I ditched my desktop once "plug in a single USB-C cable and get dual 4k monitors + peripherals all ready to go" became a thing. I love the flexibility of a laptop combined with a dedicated workstation setup.

If flexibility is your #1 priority then usb-c never mattered. You could get mobility long before usb-c.

I'm saying if you want a fast machine then you can't beat a desktop for value or potential.

It matters in the sense that my 2015 Macbook Pro required multiple cables to unplug/replug in at my desk which seems like a small thing but significantly reduced the convenience factor for me.

Plus I can now dock either my Lenovo or my MacBook with the same multi-monitor dock making it even more versatile. I don't game or do anything more intensive than web development so I recognize it wouldn't work as well for everyone.

I rock a workstation for this reason and that I also don't want a separate computer for other workloads(games, etc).

5950X, 64GB of RAM, Windows 11 + WSL.

An AMD based ThinkBook for travel.

What if you don't need a much more powerful desktop? What if you get more utility from being able to move the computer around at least occasionally?

For "occasional move" I have small factor desktop. It is relatively tiny but still has 16 cores AMD and 128GB RAM.

Threadripper away, most folks are sent a machine by their company tho