have a desktop pc in the office but it only sits collecting dust as its more convenient to use the laptop sat in front of the tv lol
Thanks Simon yes i've been looking at an apple but just trying to get some advice on whether it would be worth getting at my beginners stage.
Hi Andy thanks for the advice what laptop do you have?
ianp5a
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I've just moved to a laptop with similar spec and performance as my desktop, but I have noticed some slight limitations.
The laptop screen is small. But as I plug in an external monitor it's no problem.
I miss not having the space to add extra disks. I'll need to replace the single SSD for a big one at some stage. Where the old/small one could be used in an external USB caddy. Otherwise it's wasted. But I don't really need one of those dangling about. Some laptops have space for two SSDs inside, which would make it more convenient for accessing both.
Heat. My desktop PC has a small case, but still has plenty of room for heat dissipation. And runs silently. The laptop fan is quiet, but it's needed from time to time during heavy processing. Meaning heat is more of an issue than with the desktop.
It's a Lenovo Yoga 530 i5 +8Gb RAM +256Gb SSD.
The laptop screen is small. But as I plug in an external monitor it's no problem.
I miss not having the space to add extra disks. I'll need to replace the single SSD for a big one at some stage. Where the old/small one could be used in an external USB caddy. Otherwise it's wasted. But I don't really need one of those dangling about. Some laptops have space for two SSDs inside, which would make it more convenient for accessing both.
Heat. My desktop PC has a small case, but still has plenty of room for heat dissipation. And runs silently. The laptop fan is quiet, but it's needed from time to time during heavy processing. Meaning heat is more of an issue than with the desktop.
It's a Lenovo Yoga 530 i5 +8Gb RAM +256Gb SSD.
D
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I use a Dell desktop with an i5 processor+ 16Gb RAM and 1 Terabyte of memory ( plus a 2 terabyte external hard drive for storage) twinned with a 36 inch monitor - ideal for image editing + Photoshop CC - job done
Les
Les
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Dave Canon
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It is something that you may need to try. Irrespective of the performance issues, I could not spend any time photo editing using a Laptop. In any case I would need a reasonable monitor which seems to defeat the main advantage of a Laptop. So if I am to sit at a computer desk, I may as well have a good spec Desktop. Of course other factors could be relevant to you, space is not an issue for me. On the occasions I need portability (i.e. demos at my Camera Club), I use a Camera Club Laptop. For general portability (i.e. controlling my DSLR), I use an iPad for those occasions. So I have no use for a Laptop myself. I do understand that many folks are comfortable with a Laptop.
Dave
Dave
Hi Ian
thanks for the advice im just in the researching stage atm as want to get the right one for my needs
Jess
I use a Dell desktop with an i5 processor+ 16Gb RAM and 1 Terabyte of memory ( plus a 2 terabyte external hard drive for storage) twinned with a 36 inch monitor - ideal for image editing + Photoshop CC - job done
Les
Thanks Les
its difficult to know where to start with it all i've used photoshop for years but never for photo editing so its knowing where to start with it and if its the right program for the job
Jess
Thanks Dave for your thoughts on it. i have the space for a desktop but i have a baby so im just thinking a laptop might be better then i can take it with me rather than being stuck in a room but then again ahh i don't know so much to consider as i could have a space for it all once ive kitted my studio out i will have to do a pros and cons list.
Jess
I use a desktop and if I want to sit in front of the television, I use RDP to connect to it so get the best of both worlds. My desktop has dual xeons, dual gpu's and 24gb of ram and several SSD's. It helps having a very capable machine, especially when editing large (D810) files, smaller files, like the D3s (12mp) are fine on a decent laptop.
ianp5a
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Yes. A few years back people on here were saying that Photoshop is the only program to consider. And would sneer at other programs. Fortunately things have changed a lot here in the mean time. And great alternatives are more accepted now. Try them out and pick one that suits you. Photoshop isn't the right program for me at all.
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that all sounds good most of it i dont understand tho im no tech wizz lol hence asking for help lol
yeah i was going to try lightroom and skylum but i do love photoshop as i know how to use most of it lol
AMcUK
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FWIW I have a desktop and a laptop mostly for my non photography business but use both for my hobby.
I can't get to grips with editing on the laptop - it's a 14" screen 1080p and the desktop is 23" 1080p.
