
(Image credit: Future)
In more ways than one, the best 17-inch laptops outperform their smaller counterparts. These are
laptops
are herculean not only in size, but also in power, performance, and display. While 13-inch notebooks may have the advantage in terms of portability, 15-inch laptops A strong case can be made for the largest portables, which have proven to be a favorite among professionals.
You’re not just getting a bigger screen – though having more screen real estate is definitely a plus, especially for gaming and video editing. video editing.. Furthermore, excellent 17-inch laptops come with more powerful processors. processors and GPUsSome even include larger batteries. Finally, because their chassis has a lot of space, they have enough room not only for such components but also for better heat management. , implying that they are capable of handling more demanding workloads.
So, while 17-inch laptops often sacrifice portability – with the exception of a few, such as the Dell XPS 15 – LG Gram 17They make up for it by a long shot. Also, be sure to use our price comparison tool to find the best deal. If you’re looking for a notebook for gaming, content creation, or design, one of our top picks is a good place to start. best laptop deal available.
The best 17-inch laptops of 2021
(Image credit: Dell)
Portability in a 17-inch powerhouse
Specifications
Up to 11th Generation Intel Core i9-11980HK
Up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 6GB GDDR6
Up to 64GB DDR4-3200MHz
500-Nit InfinityEdge Touch Anti-Reflective FHD+ (1920 x 1200) 17.0″ 17.0″ UHD+ (3840 x 2400) InfinityEdge Non-Touch Anti-Glare 500-Nit
Up to 4TB M.2 PCIe NVMe
Reasons to buy
+Enough power for creative workflows
+Gorgeous, light and slim chassis
Reasons to avoid
–Port selection could be better
If you haven’t heard, Dell produces some of the most impressive laptops on the market, particularly with its XPS line. We only wish it had more ports, but in every other way, it’s a near-perfect laptop. It’s pricey, but it’s justified. It’s no surprise, then, that the Dell XPS 17 (2021) is at the top of our list of the best 17-inch laptops. It has components that can get you through any task, such as an Intel Core i9 CPU, 64GB of RAM, and an Nvidia RTX GeForce 3060, as well as a stunning screen and design that will take your breath away.
Read the full review:
Dell XPS 17 (2021)
(Image credit: LG)
2. LG Gram 17 (2021)
A productivity powerhouse
Specifications
11th-generation Intel Core i7
Intel Iris Xe Graphics
16GB LPDDR4X
17-inch WQXGA (2560 x 1600) IPS LCD
up to 2TB NVMe SSD
Reasons to buy
+Excellent battery life
+Large, high quality display
+Very light
Reasons to avoid
–Expensive
–Subject to screen glare
Work laptops are re-entering the 17-inch fray, and the LG Gram 17, with its incredibly thin and light form factor, is leading the charge. It’s well worth it, as this is one of the best 17-inch laptops for non-gamers. It’s back in 2021, and it’s better than ever, with 11th-generation Intel processors and Iris Xe graphics, as well as two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports. The long battery life and stunning display are back, but so is the hefty price tag.
Read the full review:
LG Gram 17 (2021)
(Image credit: Gigabyte)
3. Gigabyte Aorus 17G (2021)
New age hardware, old school vibes
Specifications
10th-generation Intel Core i7
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3000 Series
Up to 64GB
IPS panel with 17.3-inch FHD 300Hz NTSC 72% resolution.
512 GB PCIe SSD
Reasons to buy
+Incredible mechanical keyboard
+Powerful gaming performance
+300 Hz display
Reasons to avoid
–No upgraded design
–Extremely heavy
A tactile mechanical keyboard and a display with a refresh rate of 300Hz are just the start. And, thanks to its long battery life, you can do so even when you’re not near a power outlet. The Gigabyte Aorus 17G (2021) boasts outstanding gaming performance that rivals that of desktop gaming PCs. This isn’t just the best 17-inch laptop on the market right now; it’s also one of the best. With one of the RTX 3000 GPUs, you’ll be able to play even the most graphically demanding games, including competitive ones. best gaming laptops of 2021.
