1. The list in brief
2. Best overall
3. Best budget
4. Best AMD
5. Best foldable
6. Best thin gaming
7. Best Nvidia gaming
8. How to choose
9. How we test
The best 17-inch laptop should offer strong performance, good value for money, and a large, high-end display, and our expert advice can help you find one that encompasses all three of these traits.
If you need the best laptop for work or you're considering getting one of the best gaming laptops, you've probably already given some thought to how large a display you want. This means that you've probably settled on some big-screen goodness for your laptop of choice. 17-inch laptops offer more screen real estate than the competition, letting you enjoy your favorite TV shows and games on a larger display that you can still take with you on the go.
Naturally, 17-inch laptops can be more expensive than their more compact brethren (though this isn't always the case), so be prepared to spend a bit more. Happily, this will often net you superior internal specs too; though if you're shopping on a budget, you can always take a look at our ranking of the best cheap laptops, or check out our best laptop deals page instead.
Whatever your budget and hardware requirements are, we've got the big-screen laptop for you. And we've reviewed enough of them to know exactly which ones are worthy of being included on this list.
The quick list
If you want to get right to it and see the best 17-inch laptop in every category, check out our quick roundup of top picks below. Don't worry, though; you can easily jump to a more detailed view of every pick along with our price comparison tool to help you find the best laptop deals no matter your budget.
Best of the best
When it comes to laptops at this size, this offering from Dell is as good as it gets thanks to its outstanding design and incredible performance.
Best budget option
For a 17-inch laptop, this HP model is seriously affordable without compromising too much on performance and premium design.
Best AMD choice
Alienware makes some of the best laptops around, and this AMD gem is as good as Alienware gets if you want a lot of screen real estate.
Best foldable 17-inch
Foldable laptops haven't quite caught on yet, but it's already clear that 17 inches is the ideal side, and this is the best example of the form factor yet.
Best thin and light
The Blade 17 is one of Razer's best laptops, thanks to its incredibly thin form factor for a gaming laptop without having to sacrifice performance.
Best RTX 4000 17-inch
The MSI GT77 Titan is simply the best 17-inch laptop for RTX 4000-series performance, if you're willing to splurge on next-generation internals.
Best 17-inch laptops in 2023
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Below you'll find full write-ups for each of the best 17-inch laptops in our list. We've tested each one extensively, so you can be sure that our recommendations can be trusted.
The best 17-inch laptop overall
✅ You want the latest Intel chips: The XPS 17 delivers outstanding performance thanks to a mix of the latest performance and efficiency cores.
✅You need decent battery life: Despite the large 17-inch screen and a beefy CPU performance, the Dell XPS 17 still delivers over 10 hours of battery life.
❌ You want maximum bang for your buck: The Dell XPS 17 performs well, but it will cost you.
❌ You want a portable machine: Weighing in well over 2kg and measuring over 14 inches across, this is not a laptop you’ll want to lug around daily.
Dell's XPS series consistently rank among the very best laptops available right now, so it should be no surprise that the Dell XPS 17 (2022) takes pole position on our 17-inch laptop leaderboard. It's undeniably on the more expensive side, but it more than backs up that asking price.
A powerful selection of components under the hood - including up to an Intel Core i9 CPU, 64GB of RAM, and an Nvidia RTX GeForce 3050 - is paired with a stunning display with ultra-thin bezels and a clean, sharp overall design. While this isn't a gaming laptop, the dedicated GPU means a spot of gaming is still an option - and accelerating resource-intensive programs like MATLAB is a cinch too.
Our only wish is that it offered more physical ports (and was perhaps a little cheaper) but beyond that, it's virtually perfect as far as 17-inch laptops go. If you can afford it, this is the one to get.
Read our full Dell XPS 17 (2022) review
The best budget 17-inch laptop
✅ You want reliable performance: Though the HP Laptop 17 may not have the latest and most powerful specs, it boasts reliable performance for creative workflows.
✅ You want a thin and light laptop: Not only does the HP Laptop 17 sport a gorgeous design but it has a thin and light chassis perfect for carrying around.
❌ You need a great port selection: Though the HP Laptop 17 has many positives, its lackluster port selection is not one of them.
The HP Laptop 17 doesn't rock the most powerful components or the flashiest design, but it does deliver reliable performance in a surprisingly thin and lightweight chassis - and it's one of the cheapest 17-inch laptops you can buy right now.
With up to an 11th-gen Intel Core i7 processor with Intel Iris Xe graphics, this laptop doesn't come with top-of-the-line specs, but for remote work or just general office use, it's more than capable of handling most people's needs. With 16GB DDR4 RAM, you'll be able to multitask like a champ - no worries about opening a dozen Chrome tabs here. You'll also get 256GB PCIe storage with an extra 1TB HDD for extra capacity to keep all your necessary files handy.