The laptop feels squashed and I struggle to concentrate for any length of time, I also get cramp from using the touchpad so add an external mouse.
If I had to choose one - it would be desktop all day long, more storage, easier to upgrade, plug stuff in etc.
That said there are lots of tasks you can do on a laptop and tbh if I only had it I'm sure I could do 99% of my editing on it without too much compromise - it's only very careful brushes and cloning that I find the screen/mouse too imprecise. I take it with me on holiday for backing up SD cards and I can do simple cropping/resizing posting to social media etc.
If you go down the laptop route then you're going to have to make a call on the size - some of the 15"-17" ones are barely portable but you get a great big screen and usually space for lots of storage, ports etc. I personally prefer a smaller laptop for travel so I accept the limits that causes.
One thing you absolutely need to cover is the quality of the screen - cheap laptops tend to have poor colour reproduction, viewing angles and lower resolutions.
I had to go quite a long way up the Dell range to get a 1080p screen with decent colour reproduction. This was a few years back, their outlet sometimes throws up a bargain but you need to be careful as some of it is not cheap at all and the good stuff goes super fast.
I can't get to grips with editing on the laptop - it's a 14" screen 1080p and the desktop is 23" 1080p.
The laptop feels squashed and I struggle to concentrate for any length of time, I also get cramp from using the touchpad so add an external mouse.
If I had to choose one - it would be desktop all day long, more storage, easier to upgrade, plug stuff in etc.
That said there are lots of tasks you can do on a laptop and tbh if I only had it I'm sure I could do 99% of my editing on it without too much compromise - it's only very careful brushes and cloning that I find the screen/mouse too imprecise. I take it with me on holiday for backing up SD cards and I can do simple cropping/resizing posting to social media etc.
If you go down the laptop route then you're going to have to make a call on the size - some of the 15"-17" ones are barely portable but you get a great big screen and usually space for lots of storage, ports etc. I personally prefer a smaller laptop for travel so I accept the limits that causes.
One thing you absolutely need to cover is the quality of the screen - cheap laptops tend to have poor colour reproduction, viewing angles and lower resolutions.
I had to go quite a long way up the Dell range to get a 1080p screen with decent colour reproduction. This was a few years back, their outlet sometimes throws up a bargain but you need to be careful as some of it is not cheap at all and the good stuff goes super fast.
Caerus
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Watch youtube videos, how to build a PC.
Then buy all the bits from Scan PC, run the parts list past one of their customer service guys to make sure it is all compatible.
Get the builders insurance with them in case you break something ( I never have and im rough and wear no anti static and have built dozens of them )
Then buy all the bits from Scan PC, run the parts list past one of their customer service guys to make sure it is all compatible.
Get the builders insurance with them in case you break something ( I never have and im rough and wear no anti static and have built dozens of them )
I`d go for a desktop every time for editing photos . Get one with the highest and latest spec you can afford , If you going to be dedicated , and want to do it properly , a permanently placed monitor that's calibrated for the light that surrounds it is always going to give you a more consistent and reliable view of how your photos should look when your editing them . If your clued up on photoshop , why bother using anything else ? Most pros seem to use and sware by it .
haha i wish i wouldnt have a clue where to start even with a video lol
thanks i'm so confused what to do i think i want a desktop pc but an all in one advice please?????
Andy Into The Wild
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I can't remember the details but its an HP of some kind. The specs are what's important though.
scott199
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Why don’t you have a laptop and then a screen to connect to ?
Best of both worlds ?
As for programs, plenty of choice but PS is generally the standard others chase, others do most things PS does, if your used to it and can happily use all its power then that’s what you want, if funds are an issue then you may have to look at something else.
Nearly all laptops will run it, well most it’s just the time it takes.
As said before £ v £ a windows machine will be quicker but Apple will generally run without issues. (Not always but generally this is true)
Spec wise i5/i7 processor, ideally minimum 16g RAM and then a large hard drive, SSD would be best (solid state drive) but again this increase’s cost. I would personally go for an ssd but only you know what you can afford.windows based machines can be upgraded later, new drives, sometimes more RAM and it’s pretty much plug and play so no real techy knowledge needed.
Apple is pretty much what you buy as most if not all are fixed and can’t be changed.
