Ditch Your Desktop for a Laptop
Desktop replacement laptops combine portability with desktop PC power. Find out which ones are best and how to identify the right model for you.Desktop PCs have some advantages over laptops. They tend to accommodate expansion better. They don't break as often. And you usually get more computing power for the money.
But have you ever tried using your desktop PC at a Starbucks? On an airplane? In bed?
For people who like the power of desktop PCs but crave mobility, too, desktop replacement notebooks are the way to go. They're the most powerful laptops you can buy. Some include features that used to be found only in desktops, such as dual hard drives and high-end graphics chips. And a few include monster-size, 20.1-inch LCDs--bigger than many desktop monitors.
Every year, we review hundreds of laptops. For this guide, we've picked three recent favorites from our Top 10 Power Laptops chart. Each offers something different (one runs Mac and Windows; one has a huge screen; one comes in an array of colors). We've also assembled some tips to help you determine whether a desktop replacement is the right computer for you.
Desktop Replacements to Die For
What we love: You can run Windows or the Mac OS on this machine--the best of both worlds. Even better, the MacBook Pro is the fastest Windows notebook we've ever tested. And it's a Mac.
Our $2949 test unit--equipped with a 2.4-GHz Core 2 Duo T7700 chip, 4GB of RAM, a 160GB hard drive, and nVidia's new high-end GeForce 8600M GT graphics card--set performance records.
In our Windows Vista Home Premium tests, the MacBook Pro earned a WorldBench 6 Beta 2 score of 88, which is Superior. In our game tests, the MacBook Pro achieved a ridiculously speedy frame rate of 141 frames per second in Far Cry. So, did we mention it's fast?
Other nice touches are a backlit keyboard, a slot-fed DVD drive, two FireWire ports, and a beautiful 17-inch screen. At 6.6 pounds, it's the lightest 17-inch notebook around, and it's only 1 inch thick.
What we don't love: There are no memory card slots on this laptop, and it has no built-in cellular broadband option. Battery life in our tests was just so-so at 2 hours, 45 minutes. The machine comes with a slot for ExpressCard/34 instead of the more versatile ExpressCard/54. And some users complain that the MacBook Pro gets hot quickly during use.
* See the full test and specs report for the Apple MacBook Pro.
What we love: HP's Pavilion HDX has one of the biggest laptop screens ever: 20.1 inches (supporting up to 1680 by 1050 resolution). You could put this laptop in your driveway, pop in a DVD movie, and single-handedly resurrect the drive-in movie theater. This thing is huge, people.
Gamers will go nuts. Besides its supersized screen, our test unit came with the 64-bit version of Windows Vista Ultimate; Intel's best mobile processor, the 2.4-GHz Core 2 Duo T7700; 4GB of RAM; and a 256MB ATI Mobility Radeon HD 2600 XT graphics processor. In our tests, the machine earned a WorldBench 6 Beta 2 score of 86, which translates into a word score of Very Good. In our game tests, Far Cry registered a frame rate of 131.54 fps--a bit less than the MacBook Pro but not too shabby.
The keyboard includes a dedicated number pad and is as comfortable to use as a typical desktop PC keyboard. You also get HP's QuickPlay media controls for CDs and DVDs.
Audiophiles will appreciate the Pavilion HDX's four built-in Altec Lansing speakers, boosted by an HP triple-bass-reflex subwoofer. A rear audio-out port accommodates additional external speakers for surround sound. Our test unit came loaded with two 100GB hard drives and an eSATA port for connecting a fast external hard drive.
What we don't love: The HDX's 2-hour, 22-minute battery life isn't dreadful for such a mammoth desktop replacement, but it's skimpy by average notebook standards. The computer weighs 15.5 pounds--about the same as a pair of newborn twin. As for price, our test unit cost $3000 as delivered (to continue the baby metaphor), and it's not difficult to send the price past $4000 if you add all the extra goodies you might want.
* See the full test and specs report for the HP Pavilion HDX.
What we love: After years of giving us Pilgrim-friendly black and gray laptops, Dell now offers buyers of the Dell Inspiron 1720 a choice of eight colors, including Flamingo Pink, Spring Green, Alpine White, and Espresso Brown. (Perhaps future models will come in Chartreuse Surprise?)
