These days you can get a fairly modern PC with decent specs for a few hundred dollars. Given that your typical business class workstation or laptop can be significantly more, a lot of folks wonder what the difference is that explains the extra cost.

The short answer is what they’re built to be used for each day. Your typical PC or laptop you’d get at Best Buy or Office Depot is built for personal use. The idea is that you probably have a day job and will mostly be using your computer in the evenings for email, Facebook, and paying bills.

The frame probably isn’t particularly rugged because it’s not made to travel excessively. Most folks replace their computers every couple years, so often these types of computers are built with that in mind. Parts and components favor the inexpensive to keep the price tag competitive since long term durability is less significant.

The business class computer is built to be used for work. Rather than a light duty 1-3 hours of usage per day, these types of computers are built to work all day. If they’re laptops, they may also have sturdier metallic frames to help them hold up to wear and tear of being frequently packed up and moved around.

Being used that long and that often puts more strain on the components, so higher-end parts need to be used. Since most companies prefer not to change workstations out often, there is a larger appeal to a computer that can last 3-5+ years.

Plus, if the business c