« Return to: Which PC Do You Need?
| Tower PCs | Small Systems | Notebooks | Basic Boxes |
 Marc Simon |
 Marc Simon |
 Marc Simon |
 Rick Rizner |
| Pros | |||
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Extremely upgradable: Towers
tend to have more open slots and bays than other types of systems. Speedy performers: Many towers use the latest processors, graphics cards, and storage, making them ideal for gaming or video editing. Flashy style: Some tower PCs resemble otherworldly technology, with lights, knobs, and other adornments. |
Space savers: Small systems can
easily tuck into a corner on your desk, or even attach underneath. Unique styles: Many petite systems have distinctive cases. Some have handles for easy toting. Strong performers: Despite their size, many little systems use speedy processors to perform briskly. |
Ready to go: Even a big
wide-screen notebook, which can weigh upward of 10 pounds, is much more
portable than a comparable tower system. Not the latest components, but still strong: Many notebooks use processors that are a few ticks in speed behind those used by desktop systems, but big notebooks often turn in good performance numbers. |
Cheap, cheap: A basic system can
cost as little as $700--not bad, when a more exotic tower or notebook can set
you back several thousand dollars. Wide selection: Basic systems are available with everything from the latest processors to somewhat older CPUs--offering plenty of choice between performance and cost. |
| Cons | |||
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Space hogs: Plan on clearing out
space for your tower--they take up lots of room, whether on the desk or under
it. Noisy: With all the fans necessary to cool the hot-running components, towers tend to run a lot louder than other types of systems. Not portable: Because they're big and heavy, towers are hard to move around. |
Little room for upgrades:
Because their components are compressed into a tight space, many petite systems
offer no opportunity for tweaking. Hot, hot, hot: Small systems have less space to cool all the components and can run much hotter than a tower with lots of breathing room. |
Bye-bye, upgrades: Compared with
opening a desktop case, opening a notebook can be a much more involved task and
yields few upgrade options. Expensive: The cost of a notebook can be considerably higher than that of a similarly configured desktop system, but such is the price of portability. |
Less expansion room: Big towers
beat smaller beige boxes on upgradability, though many basic systems offer
almost as many slots and bays. Dull design: If you'd like a flashy system, a basic machine in gray or black might not suit your style. |