If you have to make a choice i7 and 16gRam or i5 with 32g ram, is go i5.
Most editing programs need the ram size.
I personally hate sitting in front of a desktop and would rather wait an extra 30 seconds with a slightly slower laptop, but I spend my days at a desk, so maybe that’s the reason.
Do you have a budget ?
Best of both worlds ?
As for programs, plenty of choice but PS is generally the standard others chase, others do most things PS does, if your used to it and can happily use all its power then that’s what you want, if funds are an issue then you may have to look at something else.
Nearly all laptops will run it, well most it’s just the time it takes.
As said before £ v £ a windows machine will be quicker but Apple will generally run without issues. (Not always but generally this is true)
Spec wise i5/i7 processor, ideally minimum 16g RAM and then a large hard drive, SSD would be best (solid state drive) but again this increase’s cost. I would personally go for an ssd but only you know what you can afford.windows based machines can be upgraded later, new drives, sometimes more RAM and it’s pretty much plug and play so no real techy knowledge needed.
Apple is pretty much what you buy as most if not all are fixed and can’t be changed.
If you have to make a choice i7 and 16gRam or i5 with 32g ram, is go i5.
Most editing programs need the ram size.
I personally hate sitting in front of a desktop and would rather wait an extra 30 seconds with a slightly slower laptop, but I spend my days at a desk, so maybe that’s the reason.
Do you have a budget ?
scott199
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So really Apple or windows ?
Do you have anything or are you used to one or the other ?
£1000 isn’t really in the new Apple range, you could get a decent second hand one for that, but pretty much anything new from Apple for 1k won’t be that great for your purposes.
really ive looked at a few tonight new for around £1000 i use a laptop atm
pooley
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If you want just something for now, get a laptop for convenience.
However - if you're thinking of getting serious about accurate colours at some point and wanting a high quality, faithful colour reproductions, then at some point you'll need to upgrade to a desktop monitor - even if you run it from your original laptop.
Apple wise, the only current new MacBook available for 1000 would be the MacBook air, which may be good enough for now, but will soon run out of power once you start doing multi layered images in photoshop. If you want an apple, then you really need to be looking at a MacBook pro for long term work, and buying one with at least 16gb RAM as you can't add more later.
You need to decide whether you are looking at a short or long term investment and price accordingly, not just go for the MacBook because it has a half eaten apple on the cover.
Personally, I prefer macs, but you have to admit you can get more machine for your money with Windows
Whatever you get, look for minimum i5 processor, 16GB RAM and a SSD drive
Mike
However - if you're thinking of getting serious about accurate colours at some point and wanting a high quality, faithful colour reproductions, then at some point you'll need to upgrade to a desktop monitor - even if you run it from your original laptop.
Apple wise, the only current new MacBook available for 1000 would be the MacBook air, which may be good enough for now, but will soon run out of power once you start doing multi layered images in photoshop. If you want an apple, then you really need to be looking at a MacBook pro for long term work, and buying one with at least 16gb RAM as you can't add more later.
You need to decide whether you are looking at a short or long term investment and price accordingly, not just go for the MacBook because it has a half eaten apple on the cover.
Personally, I prefer macs, but you have to admit you can get more machine for your money with Windows
Whatever you get, look for minimum i5 processor, 16GB RAM and a SSD drive
Mike
ancient_mariner
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Hi Jess. Image editing is made easier and quicker with a large, clear screen that can be calibrated, a fast processor with at least 4 cores, 16GB RAM and the OS + files you're working with on a SSD. A laptop is never going to give you a decent size screen - even 17" isn't adequate for routine editing, although it can be done - and will have relative performance issues compared to a desktop. I use a Dell XPS through an external monitor, but it can struggle a little compared to a desktop system of a similar cost.
A Mac will not offer any performance advantage (ordinary PC internals now) over a PC of similar spec, and I wouldn't recommend one unless you are already an Apple user who needs that system. You should also be aware than many current Apple products cannot be upgraded, so need to be bought overspecified now to ensure a degree of future-proofing. FWIW I own a Macbook too and I'm not anti-Mac, but I would no longer consider one because of the complete lack of upgrade possibility in the laptops and the faulty design of the current keyboard.
