If you need one of the best 17-inch laptops in 2024, you're in the right place. By choosing a 17-incher, you're upgrading the experience of just about anything you do on your device: watching movies, playing games, writing reports, browsing the web, crunching through spreadsheets and more besides. These big guns know what they're doing.
One of the key benefits of buying one of the best laptops around is that these are portable computers you can take anywhere, from the office to the lecture hall to the hotel. And anyone on the look-out for one of the best student laptops on sale should consider these 17-inchers too.
However, while 17-inch laptops are outstanding value in terms of how much screen you get, they're not for everyone. If you really want something you can stuff easily inside a bag or balance on an aeroplane tray table then you might want to look elsewhere – some of the best 2-in-1 laptops are much more compact and can do double duty as android tablets too, for example.
Which is the best 17-inch laptop in 2024? The top 3
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The 17-inch laptop for most people is the LG Gram 17. It does the almost impossible job of combining a super-large screen with a super-lightweight chassis, so it won't drag you down if you need to carry it around.
The best premium 17-inch laptop is the Dell XPS 17. This laptop offers both a great screen and great performance, and it comes from the hugely impressive XPS line of Windows laptops that Dell has put together.
The best budget 17-inch laptop is the Acer Chromebook 317. Clearly the price point is appealing for a laptop of this size, but there's plenty more to tempt you into a purchase as well, including its lightweight OS and a decent ports selection.
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The LG Gram 17 is a superb machine from just about any angle, and it's an easy choice for our list of the best 17-inch laptops on the market right now. If you're looking for a laptop that manages to combine sleek and svelte looks with plenty of power under the hood, this fits the bill – and you can get it for a competitive price too, considering everything you're getting in return for your money.
One of the most appealing aspects of the LG Gram 17 is just how lightweight it is, despite that 17-inch, 2560 x 1600 pixel display: it tips the scales at a mere 1.35 kg or 2.98 lbs. With its size you're never going to be using it one-handed or anything like that, but you'll barely notice it if it's sat on your lap or you're carrying it around in a backpack. You won't find many lighter laptops around with 17-inch displays.
Elsewhere the 11th-gen Intel processor and 16GB of RAM are more than capable of handling the majority of day-to-day computing tasks, even if the 256GB of internal storage is a little bit on the miserly side. We've also been impressed by the battery life of this particular laptop, so you don't need to worry about taking it on the go for a day.
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You know what you're getting with a Dell XPS laptop: these machines have dominated best-of lists for years, and they remain one of the top options if you're in the market for a Windows laptop of any size. Purchase this and you know you're going to get a laptop that'll last you for years.
The 17-inch version included here is everything that previous XPS laptops have been, exuding plenty of style and class in terms of its design, as well as offering up some seriously powerful components for those who need them. From office work to video editing, from web browsing to some light gaming, the Dell XPS 17 can take it all comfortably in its stride.
In our Dell XPS 17 review we were impressed with the level of performance offered up by the laptop, as well as the fit and finish of the keyboard and trackpad. It's the perfect option if you're going to be spending a lot of time typing and working at your desk. Make sure you check our Dell discount codes to save some money too.
3. Acer Chromebook 317
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The best Chromebooks work very well as thin, lightweight, low cost, low maintenance laptops, and the Acer Chromebook 317 is the best 17-inch in its category. While the resolution of the display may not be the highest, you certainly get a lot of room to work with.
If you're completely new to the world of Chromebooks, they run ChromeOS and nothing else: you have to do all of your computing in a web browser. You're restricted to web apps, but for a lot of people that's enough these days – and the advantages are that everything you do is always backed up online, and you don't need to worry about antivirus programs or bulky software updates.
ChromeOS isn't for everyone, but if it works for you, you don't need very powerful components to run it... and that means Chromebooks can be very cheap as well. You can pick up the Acer Chromebook 317 for significantly less than a lot of the other 17-inch laptops on the market, hence its position in this list.
