You can actually get extremely impressive performance in a mobile platform (aside from the GPU in many cases the laptops today can pace a desktop), but the sad truth in order to get it is that you'll pay far more for it. The weakness in mobility is the cooling systems since there is only so much space for the equipment there is usually not much left for the cooling which tends to cause problems on intensive games. That being said though, on a budget it's far more favorable for someone who does not require mobility to just go with the desktop. The desktop will in the end give you far more bang for your buck, particularly on a budget. The top-shelf laptops really are stupidly overpriced, coupled with the cooling issues most of them suffer it's not the ideal solution unless you really are constantly on the move and spend little to no time at home.