In your situation I'd look for a desktop PC with at least a quad core i5, 16GB RAM and NVME SSD for the OS plus second drive for image storage. I would also look for a reasonable quality IPS screen, 24" and 1920 X 1200 (i.e. taller than 1080) if you can find one. A separate graphics card may also be beneficial depending on the editing software you choose to run. AFAIK Lightroom & Photoshop still don't effectively use graphics acceleration but some other editing packages require one to run efficiently.
Desktop suggestions:
https://outlet.euro.dell.com/Online/SecondaryInventorySearch.aspx?c=uk&cs=ukdfh1&l=en&s=dfh&sign=PXhcOSHtr1T4IOw/PR7UdT+5t3QiPYY6bbWYfPCjQoxQmP6pAnsuWqMYUL01UahXD+qCA/9mx98Yy9XX04HuEgXuaBs1MX7E3tFjZceDps4XP0vIAHWCq87OKsPgv0J1HVOrSxYybuiJM9pj1YoRJeRGLIWoaVHtZsiZYDSaPVixdwZCSgNj1ohObTrJDIysw0As1QNtPQqXZoudAkdpKrKcqb2tUQtq4eEyS73epVGOEtyA0CtPsrgyh7EAwkRwdgJAgDvkYlVd14qyVemPxA==
https://outlet.euro.dell.com/Online/SecondaryInventorySearch.aspx?c=uk&cs=ukdfb1&l=en&s=dfb&sign=PXhcOSHtr1T4IOw/PR7UdRyVu2/Daeyd0OPmwv1IircFBWz7rsP8zv3xT8p94IQ4Z30nCJu1o6KaXDkNT1oK7tkGAvXbeT4R+RzypNJb1iCw5laoDgIGSwfywhpvp+0DVmKV51j6akm+cnnlS/I4fN1urK4H8/xpiFC6EHXTFJedIkO5ROkUAVPWAwlqbnW1M+Fi7DmRnvK3tzD8Rw3qr3opBCW8NgQj0DUXLgavL+DtmkIxG6ZX9Q3nJmS9PZWw7TkSyQJt99A=
Laptop suggestions:
https://outlet.euro.dell.com/Online/SecondaryInventorySearch.aspx?c=uk&cs=ukdfh1&l=en&s=dfh&sign=PXhcOSHtr1T4IOw/PR7UdelIvQy1h4QvVkyb/KKZBdxjKMoEWlMr0MzpcfrP1B5mXO0l86YiuBNDZeKhIUyHQw2CzbQ/BiQVbKQaqAVafCdQwDq7fDsVbrpkUXaA4/ikUlqqfJFU6hyWJ/NeU9CA3Uhm1zuJlDhj5NTSdJ1HtfN04wjWWa3fr3Rrh3vHzCqX9vIrmuyW+IRlsUXuY4fBS94lxB3kj4e4HUnfR0tJ0Pz/uhAk+R+7Z8C8CXaxzTrt
https://outlet.euro.dell.com/Online/SecondaryInventorySearch.aspx?c=uk&cs=ukdfh1&l=en&s=dfh&sign=PXhcOSHtr1T4IOw/PR7UdelIvQy1h4QvVkyb/KKZBdzesoGzKKUKO6227oB9XNyy7gJKx3PUAHOrDfwgmM6Dad7bwna4vWmo8n72gSTy/o+GT0Nc5IEGsoOfIS1g4mtOhPGpXY+bT2CEy1JF2S7VYdX5yttsLfFCAO9qWMRPttG5hXsit2zD/9Z98g+V4lkkIVw0cySnAgzsTzvmor+WQ1xOIAedC03wDLJ5Yx2exiGU9wHn9s3RLOTd9+MyqngqtWkt6f5MKr9KBCnIoqJZGHvKEfcZYsaRyt8GsvvBwXU=
Screens:
https://www.dell.com/en-uk/shop/dell-24-monitor-u2412m/apd/210-agyr/monitors-monitor-accessories - I use one of these.
https://www.dell.com/en-uk/shop/del...415/apd/210-aevc/monitors-monitor-accessories
A Mac will not offer any performance advantage (ordinary PC internals now) over a PC of similar spec, and I wouldn't recommend one unless you are already an Apple user who needs that system. You should also be aware than many current Apple products cannot be upgraded, so need to be bought overspecified now to ensure a degree of future-proofing. FWIW I own a Macbook too and I'm not anti-Mac, but I would no longer consider one because of the complete lack of upgrade possibility in the laptops and the faulty design of the current keyboard.
