PulseAudio in-/output device confusion

[Petrus de Calguarium]

Output devices:

PulseAudio
Default
HDA Intel
PulseAudio Sound Server

Input devices:

PulseAudio Sound Server
Default
HDA Intel

Voilà the devices present on my system and the order of 
preference for each of in-/output devices.

My question:

Is this the optimal ordering for PulseAudio for each of 
in-/output? And why does output have both PulseAudio 
and PulseAudio Sound Server (is one a vestigial 
rudiment of an earlier release)?

The reason I would like to finally understand this is 
that I have 2 computers (desk- and laptop) and the 
priority of preference is often different, or sometimes 
my laptop tells me that such and such a device does not 
exist and asks whether I would like to remove it, etc. 
Often it tells me that PulseAudio is not working, so it 
will default to PulseAudio Sound Server. Huh? Yes, I 
see that there are 2 entries, but this is all very, 
very confusing and I just want to know what the 
intended order of all these devices is supposed to be, 
from the perspective of someone who wants to use 
PulseAudio correctly to achieve optimal sound without 
glitches and hitches, etc.