Best 17-inch laptops 2024: The best of the rest
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It's perhaps no surprise that some of the best 17-inch laptops are aimed at creatives and gamers, because they're the laptop users who are going to be particularly interested in seeing every single pixel as clearly as possible. The Razer Blade 17 caters for both those camps very well, without looking too obtrusive by design.
As we said in our Razer Blade 17 review: this laptop "goes all in on specs, especially when it comes to the graphics power – it's simply one of the best performing laptops around, and it looks superb too." It doesn't come cheap, though, which is its most obvious downside.
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Alienware is definitely a brand you can trust when it comes to gaming machines, and the Alienware x17 R2 is absolutely one of the best 17-inch laptops around if you need something that can power the top games around – the integrated NVidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti mobile graphics card makes sure of that.
It's not the only reason the laptop appeals though: the rest of the specs are top notch too, ensuring that whatever you're doing on the Alienware x17 R2, you're going to be doing it quickly. You'll just need to make sure there's a power socket nearby, because battery life isn't great.
On top of everything else, this is a laptop that really looks the part too. From the illuminated keyboard to the recessed hinge, we like what the Alienware design department has been able to do here. It's going to cost you quite a lot to buy, but you would expect that considering what you get in return.
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If you're after a 17-incher that's going to be capable of playing the very best games of the moment on the very best quality settings, then look no further than the fantastic Asus ROG Zephyrus S17. With 4K resolution display options available, your games are going to look as good as they possibly can on a portable computer.
The latest incarnation of this laptop brings with it Nvidia GeForce RTX 3000 graphics – no word yet on an RTX 4000 upgrade – so you know that it's going to be able to cope with high-end gaming titles now and well into the future. The GPU is backed up with an excellent CPU and RAM combination as well.
The appeal of this Asus extends way beyond the internals though: it's got a beautifully machined chassis and RGB lighting. As we said in our Asus ROG Zephyrus S17 review: "[it's] one of the best gaming laptops around at the moment, combining a smart and stylish design, a vibrant 17.3-inch screen, and all the power you're going to need". It's pricey, though, but not as much as a Razer competitor.
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Looking for something a bit different? Asus has you covered on that front with the ZenBook 17 Fold OLED which, as the name suggests, has a folding display. That makes it much smaller than your typical 17-inch laptop, which is a major part of this device's appeal. In addition you can separate the keyboard so it's more versatile than your typical laptop setup.
A folding display is reflective though, and such technology also adds to the expense. Some will prefer a more traditional laptop setup than this, but if you want future tech today then it's a great option with a clear point of difference. As we said in our Asus Zenbook 17 Fold OLED review: "it's not the most powerful or the longest lasting PC, but the foldable screen has tonnes of different uses - especially when it comes to productivity."
Admittedly this isn't going to be for everyone, particularly those who definitely want a physical keyboard to do their typing on, but it's worth considering just how much screen space you've got to work with when the device is fully opened out.
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Want a big gaming laptop but don't have heaps of budget to spend? This is your ideal option! As we said in our MSI Katana GF76 review: "it does give you good performance for relatively low cost, as well as a large screen to enjoy your gaming on, which is going to be enough to satisfy a lot of people shopping for a new purchase."
The spec and performance isn't going to match the very best gaming laptops on the market, including the ones elsewhere on this page, but then your bank balance might appreciate the MSI offering as a result. It's really price that wins in this large-screen category.
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Dave has over 20 years' experience in the tech journalism industry, covering hardware and software across mobile, computing, smart home, home entertainment, wearables, gaming and the web – you can find his writing online, in print, and even in the occasional scientific paper, across major tech titles like T3, TechRadar, Gizmodo and Wired. Outside of work, he enjoys long walks in the countryside, skiing down mountains, watching football matches (as long as his team is winning) and keeping up with the latest movies.
- Mike LoweTech Editor
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