17-inch laptops compared

With a screen diagonal of around 43.9 cm, 17.3-inch models are ideal if the notebook mostly sits on a desk and is only moved occasionally – as a family PC, for working from home without an external monitor, or for older users who appreciate a large display. The devices usually weigh 2 to 3 kg, gaming models even more.

The large footprint leaves room for a keyboard with a number pad and often more ports than smaller models. Some manufacturers have already moved to 18 inches in 16:10 format.

At 17 inches, Full HD (1920 × 1080) is standard and fine for office work and video. If you edit photos or play games, you'll find higher-resolution variants (QHD/WQHD) and displays with 144 Hz or more. As with every size, look for an IPS panel.

Many cheap 17-inch models are sold with Intel N or Celeron processors and 8 GB RAM. For a genuine desktop replacement that should last a few years, a Core i5/Core 5 or Ryzen 5, 16 GB RAM and an SSD with 512 GB or 1 TB are the better choice. With used devices such as the HP ProBook 470 or older gaming notebooks, check the processor generation because of Windows 11.

In the comparison you'll find new and used 17-inch models. Many large devices come from the gaming segment: older gaming notebooks with 17.3-inch displays are often sold cheaply second-hand and make a powerful desktop replacement, as long as the graphics card and processor are still up to date. Pay attention to fan noise, temperatures and the processor's Windows 11 compatibility.

For pure office work, a new multimedia notebook with a more economical processor is the quieter, longer-lasting choice. Also consider the space required: large notebooks don't fit into every laptop bag, and the power adapter of gaming models is often heavy. If you rarely move the device, this hardly matters.