What's Your Rig?

I know a lot of you have your setup (computer-wise) in your sigs, but I was just curious what machines everyone runs, has run, recommends, etc?  Anybody build their own?  Anyone else (like me) use gaming setups?  How many of you still run desktops?  And....why?
 
I started using gaming laptops several years ago.  I used Alienware for a long time, but after having a few hard drive failures, I started using ASUS ROG gaming laptops and am absolutely thrilled with them.
 
However, we're looking at some desktop rigs for gaming for the wife, and I started getting a bit jealous.  They lack the portability obviously, but some of the MSI, ASUS, and CyberPower desktop rigs look pretty sweet with a lot of bells and whistles...that are just as powerful (if not moreso) than my rig.

Also, curious as to everyone's thoughts on Intel vs. AMD?  Historically, for me, Intel chips have always performed better and withstood a heavier workload than AMDs, but again, looking at some of these rigs for the wife, AMD seems to have really stepped up their game (no pun intended) to appeal to the gaming crowd, with 6-core, 4 GHz+ chips and such.  Thoughts?

I've always used desktops simply because of the relative ease of performing upgrades, modifications etc (he says typing this on his laptop)

Mine is a self built desktop.  I have a laptop, that has Sonar on it for on-site recordings, but it mostly collects dust.  The desktop is much more versatile.
My system is in my sig.
 

Yes I should add that I would only use a laptop if I wanted to be mobile. I have a desktop and a laptop at the moment and my desktop is the studio workhorse. I haven't really done any projects that the Clevo couldn't handle but a desktop is just so much nicer, cheaper, and easier to maintain.

Same here, my main studio computer is a self built desktop (rebuilt once in 9 years.)  They are easier to work with and much more expandable from a drive/card perspective.  I think they tend to be quieter too.
 
I have sonar on a laptop, but I don't really use it much because the interface that is compatible with it is not very good as an interface.  For remote recording I am more likely to use the BR800 as a standalone recorder anyway.

Zargg71
Hi. I am on a desktop as well. Always have been. As mentioned it is easy to upgrade, and I like to know what is inside.
I build them myself for economic reasons
All the best.

This ^^^^

I'm happy with my Dell i5 laptop, Scarlett 2i2 interface, and headphones.
For "non-profit" recordings, this is more than sufficient.  Once recorded, I hand the WAVs over to a studio to mix and master in a great-sounding environment.  I think you'd be hard-pressed to listen to my latest project and assume it was home-recorded...
 
I'd like to get a decent set of monitors, but given my space limitations (shoebox of a condo) it's not happening.  Other than that, I wouldn't want to change anything about my setup.

Desktop as well...My Minimalistic rig is in the Sig.  Note I don't do a lot of Intruments mostly digital Audio which doesn't seem to tax my lowly i3.

A lot can be said for building your own systems.
I built my Intel I7 rig for under 700 dollars. I know others who have paid 2X times that having it built for them or off the shelf. it makes sense to build your own and its not that difficult. look in to this option if your going to go with a desktop.
if your going to buy a laptop, don't even attempt to build your own unless its a kit of sorts with interchangeable parts.
 
some may also argue but I have found better performance streaming my audio files for cakewalk projects off an SSD vs. an HDD.

Desktop, ADK, great computer built for pro audio.

Like others here, I built my own rig.  
 
I went to Micro Center and bought all my parts even the case, which is padded inside.  I  picked out the MOBO I wanted, got the 32 GB.'s of Ram I wanted, selected 6 the internal fans I wanted with automatic temp sensing and adjusting. I selected my i5 4th Gen Haswell Processor, I chose my own GeForce Video Card with Direct Direct X 12 and my own cooling system. I selected my own two internal DVD writers and finally, I based my power supply on how much power my PC will need, not what a PC manufacture wants to give me. then I install it and was happy with the outcome.
 
So, that is why I build my own PC, because I know what's in my Baby and I can change anything I want at any time!

Jesse G
Like others here, I built my own rig.  
 
I went to Micro Center and bought all my parts even the case,

 
so did I.
you use the one here in Cambridge Jesse ?
(im from right here in Boston = a suburb outside of bean town)

chuckebaby

Jesse G
Like others here, I built my own rig.  
 
I went to Micro Center and bought all my parts even the case,

 
so did I.
you use the one here in Cambridge Jesse ?
(im from right here in Boston = a suburb outside of bean town)

Same here except from the one in Dallas.
 
Desktop here. As a bit of an equipment freak, the desktop allows much more external connections than a laptop. The only things I 'require' for my desktops are intel processors, Western Digital HDD's and Nvidia graphic cards. These are personal preferences but I won't stay home without them. :) I would also spec an intel motherboard but they quit making them. (sigh)

Desktop.  Monster desktop.  In thirty years of scratch-building ever-smaller PCs and servers (most of them rackmounts), I've also taken a tip from the gaming community and returned to the world of honkin' big towers.
 
Re AMD vs. Intel, my experience mirrors your own.  My last audio workstation was a scratch-built AMD and unreliable as hell.  Random BSODs and system lockups were so predictable, in fact, - once every two or three days - I had Sonar doing automatic saves every five minutes.
 
My latest machine is a scratch-built Intel i7 with dual SSDs in a RAID 1 configuration.  [Can you tell I have zero tolerance for failure anymore?]  The hardest part of this build was finding a motherboard that supports legacy PCI for my Lynx AES16 digital audio card.  Thankfully, there's still a few motherboard manufacturers making new products with PCI slots, and I've been very pleased with this Asus P9X79 LE.  I hate to jinx it, but even on Windows 10, this is proving to be my most reliable audio workstation yet.
 
If you're interested, I composed a blog article and time-lapse video of the build, complete with parts list:  Scratch Building the Audio Workstation of Penultimate Doom.  These things get dated pretty quickly, but maybe it can help?
 
Good luck!
 

Eleven year-old HP Windows Media Center computer with 2048 MB (!) of RAM, with an original Focusrite Saffire. And XP.
It's okay; I'm using 12 year-old software.