Our $2409 test unit came nicely equipped with five USB ports; an ExpressCard/54 slot; a memory card slot; a full-size keyboard with a dedicated number pad; one-button access to DVDs, music, photo slide shows, and videos; and great stereo sound. Dual hard drives are an extra-cost option.
Turning this laptop into a high-def entertainment system is easy. Options include a Blu-ray Disc drive ($388, down from $660 earlier) and a full 1080p HD screen (for an additional $146). (By the way, the Inspiron 1720 comes with a 17-inch wide screen in all cases.) For $194 more, you can bump up the graphics processor to a 256MB NVidia GeForce 8600M GT (which delivers the level of performance required for the Blu-Ray Disc).
With a WorldBench 6 Beta 2 score of 75, the Inspiron 1720 finished in the top 10 percent of notebooks we have tested recently, and it's a good gaming machine. On Far Cry, it managed a respectable frame rate of 116.79 fps.
The Dell's battery life of 3 hours, 33 minutes was about average for a machine in this category.
What we don't love: With a starting weight of 8.7 pounds, the Inspiron 1720 is too heavy for frequent travel. And the average price of $2534 (as of mid-September) is a bit expensive.
* See the full test and specs report for the Dell Inspiron 1720.
Tips for Buying a Desktop Replacement
Make sure you can handle the heft. The most important things to consider in connection with a desktop replacement are its weight and bulk.
Desktop replacements are the heaviest notebooks on the market. On our most recent Top 10 Power Laptops chart, the minimum weight for the machines ranged from 6.5 pounds (Lenovo ThinkPad T61p) to a back-breaking 15.5 pounds (HP Pavilion HDX). The average weight for a ranked laptop was 8.83 pounds.
Meanwhile, the minimum laptop weight on our Top 10 All-Purpose Laptops chart ranged from 5.3 pounds (Lenovo 3000 N200) to 8.5 pounds (HP Pavilion dv9500t). The average for a member of the top 10: 5.89 pounds.
And the average minimum weight of portables in our Top 10 Ultraportable Laptops chart was only 3.79 pounds--5 pounds less than the average minimum weight of a top 10 desktop replacement.
Make sure you can pay the price. Besides being the most powerful laptops, desktop replacements tend to be the most expensive. Prices for the units on our Top 10 Power Laptops chart ranged from $1580 for the Gateway NX86OXL to $5158 for the Eurocom D900C Phantom-X. Average price: $2797.70.
Ultraportables can be pricey, too, because you pay a premium for their extreme portability. But even so, the average price of an ultraportable in our top 10 was $1992.10.
If value is your priority, head to our Top 10 All-Purpose Laptops chart. Average price: $1446.20. These models aren't as convenient as ultraportables or as awesome as desktop replacements, however.
Make sure you love the monitor. Since desktop replacements have large screens, the LCD on the model you choose is likely to be your only monitor. Some models--among them many HP laptops--are sold primarily with high-gloss, high-contrast screens, which are bright and make video, images, and colors pop. Some people love these screens, but others complain that the high-gloss display is too reflective (you can actually see yourself in one) and produces too much glare. For more on this topic, read "Bright and Glossy Notebook Screens, Part 1" and "Bright and Glossy Notebook Screens, Part 2." Or examine a high-gloss Sony VAIO laptop screen in bright sunlight.
Don't forget the ergonomics. Even though most desktop replacements have full-size keyboards, consider adding an external keyboard and mouse, trackball, or glidepad for ergonomic comfort. If you can, elevate your laptop so that the top of its screen is at eye level. Then position the external keyboard and input device screen so you can type with your wrists held straight and your elbows bent at a 90-degree angle. Healthy Computing offers detailed information on this subject.
Get more information before you decide. Still not sure whether a desktop replacement is for you? Read our buying guide for notebook PCs, "How to Buy a Laptop" for more tips and advice. And check out MyProductAdvisor.com, which offers an online assessment tool to help you decide which laptop is best for you based on your usage and preferences.