While we haven't reviewed this particular laptop just yet, we've tested plenty of HP devices with similar specs over the years, so we're confident that you'll get your money's worth with this device - just as long as you keep your expectations in check.
The best AMD 17-inch laptop
✅ You’re a hardcore PC gamer: This has both the looks and the performance to suit those who need the full experience on the move.
✅ You have a small desk: The ports of the Alienware m17 are brilliantly laid out - compact gaming is far easier without cables getting in the way.
❌ You value portability: Although the m17 isn’t over-heavy it’s most at home in the home.
❌ You’re concerned about your budget: If you’re willing to sacrifice just a little, you can spec this lower - or buy a completely different gaming-friendly laptop.
AMD's 'Advantage' program has seen some excellent laptops in recent years, and the Alienware m17 R5 AMD Advantage is no exception. It's a high-end gaming laptop that wows in virtually every area: a big, beautiful 4K 120Hz screen, powerful AMD components, and the classic Alienware aesthetic.
We can't stress enough how great that display is; thanks to Dolby Vision support, your games and movies look absolutely incredible, and the high refresh rate is perfect for playing twitchy shooters like Valorant where speed is everything.
The clamshell design we've seen before on other Alienware laptops is not only aesthetically pleasing but keeps the main vent clear and more effective at proper ventilation, something absolutely vital when it comes to high-power gaming sessions. It's a bit heavy and bulky with a somewhat decent battery life of about six hours, but if you're getting a desktop replacement gaming laptop then you know the deal.
Read our full Alienware m17 R5 AMD Advantage review
The best foldable 17-inch laptop
✅ You want to show off: Anyone who sees you using it in the office or a cafe is going to be mesmerized; if you’ve got the cash and want to be seen, this is the laptop for you.
✅ You value flexibility: Do you want a big tablet? A small laptop? A book with a screen? You’ve got it.
❌ You’re a digital artist: No official stylus support. Boo! This product would’ve been incredible for creatives if it packed a garaged smartpen.
❌ You’re not loaded: It’s too expensive. End of story.
Alright, this is a niche one, but we'd be remiss not to include it here. The Asus ZenBook 17 Fold OLED is arguably not even a laptop - it's like the world's most luxurious tablet, a huge 17-inch touch panel with a magnetic Bluetooth keyboard.
Foldable laptops like this are still a rare breed, but they've come a long way since the first Lenovo ThinkBook X1 Fold we reviewed more than two years ago, with the newest generations of devices like the ZenBook 17 Fold sporting up to a 12th-gen Intel Core i7. The OLED panel is also a major improvement, with a gorgeous, high-resolution display with incredible color reproduction.
Unfortunately, there's no stylus support - a major knock against a device that seems tailor-made for that kind of touch interface. And yes, the asking price is absolutely ludicrous, making it very clear that this isn't a product for the everyday laptop user - that's the main reason we had to knock two stars off this otherwise incredible product.
If you've got cash in your pocket and want to impress with your tech, though, the ZenBook 17 Fold OLED is guaranteed to draw attention.
Read our full Asus ZenBook 17 Fold OLED review
The best thin and light 17-inch gaming laptop
✅ You want a 'Jack-of-all-trades' laptop: Is it for gaming? Is it for creative applications? Or perhaps a powerful, portable workstation? The Razer Blade 17 can do it all.
✅ You value style as much as substance: The Razer Blade 17 is fairly hefty, but its modern design and minimal 'gamer' accents allow it to blend into the office.
❌ You're on a budget: The Razer Blade 17 can cost an eyewatering sum of cash if you opt for the top-line spec model.
❌ You need long battery life: The Razer Blade 17 shouldn't be on the top of any list if your main concern is battery life.
If you’re looking for an absolute beast of a gaming laptop, you might be interested in Razer's 17-inch powerhouse. The Blade series has always offered premium quality and performance, and the Blade 17 delivers on that promise; this isn't just a powerful gaming system, it's got the specs to pull double duty as a creative workstation too.
In our tests, the Razer Blade 17 (2022) chewed through everyday tasks, powering through gaming benchmarks and demanding creative workloads like Adobe Photoshop and Blender. Setting quality to Ultra resulted in a clean 78fps in Cyberpunk 2077.
Of course, as anyone who's bought a Razer product before should know, it’s pretty expensive. Only invest if you absolutely need all that power - or you've got money to burn and want the best of the best.