In your situation I'd look for a desktop PC with at least a quad core i5, 16GB RAM and NVME SSD for the OS plus second drive for image storage. I would also look for a reasonable quality IPS screen, 24" and 1920 X 1200 (i.e. taller than 1080) if you can find one. A separate graphics card may also be beneficial depending on the editing software you choose to run. AFAIK Lightroom & Photoshop still don't effectively use graphics acceleration but some other editing packages require one to run efficiently.
Desktop suggestions:
https://outlet.euro.dell.com/Online/SecondaryInventorySearch.aspx?c=uk&cs=ukdfh1&l=en&s=dfh&sign=PXhcOSHtr1T4IOw/PR7UdT+5t3QiPYY6bbWYfPCjQoxQmP6pAnsuWqMYUL01UahXD+qCA/9mx98Yy9XX04HuEgXuaBs1MX7E3tFjZceDps4XP0vIAHWCq87OKsPgv0J1HVOrSxYybuiJM9pj1YoRJeRGLIWoaVHtZsiZYDSaPVixdwZCSgNj1ohObTrJDIysw0As1QNtPQqXZoudAkdpKrKcqb2tUQtq4eEyS73epVGOEtyA0CtPsrgyh7EAwkRwdgJAgDvkYlVd14qyVemPxA==
https://outlet.euro.dell.com/Online/SecondaryInventorySearch.aspx?c=uk&cs=ukdfb1&l=en&s=dfb&sign=PXhcOSHtr1T4IOw/PR7UdRyVu2/Daeyd0OPmwv1IircFBWz7rsP8zv3xT8p94IQ4Z30nCJu1o6KaXDkNT1oK7tkGAvXbeT4R+RzypNJb1iCw5laoDgIGSwfywhpvp+0DVmKV51j6akm+cnnlS/I4fN1urK4H8/xpiFC6EHXTFJedIkO5ROkUAVPWAwlqbnW1M+Fi7DmRnvK3tzD8Rw3qr3opBCW8NgQj0DUXLgavL+DtmkIxG6ZX9Q3nJmS9PZWw7TkSyQJt99A=
Laptop suggestions:
https://outlet.euro.dell.com/Online/SecondaryInventorySearch.aspx?c=uk&cs=ukdfh1&l=en&s=dfh&sign=PXhcOSHtr1T4IOw/PR7UdelIvQy1h4QvVkyb/KKZBdxjKMoEWlMr0MzpcfrP1B5mXO0l86YiuBNDZeKhIUyHQw2CzbQ/BiQVbKQaqAVafCdQwDq7fDsVbrpkUXaA4/ikUlqqfJFU6hyWJ/NeU9CA3Uhm1zuJlDhj5NTSdJ1HtfN04wjWWa3fr3Rrh3vHzCqX9vIrmuyW+IRlsUXuY4fBS94lxB3kj4e4HUnfR0tJ0Pz/uhAk+R+7Z8C8CXaxzTrt
https://outlet.euro.dell.com/Online/SecondaryInventorySearch.aspx?c=uk&cs=ukdfh1&l=en&s=dfh&sign=PXhcOSHtr1T4IOw/PR7UdelIvQy1h4QvVkyb/KKZBdzesoGzKKUKO6227oB9XNyy7gJKx3PUAHOrDfwgmM6Dad7bwna4vWmo8n72gSTy/o+GT0Nc5IEGsoOfIS1g4mtOhPGpXY+bT2CEy1JF2S7VYdX5yttsLfFCAO9qWMRPttG5hXsit2zD/9Z98g+V4lkkIVw0cySnAgzsTzvmor+WQ1xOIAedC03wDLJ5Yx2exiGU9wHn9s3RLOTd9+MyqngqtWkt6f5MKr9KBCnIoqJZGHvKEfcZYsaRyt8GsvvBwXU=
Screens:
https://www.dell.com/en-uk/shop/dell-24-monitor-u2412m/apd/210-agyr/monitors-monitor-accessories - I use one of these.
https://www.dell.com/en-uk/shop/del...415/apd/210-aevc/monitors-monitor-accessories
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Major Eazy
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Sounds like you already answered your own question.
