Best 17-inch laptops: The highest rated large laptops we’ve tested

As a general rule, the bigger the screen, the heavier the laptop and the bulkier they usually are. The LG Gram 17 (2021) is a rare exception, offering a massive 17-inch screen in a 1.35kg shell. For reference, that weight is equivalent to most 14- and 15-inch laptops.

Having a 17-inch laptop so light made it incredibly portable, which we found to be super convenient to sling into a bag for the commute to work. With the slim chassis and lightweight form in mind, the port selection is great with USB-C/Thunderbolt 4, USB-A HDMI and microSD all represented. For such a lightweight laptop though, some corners have been cut, as the Gram features a magnesium-alloy case that flexes under pressure.

During testing, the 17-inch display, complete with its 2560×1600 resolution, proved to be excellent, offering sharp imagery. With it also came a great contrast ratio of 1518:1 and superb colour accuracy, with our colourimeter measuring the panel to hit 100% of the sRGB coverage, and 81% and 96% for Adobe RGB and DCI-P3 respectively. This means you could use this LG laptop for colour-sensitive design work as much as for general use.

Inside, it packs an Intel Core i7-1165G7 processor, the same as the smaller 16-inch model that we found to breeze through productivity tasks. With that being said, we found it to lag behind competitor’s models with the same chip inside, as well as laptops that were smaller in size. The SSD read and writes here were also quick, making loading your files on and off the 512GB drive incredibly easy.

The battery present here is the same 80Wh capacity as in the 16-inch model too which, during our PC Mark 10 benchmark, managed to last 11hrs and 20 minutes. For a laptop this size, it’s a respectable result, although lasted just under 4 hours less than the LG Gram 16.

So if you fancy a 17-inch laptop that’s also portable enough to bring to the office or the university lecture hall, there really is no better option than the LG Gram 17.

Reviewer: Ryan Jones
Full review: LG Gram 17 (2021) review

We described the Medion Erazer Beast X40 as a thoroughbred next-generation gaming laptop, coming with the latest and greatest components from Nvidia and Intel. It can be configured to an RTX 4090 GPU and a Raptor Lake i9-13900HX processor, with DDR5 RAM added on to help future-proof the device for years to come. It blasted through our gaming benchmarks with ease, scoring 122fps in Borderlands 3 at the native resolution with maximum ray tracing and no DLSS upscaling.

The display sits at 17-inches and boasts a WQXGA (25600×1600) resolution, giving you more than enough room to game and watch media content. In our screen tests, it managed to hit 417 nits of brightness, although the contrast ratio was disappointing at just 954:1. These numbers prove that while the Erazer Beast X40 won’t do justice to HDR content, it’s a lot more affordable than some other laptops that come with Mini-LED technology, like the MSI Titan GT77 HX.

We loved the large selection of ports, which include four USB-A ports, one USB-C Thunderbolt 4, a 2.5GbE Ethernet import and an HDMI 2.1 output. It also packs two 3.5mm audio jacks – one combo, one mic in – and an SD card slot. Looking further at what’s under the hood, the Erazer Beast X40 comes with support for Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.1, which should ensure seamless wireless connections to both the internet and any Bluetooth-supported devices.

The only reason this laptop has been docked half a star is for its lack of HDR performance. Laptops like the Acer Predator Helios 16 (2023) will be your best bet if you don’t want the price to skyrocket but overall, unless you need an OLED or Mini-LED panel then the Medion Erazer Beast X40 is one of the best gaming laptops out there. It’s a lot more affordable than most of its rivals and comes with some of the most powerful internals on the market, giving you the chance to visit some of your favourite games without breaking the bank.

Reviewer: Alun Taylor
Full Review: Medion Erazer Beast X40

Last year’s Dell XPS 17 (2021) was a fantastic laptop and a worthy addition to this list, but the machine has since been supplanted by its own successor, the Dell XPS 17 (2022). Dell hasn’t rocked the boat with any major visual overhauls but the XPS 17 still stands out for packing a lot of great features into a portable package.

Despite its large display, the XPS 17 manages to maintain a slim profile that rids itself of any bulk, weighing between 2.17kg and 2.57kg (depending on the variation you pick up), which makes it a breeze to chuck in and out of a backpack. Sure, it’s not as portable as something like the MacBook Air M2 but if you want that large screen experience on the go then the Dell XPS 17 is one of your best options.

You won’t find much to complain about with regards to port availability either. In addition to two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, the XPS boasts a full sized SD Card reader, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a HDMI slot and an always handy USB-A port. That SD reader in particular makes the XPS 17 an ideal pick for photographers or filmmakers who want to dive into their latest captures quickly, without having to faff around with dongles.

The accompanying 4K IPS display, while not quite as eye-catching as the OLED variant on the Dell XPS 15 (2022), is still impressive enough to lend some very accurate colour profiles to the latest films and TV shows.

The only major downside to the Dell XPS 17 is its battery life which, at around 3 hours and 37 minutes for office work, isn’t ideal for long periods away from a power outlet. Still, if you know you’re headed to a place where topping up the battery is easy enough, then you won’t find this to be an issue.

Reviewer: Stuart Andrews
Full review: Dell XPS 17 (2022) review

The MSI Titan GT77 HX may be one of the most expensive gaming laptops we have ever reviewed, with a hefty £5299/$5299 price tag. Once you get past the cost, you can see that it comes fitted with some of the most powerful and recent internals on the market, with our reviewer claiming that this machine can handle anything you throw at it.

It can be configured up to an Nvidia RTX 4090 GPU and Intel Core i9-13980HX processor, which is unbelievably powerful. It managed to score 20,810 in our 3DMark Time Spy benchmark, which is almost record-breaking, proving that this machine is more than capable of tackling triple-A gaming as well as creative workloads.

The screen is nothing to sniff at either, with the 17.3-inch display featuring a Mini-LED panel as well as a 4K resolution. Combined, this technology delivers incredible visuals, with our tests showing that the screen can reach up to 617 nits of brightness in SDR mode and 1145 nits in HDR mode. This is well above what the standard 300-nit laptop can achieve and allows the Titan GT77 HX to bring every game to life.

The features don’t stop there; MSI kitted this machine out with a mechanical keyboard that uses CherryMX Ultra Low Profile switches. We found the typing to be crisp, satisfying and quick, with the consistency, tactility and pace boding very well for both games and productivity.

The biggest downfall of the MSI Titan GT77 HX is its eye-watering price. However, if money is not an issue and you’re looking for one of the highest-quality laptops on the market then this is a fantastic choice. It has more than enough power for the most intensive gaming activities and a wonderfully bright and vibrant screen. If you’re looking for something more affordable then the Razer Blade 17 (2022) or Alienware x17 R2 (2022) may be better fits.

Reviewer: Mike Jennings
Full Review: MSI Titan GT77 HX