The same rules that apply to a desktop apply to a desktop ... avoid the big box retail outlets and build your own ... or have someone custom build it for you. This is the roiute we have taken and , no we have never experienced thermal throttling and have no issue even running Furmark.
My current lappie was bought in 2012. However, you do have to do maintenance. Make sure to remove the back over and blow out the cat hair, cookie crumbs and other debris that have been sucked into your machine. We do this every 3 to 6 months and there's not much to it ... sometimes ypu get hair stuck in thr fans that escapes the air compressor; easily grabbed witha tweezer or paperclip. One major issue with the laptops you find available in store shelves is that thecooling systems seem to be designed for the 'base model' ... when you get the same laptop but with the option of a bigger CPU or GPU, the cooling systems are usually not up to the task. When you buy a custom loop, you start with a base chassis for which the cooling is designed to handle. In past years there were multiple CPU / GPU options but these have since become more limited. Now, while there are stiull CPU options, GPU options are rare.
One other falacy you will have to deal with is "ohh ... that brand is known for making lappies with poor cooling ... use this brands instead". The reality often is neither of those companies actually make a laptop.... and the ironic part is more often than not, all of them are made by the same OEM on the same production lines, using the same parts and same labor. The logo and styling will usually be the only major differences. MSI is the only brand that makes their own laptops.
Quanta makes (among others) HP, Lenovo, Apple, Acer, Toshiba, Dell, Sony, Fujitsu and NEC laptops
Compal makes (among others) Acer, Dell, Toshiba, Lenovo and HP/Compaq laptops
Wistron makes Dell, Acer, Lenovo and HP laptops
Inventec makes Toshiba, HP, Dell and Lenovo laptops
Pegatron sells to Asus, Toshiba, Apple, Dell and Acer laptops
Foxconn smakes Asus, Dell, HP and Apple laptops
Flextronics makes HP laptops
When asking about desktop PSUs, you won't find a forum thread where someone doesn't point out the importance of who the OEM is ... but for some reason, the subject of OEM is rarely brought up for lappies. . MSI is the only brand that makes their own laptops. Remeber that light and thin goals are dirrectly in conflict with cooling and battery life. You can not get one without sacrificing the other. There are other rules of thumb to follow some of which where the "old wisdom" is no longer true ... one of these oldies is that laptop GPUs are greatly different in performance than those same models in lappies... that is no longer the case as you can see in the rankings here. When you arrive on the page go to the dropdown that says "Show only NoteBook GPus" and select Show "Desktop and Notebook GPUs" and then hit the RESTRICT button
https://www.notebookcheck.net/Mobile-Graphics-Cards-Benchmark-List.844.0.html
The desktop 2080 for example is ranked 3rd and the laptop model 5th
The desktop 2070 is ranked 12th and the laptop model 14th
The desktop 2060 is ranked 18th and the laptop model 20th
No, on the custom built laptops, there is no need to remove and replace thermal paste ... you have the option of using a selction of thermal pastes when you have them built ... as well as screen option,s CPU options, 0 pixel warrantees, etc. We have never needed to undervolt and nor run the fans at 100% ... I have had several models that have a hot key which you can use to toggle 100% fan speed on and off ... my current model is missing this feature.
Back in the day, the IBM A20p series was long recognized as a desktop replacement. We use our laptops as desktop replacements in the field on conctruction projects and the ability to use them in the field as desktop replacements is critical. When PC Magazines printed on paper was still a thing, the mags always had the A20p on the cover, As a result the brand dominated the market even tho that model sold only in small quantities due to the extreme price ($5 - 6k). We tried a Toshiba after that which was deficient, and since then every laptop used here has been custom built..... my oldest son plays competitively and he took one to college with him. When I say desktop replacement for "back then" ... not it was not as fast as the similarly equipped desktop but it was well more than serviceable for both workstation CAD usage and gaming. Over time, as you can see in the GPU rankings, the performance gap is far less than it was then. In gaming some games will vary by as uch as 20% ...others are almost indistinguishable.....
Hitman 2 Ultra @ 1080p (2060 desktop) - 79.9 fps
Hitman 2 Ultra @ 1080p (2060 laptop) - 78.4
Monster Hunter High @ 1080p (2060 desktop) - 86.0 fps
Monster Hunter @ 1080p (2060 laptop) - 70.2
I past years, you could update most any part ... RAM and storage are things I have done .... wireless / bluetooth also. I have replaced a dead fan that I killed when using the air compressor to blow out dust after I forgot to hold down with finger to keep it from over spinning. GPU upgrades now are rare, CPU replacements somewhat less so. My laptop costs a lot less than my desktop ... a typical gaming monitor now costs about 50% of a laptop. Even on lappies, 144 hz, 4k and IPS options are available.
Clevo N870RP6
17.3" Full HD (1920 x 1080) 144 Hz Wide View Angle 72% NTSC Matte
(option for Guaranteed no dead or partially-lit pixels for first 30 / 90 days of purchasing are available as we;l as screen calibration)
8th Generation Intel® Core™
i7-8750H (2.2 GHz up to 4.10 GHz), 9MB Smart Cache
NVIDIA® GeForce™
GTX 1060 GPU with 6GB GDDR5
Options for IC Diamond and Thermal Grizzly Kryonaut available)
5 OS Options available ... Win 10 Home or Pro, w/ or w/o media and "
No OS"
16GB Dual Channel DDR4 2666 MHz (PC4-21300) (
2 x 8GB)
1 x 16 GB is standard, the 2 x 8 GB was a $10 option
Samsung®
860 EVO™ M.2 250GB SSD - (OS DRIVE)
WD Blue as standard, Samsung Evo was $25 option ... options available up to 2 TB SSDs
Seagate® FireCuda™ Gaming SSHD 2TB SATA 6.0Gb/s
1 TB HD is standard, 2TB FireCuda was $110 option
Intel® Dual Band Ultra Wireless - AC 9560 M.2 + Bluetooth® 5
Full Range AC-in 100~240V, 50~60Hz,
180W AC autoswitch Adapter
Removable 6 cells Smart Lithium-Ion battery pack 62WH
List price $1,172.73
The list price is cash which is what I am charged when I pay by business check. IIRC, you can pay by personal check to but may have to wait until the check clears before it ships. Also have opo remeber that Clevo distributors are not permitted to advertise below a stipulated price floor ... but once you get on the phone, you can negotiate discounts ... we typical wind up between $50 and $150 off depending on price.
For me, whether I use the desktop or laptop is not a matter of performance but experience. Im glad smartphones were mentioned as it demonstrates my point.
My 1st smartphone, I was editing reports, spreadsheets answering emails, even editing CAD files etc. i hotel lobbies and the phone's performance was up to the task... problem was I wasn't. Do I want to be / am productive thumb typing on teeny screen as opposed to a 17" lappie with full size KB sitting in my room ? Answer to rhetorical question a big no.
Ooooh the new Star Wars movie is now available for streaming, Do i want to watch on my teeny phone screen w/ its $9 sound subsystem ? Do I wanna watch it on my 17" lappie w. small screen and $35 sound system and crappy speakers ? do I want to watch on my desktop 27" screen and 500 watt sound system ... or do I wanna watch on the 48" screen and audiophile soundsystems ? Is anyone wondering as to my choice ?
When gaming, I am sitting at my desktop not because of CPU / GPU performance but because of because 144 Hz screen, ULMB, shake the floor sound system that simply isn't available on the lappie ... tho, when stuck in a hotel when traveling on business, it's way more than adequate.