Should you buy an RTX 4060 laptop over a desktop? Pros, cons, performance differences, and more explored

The NVIDIA RTX 4060 laptop GPU is out and offers stunning performance and revolutionary capabilities. Usually, laptop graphics cards are less capable compared to their desktop counterparts with the same names. However, the performance gap is narrowing down as NVIDIA is fervently pursuing both the efficiency and significance of the GPUs.

This article explores the pros, cons, and performance differences between the RTX 4060 laptop GPU and its desktop counterpart to figure out which is better.

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RTX 4060 laptop vs desktop GPU: Advantages and disadvantages explored

NVIDIA's latest RTX 40 series laptops GPU (Image via NVIDIA)

Pros

The latest offering by NVIDIA strikes a harmonious balance between performance and affordability, making it an attractive choice for gamers seeking a 1080p gaming experience.

It is a part of Ada Lovelace's architecture. For those who don’t know, it is the successor to the Ampere architecture, specially designed for RTX 40 series graphics cards, focused on delivering outstanding performance across various domains with excellent energy efficiency.

The RTX 40 Series features specialized AI Tensor Cores and a Max-Q suite of technologies for optimized system performance. In terms of raw power, it’s a massive leap forward. It also offers 80 tensor cores, DLSS 3, and 20 raytracing cores, making it suitable for the highest settings in 1920x1080 for demanding games.

Desktops generally offer better value for money than laptops with similar performance, which is the same case here. You will get more power, higher clock speeds, and overall better performance with the desktop's RTX 4060.

In a laptop, you will get the graphics card, CPU, RAM, and display integrated into a single unit, saving space and simplifying setup.

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Cons

The 8 GB VRAM is one of the biggest limitations of the RTX 4060 laptop. As new games become more demanding, this memory will impact gaming performance in the future. Other than that, you might see a performance throttle at higher resolutions like 1440p.

Laptops can't sustain high clock speeds for extended periods due to cooling limitations. This can lead to lower clock speeds, impacting performance.

On the flip side, opting for desktops featuring the RTX 4060 entails allocating more physical space compared to the portability of laptops. Moreover, the necessity of connecting various components via cables clutters your workspace.

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RTX 4060 laptop vs desktop GPU: Which offers better performance?

RTX 4060 desktop GPU is better than its laptop counterpart (Image via Computech)

Let’s start the comparison by looking at the core specs:

Specifications	RTX 4060 laptop	RTX 4060 desktop
GPU	AD107	AD106-350
Cores	3,072	4,352
Boost clock	1.47 - 2.37GHz	1.8 - 2.46GHz
VRAM	8GB GDDR6	8GB GDDR6
Memory bus	128-bit	128-bit
Memory bandwidth	256 GB/s	288 GB/s
TDP	115W	160W

As seen in the table, there are a few differences between both versions of the GPU. In raw performance, the desktop version of the RTX 4060 has a slight edge. It has higher clock speeds, more memory bandwidth, extra cores, and supports high TDP.

The biggest advantage of a desktop over a laptop is the upgradability. You can upgrade the CPU, RAM, storage, and cooling later to support the GPU for better performance or longevity. Laptops typically offer limited upgrades, if any, beyond RAM and storage.

On the other hand, the RTX 4060 laptop GPU shines in terms of portability. So, if you prioritize mobility and decent gaming performance at 1080p, it can be an ideal option for you.

However, gamers who prioritize performance, especially at higher resolutions, should go for the desktop version of the RTX 40 series card.

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