Desktop PC Or A Laptop: Which Is Better For Day Trading

Source: techradar.com

With technology advancing by leaps and bounds, improved versions of devices are replacing the older ones every few months. As a result of this progress, big and bulky desktops have had to relinquish their position as the official ‘work’ devices to sleek, lighter, and portable laptops in many workplaces across the globe.

The advantages of using a laptop over a desktop are obvious and understandable in many situations. Laptops of the modern day are faster, easier to handle and maintain, compact in size, and fit for every purpose. What’s even better, they are portable and give you the option of working from whichever corner of your room or workstation you prefer. However, if you’re looking for a device for day trading purposes, the choice would not be as easy.

The requirements of a day trader are specific and, in many ways, very different from those of an average computer user. Are you confused about which one to pick? Read on to understand which of the two options would suit you best.

Factors To Consider Before Picking A Device For Day Trading

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Starting, the device you work on can make or break your experience in stock trading, eventually crippling your performance. Whether you’re looking for an upgrade or planning to start anew, you must make a well-planned and carefully thought-out decision when picking a device. To look at a few options for stock trading computers, visit this site.

Before picking a computer for trading, you must understand the specific requirements that your device must meet. Here are a few factors that you would want to consider:

  1. Number of screens
  2. Processing speed
  3. Facilities of customization
  4. Portability

In short, you would require a device with a fast processor that allows you to set up multiple screens and one that you can customize to your preferences. In addition, if your device is portable, you can work from any location you prefer, be it at the desk at your office or at a pristine beach at a holiday destination.

Laptops Or Pcs: Which Is The Better Pick?

Both laptops and PCs have some strong advantages to their merit when it comes to their utility in stock trading. To understand which of the two would be better in your case, you must compare the benefits each can provide. Here are the factors for you to consider:

1. Speed

Day trading is a very fast-paced trading style as traders have to keep track of the rapid shifts in market trends and price fluctuations while executing transactions at the same pace. You would therefore require your device to provide you with enough processing power to run the required software without losing time on lags.

To save yourself from missing out on gainful deeds because your computer fell back, you must get a device that can run as fast as you need. According to leasing computer manufacturing companies like HP, PCs generally pack in greater processing power than laptops.

That is because the larger space in the CPU accommodates more sturdy hardware. Moreover, desktops have more efficient cooling systems that keep the machine from heating up quickly, allowing for better performance. An efficient cooling system will also prevent the throttling of the CPU and keep your PC at its best output for a long time.

2. Number Of Screens

Source: wallstreetzen.com

If you are new to professional trading, you need fewer screens as you would have to keep things simple and get into the business gradually. However, once you become accustomed to the ways of day trading, you would want to get a grip on it, for which access to multiple screens has become a norm.

Day traders require quick access to multiple data fields. That is because this trading strategy allows no time for analysis, and traders execute their sales rapidly. Moreover, a trader has to keep up with all the changing trends of the market while keeping an eye on multiple variants like the flow of surges, market graphs and charts, sentiment and preference indices, time frames, and other factors.

Laptops can only provide you with the facility of using up to two monitors. You would be required to make many customizations to achieve more than this, which can be additional trouble. The desktops, on the other hand, can function on multi-screen setups, allowing you to access many data fields all at once.

Since desktops tend to have much larger screens, you can split your screen into smaller parts to represent various charts, graphs, and files. Moreover, desktops tend to have much better quality graphics cards that determine how many screens your computer can support.

3. Options For Customization

When starting, stock traders usually have to keep their systems as simple and easy to use as possible to avoid distractions and get the hang of the business. However, with time, they need to install more complex systems to perform analyses and become more efficient. To support your computer needs to be upgraded and customized to suit your particular requirements.

Desktops are a better choice when it comes to upgrades and customizations. That is because laptops generally do not have enough built-in space to accommodate customizations, and even when upgrades are available, they are much more expensive.

4. Portability

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If trading from a fixed workstation in an office, a desktop seems perfect. However, if you travel a lot or intend to go on working vacations frequently, a laptop is a safer choice, as dragging a desktop around is not a fun idea. Portability is thus a feature that only laptops can provide, keeping them ahead of desktops.

Conclusion

Factors like speed, customization, and the number of screens available make the desktop a clear winner as the perfect device for day trading. PCs are much better suited for an intense task like day trading, especially keeping its specific requirements in mind. Although laptops allow you to work from wherever you’d like, desktops would help you do your job much better. Moreover, desktops are much cheaper than laptops with similar features, making them the clear choice for traders