[peanut]

I'm not the best person to answer but I do agree that prices are higher today than 6 years ago. But tech has changed a lot since then.

My last Desktop PC cost around £1500 9 years ago, and at the time was pretty much top spec. Because it was top spec I didn't have to upgrade for quite some time. Sure I upgraded a few bits over time but it lasted. I don't think a laptop would have lasted anywhere near as long as they're limited when it comes to upgrading parts.

This year I decided to replace it with a new PC and my graphic card alone cost a lot more than that PC (ASUS GeForce RTX 4090 24 GB TUF). Also with the new tech it's pointless without upgrading the monitor which is just as important too which does add quite a extra cost on top. I went from a 24" 1080p 60hz to a 28" 4k 144hz which added close to another £600.

For every day stuff I don't notice a single thing that's different from my old PC. Apart from transferring 50gb files from one drive to another in around 8-10 seconds which is mind blowing compared to my old mechanical or SSDs drives.

But software / games have changed a whole lot since. That's where you notice the differences. 4k, Ray-Tracing on max, every setting on ultra, higher FPS etc etc. That's where the money has gone. If gaming isn't your thing then costs will be considerably lower. The games you like could easily be run on a decent laptop.

Laptops are better today as well, but I just can't get on with them. I prefer the power of a desktop and have a desk with a proper monitor not some tiny screen, slower hardware, louder fans and their crappy keyboards. But it's down to personal choice, space and costs.

If you spent £800 back then, then you're looking at around £1k-1.2k for something similar but you will notice a difference and it will be an upgrade. A laptop in that price range would easily work for you.

Sorry I can't be much help. I'm sure others here will help you more.