Ideal Research & Outdated Lab vs. Okay Research & Nice Lab

[Synappy]

Would it be better to go to a PhD program with ideal reasearch topics but a severely out-dated lab space (though the research IS getting done so it's functional) or to one with research I'm not stoked about but that has brand new facilities with all the bells and whistles?

[TakeruK]

Go for the lab that will best support your future career goals.

[FishNerd]

I would also add that if research fit is really important to you this can be really important to students sticking to their research and completing tasks in a timely manner. I personally find its a lot easier to be motivated to get work done on research I'm really interested and excited in vs. research I view as 'take it or leave it.' So with that being said if the research is getting done at the lab with out-dated equipment and you're really excited about the research there it might be a really good fit for you. But if you find that out-dated facilities will impede your motivation you need to take that into consideration.

[rising_star]

I'd go do the research I want to be doing.