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I feel the same. I used to be able to get uncountable hours of gameplay out of simple demo's of games because I didn't have the money for full games. The examples that come to mind are Cavewars and Fallen Haven. Both strategy games with a time limit. My brother and I would play the demo level over and over again and try to progress further and further within the set time limit. In a way it was like speedrunning but the other way around.

I'd enjoy some numbers on the environmental damage of laptop versus desktop consumption.

My desktop is 6 years old with an i7 CPU (high-end) and 750Ti GPU (entry level). My monitor is a 24" 1080 Samsung bought new in 2009 for ~$120 at Frys if I recall. All in all, this package cost me $1,300 (there was a sale on the i7 at purchase).

I use it heavily for photography, occasional video and audio, and I'm currently playing Fallen Order (released Nov. 2019) with Medium+ settings (Texture is high) loading from a SSD bought in 2016. There is admittedly some weakness in the gaming department, but otherwise, zero issues. But I do think I'll buy a used 1660/2070 GPU and monitor in a few months to upgrade.

I have an iPad Mini 4 I use when traveling and going to coffee shops and that pretty much always fits my mobility needs.

Too many people are buying $1.5k+ plus laptops that they don't maximize usage of, then chuck away in 3 years because they either die due to the compromising form factor or because they want an unnecessary upgrade to browse the internet.