Notebook computers are limited in the amount of power they can use and heat that can be generated. Cooling systems in notebooks are limited because of space considerations. Desktop computers do not have this limitation because they can have a large cooling system built in. If you only use the computer for typing documents and surfing the Internet, you most likely will not need the added power that desktops offer. However, if you are working with video editing or intense gaming, you may needed that added processing speed.