Although its form has evolved over time to be less bulky on a desk and even to become an aesthetic decoration, the use of a desktop PC is becoming less common in households. And with good reason: with laptop formats becoming ever smaller and more portable, and with phones replacing a large part of our computing habits, it's difficult to contemplate purchasing a desktop computer that will remain stationary on the desk. Nevertheless, many activities still require a desktop computer to be fully carried out. Let's explore why desktop computers are still far from leaving our homes.
At the same time, laptops have undergone their own revolution, with formats becoming increasingly smaller and lighter. Apple led the way with its MacBook Air range, as thin as an envelope, and now every computer brand offers high-end laptops with excellent performance and battery life. The best example to date would be Asus's Zenbook range, which integrates numerous innovations despite their very compact size: Screenpad, Numpad, Screenpad+... Even high-performance computers can now fit into a portable format weighing no more than 2-3 Kg.
All these new devices, all these innovations have taken the place that was previously held by the computer and its versatility, giving it this obsolete image. Browsing news sites is much simpler on a tablet or smartphone, watching a movie or series on a video-on-demand platform is quickly done from your smart TV or smartphone.
However, what many see as the obsolescence of desktop computers is actually a change in the paradigm of its use: moving from a versatile aspect to that of a specialized tool for carrying out certain tasks, it has become popular with some segments of the population and has abandoned the mainstream aspect that characterized it before.
Obsolete Versatility and Specialization of Desktop PCs
This is indeed the aspect that has changed the most about the desktop computer today. After losing its versatility to the multitude of new electronic devices, it has retreated to what made it strong, running resource-intensive software.
Although laptops are capable of many things today, especially when they are high-end, they are reasonably much less powerful than desktop PCs. The latter still hold the top spot in terms of power and intend to keep it!
Thus, it is not uncommon to see desktop PCs among professionals, such as those in image or sound, because these are the only ones capable of running resource-intensive video or audio editing software smoothly. The same goes for 3D animation software, graphics, development, etc...
Moreover, beyond the simple aspect of power, the modularity of the desktop PC and its ergonomics make it once again the winner compared to laptops: using multiple screens, connecting different devices, and creating a perfect ecosystem to be productive, so many things that laptops cannot easily do! The desktop PC is therefore perfect for users with specific and demanding needs.
Although laptops are capable of many things today, especially when they are high-end, they are reasonably much less powerful than desktop PCs. The latter still hold the top spot in terms of power and intend to keep it!
Thus, it is not uncommon to see desktop PCs among professionals, such as those in image or sound, because these are the only ones capable of running resource-intensive video or audio editing software smoothly. The same goes for 3D animation software, graphics, development, etc...
Moreover, beyond the simple aspect of power, the modularity of the desktop PC and its ergonomics make it once again the winner compared to laptops: using multiple screens, connecting different devices, and creating a perfect ecosystem to be productive, so many things that laptops cannot easily do! The desktop PC is therefore perfect for users with specific and demanding needs.
The Ultimate Gaming Machine
We talked about things that laptops are not capable of doing. Not that gaming on a laptop is impossible; they are indeed capable of providing good performance and running the latest games... If you have the latest model on the market!
However, anyone looking for a good gaming experience knows that they should turn to the desktop PC. At an equivalent price level, the latter will always display better performance and better graphics, regardless of the manufacturer's brand! It thus offers the best value for money on the market while avoiding the pitfalls of other machines such as overheating. And above all, it remains just as transportable as a game console or a laptop plugged into its socket.
Let's talk about gaming consoles. Indeed, a player will now automatically turn to these: they are inexpensive compared to a computer while offering sumptuous graphics for their prices and magnificent exclusives from their publishers. But they simply don't offer the same thing as a gaming desktop PC. The TV screens typically used by consoles are not as good as PC screens, which are better able to offer an immersive gaming experience and, above all, their content is not the same: let's not forget that the PC hosts platforms such as Steam or the Epic Games Store, where the library of high-quality games counts in the thousands, with its own exclusives. The recent trend of offering console exclusives on PC shortly after their release confirms the weight of the PC gaming in the industry.
Finally, building your own desktop PC has become a sport among enthusiasts: beyond the economic aspect of buying components individually rather than going through an intermediary, assembling your PC is a very playful hobby among players who then proudly display their creation on social networks. The feeling of having a unique PC made with your own hands is simply indescribable.
However, anyone looking for a good gaming experience knows that they should turn to the desktop PC. At an equivalent price level, the latter will always display better performance and better graphics, regardless of the manufacturer's brand! It thus offers the best value for money on the market while avoiding the pitfalls of other machines such as overheating. And above all, it remains just as transportable as a game console or a laptop plugged into its socket.