Read the full review:
Gigabyte Aorus 17G (2021)
(Image credit: Asus)
4. Asus ROG Strix SCAR 17 G733
The best of AMD and Nvidia
Specifications
AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX
Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080
16GB – 64GB
Anti-glare 16:9 display 17.3-inch WQHD (2560 x 1440) 16:9 anti-glare FHD (1920 x 1080) 17.3-inch
1TB + 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD
Reasons to buy
+Excellent performance
+Cool design
+Brilliant mechanical keyboard
Reasons to avoid
–Expensive compared to rival products
–Poor battery life
If you can afford it, there are a few other features you’ll appreciate, including the unapologetic design, which glows like Christmas thanks to its vibrant RGB lighting, and the optical mechanical keyboard, which is simply one of the best we’ve ever used on a laptop. This isn’t just one of the best 17-inch laptops; it’s one of the best 17-inch laptops. This is one of the best of the best out there, and it’s worth considering if your budget isn’t a constraint. That outstanding performance is due to the impressive specifications it is equipped with, which unfortunately put it out of most people’s price range. The Asus ROG Strix SCAR 17 G733, one of the most powerful gaming laptops available in 2021, barely breaks a sweat.
Read the full review:
Asus ROG Strix SCAR 17 G733
(Image credit: Razer)
5. Razer Blade Pro 17 (2021)
RTX 3000 gaming goodness
Specifications
10th-generation Intel Core i7
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 – 3080
Up to 32GB
Full HD 360Hz – 4K Touch 120Hz – 17.3″ Full HD 360Hz
512GB – 1TB SSD
Reasons to buy
+Extremely powerful
+Gorgeous display
+Great performance at 1080p
Reasons to avoid
–Very expensive
–Gaming at 4K needs tweaking
It is, however, quite costly, so unless you require all that power or simply have the cash on hand, you must ensure that you will make the most of it. It’s more than just a gaming portable; it’s also a great mobile workstation for creators – though gamers with plenty of cash will appreciate the RTX 3000 GPU, up to 64GB of memory, and fast refresh rates on the display. This follow-up to Razer’s 17-inch leviathan might just be the best gaming laptop for you if you’re looking for an absolute beast.
Read the full review:
Razer Blade Pro 17 (2021)
(Image credit: Asus)
6. Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX701
The best gaming laptop is a 17-inch laptop that is both thin and light.
Specifications
Intel Core i7
Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 – RTX 2080 Max-Q
8GB – 24GB
G-Sync 17.3-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,080) 144Hz panel
512GB – 2TB SSD
Reasons to buy
+Highly portable
+Yet still packs plenty of performance
+Excellent color-accurate display
Reasons to avoid
–Another pricey gaming machine due to hardware
Who says you can’t have your gaming cake and eat it, too? With laptops like the ROG Zephyrus, you can have an incredibly powerful portable that isn’t even close to being hefty, but still manages to be svelte and, well, portable.
In comparison, the Alienware above is 43mm thick and weighs 4.8kg… In short, it’s a gaming machine that doesn’t require air quotes around the word “portable,” as it’s only 18.7mm thick (or rather, thin) and weighs 2.7kg.
All of this means you can increase the level of detail and play any game you want. Even so, this Asus 17-inch laptop comes with a Core i7-8750H hexa-core CPU and a GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q graphics card with 8GB of video RAM (there’s also up to 24GB of system memory).
The display is also stunning, and it’s Pantone Validated with a 100% sRGB color gamut, which means the color accuracy is perfect right out of the box, and this notebook can be used for professional photo or video editing.
However, keep in mind that the battery life is disappointingly short, and the price is shockingly high. If you don’t have the financial means to deal with this, or the price tag of the aforementioned Alienware laptop, relax and look at our next entry for a more affordable gaming option.
Read the full review: Asus ROG Zephyrus S GX701
(Image credit: Asus)
7. Asus TUF Gaming FX705DT
The best affordable 17-inch laptop for gaming
Specifications
AMD Ryzen 5 3550H
Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650
8GB
NanoEdge 17.3-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,080) FHD (1,920 x 1,080) FHD (1,920 x 1,080) FHD (1,920 x 1,080) F
512GB SSD
Reasons to buy
+Impressive price/performance ratio
+512GB NVMe SSD
+Backlit gaming-optimized keyboard
Reasons to avoid
–Not as powerful as using older components
–No Raytracing or DLSS
Remember that if you want to go really cheap, you’ll only be able to play casual games. Simply put, if you’re on a tight budget, you won’t be able to get a machine that can run the latest games at acceptable frame rates – especially if you want a 17-inch screen. The terms “cheap” and “gaming laptop” don’t go together well. As a result, the FX705DT is our ‘affordable’ rather than ‘budget’ pick.