Read our full Razer Blade 17 (2022) review
The best RTX 4000-series 17-inch laptop
✅ You want the best gaming performance around: With an Intel Core i9-13980HX and an Nvidia RTX 4090 mobile GPU and DLSS 3, no game will put up much of a fight here.
✅ You want lots of customization options: With per-key, lid-logo, and accent RGB, you can really get that gamer twinkly light look exactly to your liking.
❌ You want something affordable: The price of this laptop puts it out of reach of just about everyone reading this review.
❌ You want something portable: Lulz. Better get a donkey if you want to cart this one around.
If you’re looking for a contender for the most powerful gaming laptop, the MSI GT77 Titan (2023) has the competition beat so far. It comes with the latest in specs, including an ultra-high-end Intel Core i9-13980HX CPU and an Nvidia RTX 4080 12GB Laptop GPU.
That's a frankly insane amount of power for a gaming laptop - during our extensive testing, we found that it managed to beat out the powerhouse Lenovo Legion Pro 7i in most of our benchmarks when it came to raw GPU performance.
The display is a crisp 4K panel with a high 144Hz refresh rate, and in our time spent with the GT77 we found it hard to deny we'd ever seen games look better on a laptop. The cherries on top are that this laptop comes with a Mini DisplayPort output and, according to our tests, the battery life is surprisingly good for a powerful gaming laptop at 4.5 hours. It charges pretty fast too, which is an extra bonus.
There are some caveats we found, however. The biggest one is the sheer size of this behemoth, which weighs over seven pounds. 'Titan' is the right word for it; this is a desktop replacement system, so don't expect to take it everywhere you go. It's also very expensive, but you're getting a phenomenal amount of power for the price, so we wouldn't go so far as to say it's bad value.
Read the full MSI GT77 Titan (2023) review
How to choose the best 17-inch laptop for you
When you're looking for the best 17-inch laptop, you really do need to ask what you're looking to do with your device. Not all 17-inch laptops are created equal, and whether its for gaming or work, you'll find all kinds of big-screen devices to suit your needs.
15-inch laptops vs 17-inch laptops
Deciding between a 15-inch and 17-inch laptop has probably never been harder. Just a few years ago, only 17-inch laptops came with the kind of power to handle the most demanding tasks. But, since components have gotten smaller and more powerful over the years, you don’t have to stick with the largest laptops anymore to get great performance.
You can find portables in both sizes with robust CPUs, GPUs, and plenty of storage space. However, the two sizes do come with their own advantages.
If portability is a factor for you, a 15-inch laptop is always going to be smaller, lighter, and easier to carry around. And, unlike the smaller 13-inch models, it can still come with plenty of power. But, a 17-inch laptop will still have that bigger screen. And, even though a smaller laptop can come equipped with a powerful GPU, its thermal solutions won’t be as well implemented as that of these larger portables.
What is the best resolution for a 17-inch laptop
Picking the best resolution for your 17-inch laptop will come down to a few things. Though plenty of the best ones come with a standard 1080p resolution which is more than enough for most people, your needs might be a little different.
If you’re hoping to do some photo or video editing, you probably want to get a higher resolution so you can see what you’re working on in its intended resolution. And, if you’re getting one to game on and you like to play immersive story-driven or open-world games, you’ll appreciate getting a laptop with 1440p or 4k. Of course, it’s only worth getting that higher resolution if your portable’s components can keep up. That means having a solid discrete GPU to run your favorite apps or games at those higher resolutions.
Higher resolution also means more screen real estate. So, if you’re a multitasker looking to keep multiple tabs open and visible at once, a QHD or higher resolution will only help.
However, if you’re getting one of the more budget options whether it’s for productivity or gaming, particularly competitive gaming, a 1080p resolution will more than suffice.
How we tested the best 17-inch laptops
We’ve seen our fair share of laptops of all shapes and sizes, but we always have a few standard ways we measure them before we pass judgment on if they’re a worthwhile investment. We’ve used these laptops throughout the day to get accurate readings on battery life and performance, but also factor in aspects like price and overall design.
When we review laptops, we also run benchmark tests to make sure the laptop’s hardware can handle the software you’ll run. Benchmark tests additionally give us a valid comparison to other laptops of its kind, therefore helping us decide the ranking and what laptops to recommend and which to skip. We’ve selected the best 17-inch laptop based on these results from a variety of other 17-inch portable computers.
Beyond performance, we consider every possible use for the laptop to ensure we recommend it in good faith. If you’re a laptop gamer, you want something that can handle your games and load them with minimal wait time — but if you travel frequently you probably don’t want a heavy laptop. We cover all aspects — pros, cons, and neutrals — to give you a well-rounded idea of what to expect from a laptop should you choose to buy it.