Let's talk about gaming consoles. Indeed, a player will now automatically turn to these: they are inexpensive compared to a computer while offering sumptuous graphics for their prices and magnificent exclusives from their publishers. But they simply don't offer the same thing as a gaming desktop PC. The TV screens typically used by consoles are not as good as PC screens, which are better able to offer an immersive gaming experience and, above all, their content is not the same: let's not forget that the PC hosts platforms such as Steam or the Epic Games Store, where the library of high-quality games counts in the thousands, with its own exclusives. The recent trend of offering console exclusives on PC shortly after their release confirms the weight of the PC gaming in the industry.
Finally, building your own desktop PC has become a sport among enthusiasts: beyond the economic aspect of buying components individually rather than going through an intermediary, assembling your PC is a very playful hobby among players who then proudly display their creation on social networks. The feeling of having a unique PC made with your own hands is simply indescribable.
A Long-Term Economic and Ecological Investment
This is an aspect that is not mentioned much but which nevertheless is of paramount importance for the future of the next generations. Laptops, smartphones, all our electronic devices are made not to last. Planned obsolescence has become common today, sometimes under the guise of "update" or "obsolete technology". Smartphones become slow, laptops crash... An ecological and economic catastrophe when you know how constantly buying new devices exploits resources and our savings!
At Accessoires-Asus.com, you know how much we are committed to repairing your devices, whether it's a laptop, desktop, or smartphone. This remains economic, more so than buying a whole new device, while being ecological because the latter is not discarded as soon as it stops working. What many companies and manufacturers would like... Asus allows you to keep your machine to the maximum with you without having to replace it with a new one.
However, with a desktop computer, whether gaming or not, repairing and upgrading components is done in a fraction of a second: these are easily accessible in the case and just as easily exchangeable. The storage of your smartphone or laptop may be limited, but adding a hard drive to your desktop computer is something that doesn't cost much money or time. There is no need to buy a new computer when it becomes obsolete: it shows signs of slowdown? Clean it up and invest in simple RAM memory sticks, or go so far as to change the processor. Is the Wi-Fi down? Add a Wi-Fi card and find a stronger signal than ever. There are many solutions compared to the rest of our machines. And at least, the desktop PC has no battery that could one day let you down!
Using a desktop computer means opting for durable hardware that will stay with you for many years and that can be updated and easily repaired to stay in the race. An economic option and also ecological by avoiding wasting resources.
At Accessoires-Asus.com, you know how much we are committed to repairing your devices, whether it's a laptop, desktop, or smartphone. This remains economic, more so than buying a whole new device, while being ecological because the latter is not discarded as soon as it stops working. What many companies and manufacturers would like... Asus allows you to keep your machine to the maximum with you without having to replace it with a new one.
However, with a desktop computer, whether gaming or not, repairing and upgrading components is done in a fraction of a second: these are easily accessible in the case and just as easily exchangeable. The storage of your smartphone or laptop may be limited, but adding a hard drive to your desktop computer is something that doesn't cost much money or time. There is no need to buy a new computer when it becomes obsolete: it shows signs of slowdown? Clean it up and invest in simple RAM memory sticks, or go so far as to change the processor. Is the Wi-Fi down? Add a Wi-Fi card and find a stronger signal than ever. There are many solutions compared to the rest of our machines. And at least, the desktop PC has no battery that could one day let you down!
Using a desktop computer means opting for durable hardware that will stay with you for many years and that can be updated and easily repaired to stay in the race. An economic option and also ecological by avoiding wasting resources.
In Summary
Desktop computers are not yet obsolete. They have lost their luster with the multitude of devices that now do what they were made for, but desktop PCs remain relevant in a context where the durability of our devices, both in terms of economy and ecology, is paramount. Moreover, they remain the best for those who seek performance both for gaming and for graphics and animation. They are therefore wonderfully suited to those with specific needs who cannot settle for a standard PC.
And we haven't even talked about ergonomics. With the health crisis we recently experienced, the need for telecommuting has become predominant in companies, and setting up a desktop PC, beyond a simple laptop for workers, has become crucial. The advantages of such equipment are numerous, and the well-being of employees is an important point for many companies today. Having a screen at a less restrictive height for the neck and a better-positioned keyboard are simple elements that nevertheless change work productivity!
Desktop computers still have a bright future ahead of them. However, it is more than likely, with advances in technology and the increasing ecological aspect in our society, that we will gradually turn to desktop computers no thicker than a book, connected to a screen, and also to the cloud towards more powerful machines that will do remote work. Will we still be able to talk about desktop computers then?