A 512GB NVMe SSD and a backlit keyboard optimized for gaming round out the FX705DT’s features. This Asus gaming laptop, on the other hand, features a Ryzen 5 3550H processor, as well as a GeForce GTX 1650 graphics card with 4GB of video RAM and 8GB of system memory.
There are also some pretty tempting deals on this Asus machine at the time of writing. All of this makes it an excellent choice for tackling the majority of games at high detail levels while remaining relatively smooth – and budget-friendly.
(Image credit: Gigabyte)
8. Gigabyte Aero 17 (2021)
A creative professional’s dream
Specifications
10th Gen Intel Core i9/i7 H-Series
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3000 Series
up to 64GB
ADOBE RGB 100% color gamut 17-inch Full HD 300Hz IPS-level – 4K HDR display
2x M.2 SSD
Reasons to buy
+Gorgeous display
+Abundance of ports
Reasons to avoid
–Runs hot
But, given how little you’re paying and what you’re getting in return, it’s a minor price to pay. Best of all, it’s cheaper than its less-powerful competitors, making it a better deal even if you have a more flexible budget. The Gigabyte Aero 17 (2021) is one of the most powerful mobile workstations available, with plenty of power, a gorgeous display, and a slew of ports. For instance, the battery life could be improved. It isn’t perfect by any means.
Read the full review:
Gigabyte Aero 17 (2021)
(Image credit: Lenovo)
9. Lenovo ThinkPad P73
The best 17-inch laptop for creative professionals
Specifications
Intel Core i7 – Intel Xeon
Up to Nvidia Quadro RTX 5000
Up to 128GB
Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) IPS 17.3-inch display – 17.3-inch 4K IPS display
256GB – 1TB SSD
Reasons to buy
+Superb display
+Dolby Vision HDR
+Xeon CPU and RTX 5000 GPU
Reasons to avoid
–Still quite hefty
This is another mobile workstation, but it is a less expensive – and slimmer – alternative to the HP machine mentioned above, with the P73 being well suited to content creators.
Simply put, the screen is ideal for serious photo or video editing. You can choose between an Intel Xeon E-2276M processor and a 9th-generation Intel Core CPU (up to an i9-9880H with vPro), as well as Nvidia Quadro RTX 5000 graphics and up to 128GB of system memory. The display, however, is the crown jewel, boasting a 4K resolution, 400 nits of brightness, Dolby Vision HDR, and 100% Adobe color gamut coverage.
With Wi-Fi 6 on board, the cutting-edge hardware support continues, and you get a good selection of ports for wired connectivity, including two Thunderbolt 3 connectors. Creative professionals need look no further for a workstation that can meet all of their requirements at a price that is competitive in the workstation market.
How we test 17-inch laptops
As a result, we don’t just look at their appearance, though we do that as well. We thoroughly tested each 17-inch laptop on this list because we understand that purchasing a new laptop is a significant investment. We evaluate each laptop’s portability, including how light and portable it is, how comfortable it is to work on, and how responsive and simple its keyboard and trackpad are to use.
We test the responsiveness of the laptop by running a variety of Windows 10 apps and real-world tasks. Naturally, we run a series of synthetic benchmarks to obtain those figures and compare them to those of competing notebooks. If it’s a gaming laptop, we’ll look at how it performs in the best indie and AAA games. We use every 17-inch laptop in our daily lives to test the performance – for work, entertainment, and everything else.
To evaluate each laptop’s battery, we look at how long we can use it for regular tasks before it needs to be recharged. The battery life of a laptop is just as important as its performance, and in the case of 17-inch laptops with heavier components, it’s even more so. We also run the PC Mark 10 battery life benchmark as well as our looped 1080p movie test until the battery dies.
Finally, now that webcams and microphones are once again an integral part of our daily lives, we take the time to check how well they work, paying close attention to things like resolution, image clarity, and sound quality.
After all is said and done, we take all of the information we’ve gathered and compare it to the price to determine whether it’s a good value for its intended users.
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