Buying a computer is a huge investment decision that you need to make carefully. It is a tool that can be used for both professional or personal use, hence it is vital that you spend your money on a computer that suits your needs and will last you long into the future. Your decision may often come down to choosing between a workstation and a desktop. The features and functionalities of desktops and workstations differ and it is up to you to decide which device will meet your needs. If you don’t want to spend too much money on your computer, you can opt for a desktop that comes at a lower price point. But you may find that the added features of a workstation are more beneficial in the long run.
Check out our tips below to help you decide which setup is best for you.
What are the major differences between a workstation and a desktop?
Usage
Desktop PCs come with basic features and are best suited for personal use and small-business owners. Desktops can be used for surfing the web, running media files and video conferencing. You can also run office software programs such as a database, spreadsheets and processors.
Workstations, on the other hand, are more useful for professions such as engineers, scientists and creative designers whose jobs require them to run programs that involve much more computing power.
Cost
Desktops, on the other hand, come with simple features that are better suited for basic computing tasks. Their price can range between $500 and $1000.
High-end workstations are designed with complex hardware components and are priced higher than traditional desktops, ranging between $1,500 and $3,000. Manufacturers like Dell offer specialised workstations that are designed for high-performance and are optimised to serve multiple users.
Performance
A desktop lets you perform traditional tasks such as email, web browsing and operating numerous office applications.
But it is no match to a workstation’s configuration that can produce several times the power of consumer-level hardware. This increased power allows for better processing of applications, smoother animations and greater stimulation. The difference in speeds between a desktop and a workstation is not very obvious when running a word processor application but the speed comes into play when you run applications simultaneously and search through files in a massive database.
Durability
The durability of the components in a workstation is usually held to a higher standard than those available in a desktop. The workstation is built with the purpose that its parts will be used in high-demand and should be able to handle all the expectations of the user day in and day out with zero errors and no system failure.
Features
Workstations come with distinct features that give them their ‘workstation class’ title such as:
EEC RAM– This is a code memory that corrects errors and makes the system more reliable. This tool has the ability to detect potential errors and correct them before they even occur, this can prevent crashes which can help reduce downtime.
RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks)- This hard-drive increases the ability of your workstation to store and process data. Depending on the configuration of the workstation, you can have multiple drives to process the data or mirror your hard drives. If one of your drives fails, you have a backup drive to work with.
SSD (Solid State Drives)- Workstations come with SSD which is different from a traditional hard-disk drive. The SSD is faster and has fewer moving parts which reduce the chance of physical failure. However, SSDs are more expensive and have a smaller storage capacity than regular hard-drives.
Expandability
Most desktops come with a GPU and a network interface that is built into the motherboard. The system comes with basic controls and allows the user to add an extra hard drive or a graphics card for better storage and processing of information.
However, workstations are designed with numerous configurations that allow for expandability. It is easier to add extra hard-drives to accommodate a larger amount of information, increase the RAM and extra graphics cards to the workstation for better functionality.
The Components
The components of a workstation are designed to increase the movement of data into and out of the system. They come with a high processing graphics card for faster 2D or 3D image creation. Although desktops come with core processors, workstations have a processor with the ability to support many CPUs at once. They also have a larger RAM and larger hard drives that a desktop.
Which one should you get- Workstation or Desktop?
The best way to decide if you need a workstation or a desktop is to understand what you are going to use your PC for. If you are using to run a wide range of applications such as video editing, machine learning or CAD on a large-scale level, then a workstation is the best option as it has the capabilities to run numerous programs simultaneously at a high processing speed. A few great Dell workstation examples include the Precision 5000 and the Precision 3000.
But if you are using your PC for a small business, personal use or for gaming purposes, a desktop would be a more suitable option. They fill the basic needs of the owner and can be used to run basic programs that don’t demand too much from the system. There are also different classes of desktops, from consumer-grade to business-grade machines.
Many personal computers these days have features that rival those of a workstation but the high-speed processing and large hard drive size of a workstation remain unmatched. Choosing between a desktop and workstation depends on the user’s needs and budgets. Check out our ultimate laptop buying guide to help you find the best PC.
