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Frequent travel with a desktop

Last response: in Mobile Computing
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Which option should I go with?

Total: 1 vote

  • Transporting 3,500$ desktop every two months:
  • 0 %
  • Two 1,500$ desktops that share a HDD:
  • 100 %
  • 3,000$ gaming laptop:
  • 0 %
May 29, 2013 9:15:26 AM

Hi,


So I just landed a new position in my company on the east coast, and it involves travelling between the west and east coast about once ecry two months and subsequently staying there until flying back. Basicaly, I will be livng on one coast for two months and then moving back to the other for two months, and the cycle continues.


I have a 3,500$ gaming rig, SLI cards, i7 extreme processor, the works. Howver, with all this travel, would it be practical to bring a full ATX desktop back and forth like that? I asked a friend if he would take it for 3,000 and he said sure, but before I sell it, I want to know if it is possible to travel with my computer practically.

If I shouldn't travel with it, I'll sell it and eiether get a gaming laptop or split the money and get two 1,500$ desktops, and have them share a HDD or SSD. Which should I get? Should I keep the old one and fly it back and forth all the time? Would owning two desktops be worse than owning a twice as expensive laptop?

More importantly, can anyone awnser these questions?

More about : frequent travel desktop

May 30, 2013 6:52:14 PM

Definitely splitting between the two.

Firstly gaming laptops are VERY expensive. You pay a premium and don't necessarily get

something really good. If you do, it's still crazy expensive and with the pace things move at, it

wouldn't last as long as a desktop. Even if it does, laptops are hardly very upgradeable either.


As for the 3k desktop. Well you don't need 3k to actually get very good gaming performance.

Thus it makes sense to split it to 1500 where you can get some nice performance or even superb

performance. Splitting will also save you the hassle of traveling with all your gear, as well as make

any accidents lessened; since it's worse to have a 3K system damaged than a 1500$ one.

So provided both systems will be kept in a safe place when you're away, go for a split.

I think they could each have a 500GB HDD perhaps and then you can just carry a 1TB one

between them. Then you just hook it up via USB etc. etc.


Here's an example system that would run todays AAA games pretty damn well:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-2500 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($210.73 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V LK ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($124.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($56.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($124.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7870 XT 2GB Video Card ($248.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 922 ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($54.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Monitor: Acer H236HLbid 60Hz 23.0" Monitor ($169.99 @ Amazon)
Keyboard: Cooler Master Storm QuickFire Rapid Wired Gaming Keyboard ($67.00 @ Mechanical Keyboards)
Mouse: Logitech G9x Wired Laser Mouse ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1383.58
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-05-30 21:51 EDT-0400)


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