Top three Windows 10 desktop-replacement laptops
“Desktop replacement” is a popular term among power-users, students, and business users especially. Finding a laptop that will serve as a replacement for production tasks and other advanced duties formerly domain of beefed-up desktop PCs is becoming easier. This is especially true, as it’s been almost three months into the official release of Windows 10, with manufacturers pushing the boundaries of specs, for users looking to upgrade their aging desktop PCs, to devices that are leaps and bounds ahead of their current devices, and also portable.
What makes a “desktop replacement”?
Processing power, screen size and expandability are three factors to consider, when shopping for a laptop capable of replacing a desktop PC. With that in mind, while battery life and portability are not essential for a laptop that will be stationary most of the time, consumers are noticing a widening in the array of options available, when shopping for high-performance laptops that also feature longer battery life, and thinner and lighter form factor.
If there is any such thing as a “budget-friendly” desktop replacement, the ZenBook Pro fits the profile, with a price tag under the two-thousand dollar range. The ZenBook Pro ships with Windows 10, and is powered by a 3.6GHz Intel Haswell i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD.
The resolution on the ZenBook Pro’s 15.6 inches touchscreen, is 3840 x 2160 pixels, and it’s brilliantly handled by a powerful nVidia GeForce GTX960M GPU with 2GB or RAM.
While, at 4.5lb, it may not be the lightest laptop in its class, this productivity powerhouse is still thinner than average, at 0.8 inches, and features a complete array of ports to connect any kind of accessory and peripheral, which include a Thunderbolt ports, a Mini DisplayPort, HDMI, and three USB 3.0 ports. The ZenBook also integrates the latest wireless hardware, featuring 802.11ac, and Bluetooth 4.0.
While no longer within the budget-friendly zone, the ThinkPad W550s, is all about performance, and the specs that come with this laptop are definitely tough to argue about.
This laptop ships with Windows 7 Pro, which can be upgraded to Windows 10 Pro for free. This is great news, as the professional edition of Microsoft Windows 10 is designed to take full advantage of the great specs that come with this system, with full encryption and enhanced security provided by Secure Boot and Bitlocker.
The W550s is powered by a 3.2GHz i7 Intel Core processor, and comes equipped with 16GB DDR3 RAM, and 4 available RAM slots. Storage options include a hefty 512GB SSD.
Much like the ZenBook, the W550s features a 15.6 inches touchscreen display. While the 2880 x 1620 pixel resolution is considerably lower than the ZenBook, graphic duties are handled by a nVidia Quadro K620M, which is is a different class than the more consumer-oriented GeForce GTX. The Quadro is built for production tasks and it’s popular among high-performance graphics professionals, like video editors, motion graphic artists, and CAD engineers.
Aside from the impressive specs, this laptop features some important features especially useful in Windows 10, such as the fingerprint reader, which can be used to log into Windows 10 through Windows Hello.
Expandability options include three USB 3.0 ports, Mini DisplayPort, and, as odd as it may sound, a VGA port as well, to connect legacy external displays that still support this connector.
The MSI WS60 Workstation Series is an impressive piece of equipment indeed. Just like the ThinkPad, this laptop ships with Windows 7 Professional, but in order to take full advantage of the amazing specs of this machine, Windows 10 Professional is the perfect operating system, and the fact that upgrading comes at no charge, is one more reason to consider this powerhouse as the fulcrum of your workspace.
Out of the box, this laptop ships with 16GB of DDR3 RAM, 1TB 7200RPM HDD and 256GB SSD. The 15.6 inches display is not a touchscreen, but the 3840 x 2160 pixel resolution, powered by the 2GB nVidia Quadro K2100M, more than makes up for it.
The SteelSeries full-color programmable backlit keyboard makes this device a treat for the eye, as well as providing an easy way to customize how the keyboard responds, in order to quickly open and more easily interact with high-end software.
Wireless connectivity options include 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and LAN. Expandability covers three USB 3.0 ports, HDMI and Mini DisplayPort.
The great thing about this laptop is the availability of ports on the back of the device, which frees up space on the side of the laptop and reduces the laptop’s footprint on the workspace.