Anyway...
Laptop technology may be catching up, becoming more powerful, more storage, touch screen, etc. As well as the fact that they can be carried around, you could use it in living room, bedroom, outdoors. But they're not meant to be a replacement for desktop as they're not suitable for long term workflow. They're more suited to some minutes worth of work in a laid back position. Usually a simple letter, just write one page of a report whenever you got time to spare, a quick Photoshop just for fun, and mostly gaming or watching YouTube or movies.
A desktop however is more suited to a serious and long term workflow, a heavy and busy workflow. With correct desk and chairs, with the chair adjusted correctly, you have a proper sitting position for hours and hours of serious work. They're more suited for serious writing, trying to type 20 pages of a novel every day, typing a full report in one day, serious heavy duty video editing in order to make a one hour clip. Photo editing or Photoshop is not just a one off work with one or two images, but hours and hours of work. I'm not talking about editing a couple of shoots, I'm talking about reviewing, selecting, editing, and working with a dozen of images from a photo-shoot. (Like a one-hour photo-shoot with a booked model that may have like 200-400 images, or a two-hours Formula One race that may have 1000+ images, where you may have to review and select down to like a dozen images, then edit them.)
The choice between desktop and laptop really should depend on how much work do you really do in one sitting, not which is better machine. It should be about you, not about the technology.
If you mention that you always used a laptop as it is more convenient to use it in front of the television, as well as carry it around so you can be where your baby is, so you can be nearby for the baby's needs, and since you do use your desktop but as you mention "collecting dust" which imply you hardly used it much, then it sounds like you're more of a laptop person.
The majority of the work I do involves typing, I do some Lightroom work, mostly Photoshop work, mainly graphic design work (ie: with InDesign) and likely to do this almost all day, almost every day, so a suitable desk, chair, computer set-up, is all suited to my needs. I would use a tablet (like iPad) mainly for relaxing in a laid back way, checking email, watching YouTube, surfing the Internet, when I'm not actually doing any serious work. So I'm really a desktop person.
And as I pointed out, the majority of the work I do involves typing, and considering that I trained in touch typing, I prefer to use a mechanical keyboard (ones that is more suited for gaming) as my main keyboard rather than the soft scissor keys on most standard keyboards sold with computers nowadays. Hence the need for a desktop for me, but that's just me.
thank you im definitely looking for a long term investment glad i know what to look for now
thanks for all the advice on this i think ive made my mind up now haha just a case of finding one thanks for all the links
Thanks its really helped i still feel i might get a desktop as most people have pointed out you can get a bigger screen
DowntonMini
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Tower all day long space for extra harddrives, improving graphics card etc
For what it's worth I have a gaming PC I brought 2 nd hand for £600 which I use to my main editing using light room/Photoshop CC but I also have a Macbook Pro that I take on holiday etc to down load photos while I do use it to edit a few images I prefer the desktop due to only having 13" screen on the mac oh and the hard drive size on the mac is only 250 gb so I end up deleting stuff regularly and have to have external hard drives plugged in which is a pain to be honest
I wouldn`t go for an all in one personally , if you buy a tower and separate monitor your always in a position to save money later on one or the other when you have to upgrade again . I was quite happy with my monitor at the moment , ( I only upgraded recently ) , and so it allowed me to plough a bit more money into a higher spec tower . Get the highest spec on both that you can afford , buy cheap buy twice they say , I have been very happy with H.P P.C towers , and used them for along time now . Have fun .
ancient_mariner
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It's very hard to find any redeeming features in an all-in-one. Same reduced internal space and performance as a laptop, but without the portability. Non-Apple AIOs can usually be upgraded ok, but I couldn't recommend one.
scott199
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same as the above, if a desktop is your choice, go tower, only benefit to all in ones is space-saving, but you lose a lot for that privilege.
Also being able to upgrade later is a big plus, you may not know much about tech, but upgrading the ram is basically turn off, open side, little push clip type thing, remove ram, replace, close clip, replace side, thats it, really nothing more to it.
Also being able to upgrade later is a big plus, you may not know much about tech, but upgrading the ram is basically turn off, open side, little push clip type thing, remove ram, replace, close clip, replace side, thats it, really nothing more to it.