Best 17 inch Gaming Laptops for 2022

If you’re looking for an immersive gameplay that makes you feel like you’re gaming on a full desktop monitor; you’ve come to the right place. We’ve rounded up some amazing giants for you to consider before making your choice. 

17 inches is pretty much the best you can get if you’re looking for the biggest laptop on the market, and luckily for you, manufacturers keep coming out with more. When we say 17 inches, we actually mean 17.3 inches diagonally, giving you a panoramic view of whatever you’re in the mood for! Take a look at what we’ve got for you in this guide:

Our Top Picks

Acer Nitro 5 AN517-41–Ryzen 7 Gaming Laptop Price: $1539 Buy Now

Acer Nitro 5 AN517-41–Ryzen 7 Gaming Laptop

Details SPECS CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 5900Hx at 3.3 GHz GPU: Nvidia RTX 3070 8GB GDDR6 RAM: 16GB DDR4 RAM running at 3200MHz Display: 17.3” WQHD with 165Hz Refresh rate Storage: 1 TB NVMe SSD PROS Highest resolution screen in the competition Blistering fast CPU CONS No webcam No built-in Memory card reader Single M.2 NVMe slot for SSDs

$1539 Buy Now

MSI GS76 Stealth–32GB RAM Gaming Device Price: $3999 Buy Now

MSI GS76 Stealth–32GB RAM Gaming Device

Details SPECS CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 5900Hx at 3.3 GHz GPU: Nvidia RTX 3070 8GB GDDR6 RAM: 16GB DDR4 RAM running at 3200MHz Display: 17.3” WQHD with 165Hz Refresh rate Storage: 1 TB NVMe SSD PROS Highest resolution screen in the competition Blistering fast CPU CONS No webcam No built-in Memory card reader Single M.2 NVMe slot for SSDs

$3999 Buy Now

ASUS ROG Strix G17 Price: $1499 Buy Now

ASUS ROG Strix G17

Details SPECS CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 5900Hx at 3.3 GHz GPU: Nvidia RTX 3070 8GB GDDR6 RAM: 16GB DDR4 RAM running at 3200MHz Display: 17.3” WQHD with 165Hz Refresh rate Storage: 1 TB NVMe SSD PROS Highest resolution screen in the competition Blistering fast CPU CONS No webcam No built-in Memory card reader Single M.2 NVMe slot for SSDs

$1499 Buy Now

Gigabyte AORUS G17 YD Price: $1499 Buy Now

Gigabyte AORUS G

Details SPECS CPU: Intel Core i7 11800H running at 2.3 GHz with Turbo boost upto 4.6 GHz GPU: Nvidia RTX 3080 16GB GDDR6 RAM: 32GB DDR4 RAM at 3200MHz Display: 17.3” FHD with 300 Hz Refresh rate Storage: 512 GB NVMe SSD PROS Full Mechanical Keyboard Aluminum built body Thunderbolt 4 CONS Not the brightest screen Fans get noticeable loud under pressure Not as slim and light as its competitors

$1499 Buy Now

Alienware x17 R1 Price: $2379 Buy Now

Alienware x17 R1

Details SPECS CPU: Intel Core i7 11800H at 2.3GHz with Turbo boost upto 4.6 GHz GPU: Nvidia RTX 3070 8GB GDDR6 RAM: 16GB DDR4 RAM at 3200MHz Display: 17.3” FHD with 360 Hz Refresh rate Storage: 1 TB NVMe SSD PROS Best looking laptop Great feedback from the mechanical keyboard Sturdy chassis CONS Heavier than the competitors The most expensive one out the bunch Runs hotter than usual

$2379 Buy Now

17 inch gaming laptopss: Desktop killers Right?

A 17 inch laptop is essentially perfect for gaming; you get a super wide view of your gameplay, and you don’t feel like you’re gaming on a laptop. Sure, this means giving up on a lightweight design and a small footprint; but that’s the price you have to pay for carrying around a desktop size screen in your backpack.

But look at the benefits; you get to have the best screen in class and your gaming experience gets instantly leveled up when you’re gaming on widescreen. Plus, it would also mean a great movie experience on one of these laptops. So the benefits of a Desktop PC, and the portability of a laptop!

Manufacturers charge a lot for these ‘premium’ models, but it isn’t just because of their screens; they’re loaded with the latest and the greatest specs. These laptops certainly aren’t cheap and their specs are proof of that. These rigs will pretty much run every latest AAA title currently on the market. Power hungry games like GTA V, Psychonauts 2, Halo infinite and Cyberpunk 2077.

Laptops like the Acer Nitro 5 AN517, MSI GS76 Stealth, and the ASUS ROG Strix G17 are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to premium 17 inch laptops. Most of these cost more than $2000, which makes you expect decent specifications. We’ve rounded up a list (internal link to table) of specs that a laptop at this price range should have.

So, if you want to go big, you’ve got to pay big. Here are some of the specifications you should be expecting from a high performing 17 inch gaming laptops, and a chart to help you look in the right place:

Specifications	At least..
CPU	i7 10th Generation running at least 3GHz Or AMD Ryzen 7
GPU	GTX 3060 8GB GDDR6
Display	17.3” FHD 144Hz Screen
RAM	16GB DDR4
Storage	512GB NVMe SSD

Acer Nitro 5 AN517-41–Ryzen 7 Gaming Laptop

Key Features

• AMD Ryzen 7 5800H at 3.20 GHz with Turbo boost at 4.40GHz
• Nvidia RTX 3080 16GB GDDR6
• 16GB DDR4 RAM
• 17.3” FHD with 360 Hz Refresh rate
• 1 TB NVMe SSD

Overview

The Acer Nitro 5 is again one of the contestants in our reviews. The nitro 5 comes in all types of configurations which allows it to compete on every level in the gaming industry. This variation; the AN517 is the biggest and the baddest config the nitro 5 comes in. 

With a massive 17.3” inch FHD 360 Hz screen, and a Ryzen 7 5800H running at 3.20 Ghz it has all the ingredients of a gaming beast. Nvidia’s latest RTX 3080 with 8 gigs of GDDR6 VRAM ensures that it runs the latest titles on max settings without breaking a sweat. 16GB of DDR4 RAM makes sure that everything runs at maximal speed and all the necessary cache is stored and used efficiently. The 1 TB NVMe PCIe SSD is used to store all those games and your windows as well. 

The rig is guaranteed to run the latest titles like the Halo infinite. The Nitro 5 is a versatile piece of machine and it is one of our top choices for the best 17 inch gaming laptops. The rig does come at a price tag of $2099 but if compared with the rest of the competition; it’s a bargain! Not to mention the Nitro 5 comes with a free upgrade to Windows 11.

Pros

• Great value for money
• Turbo boost upto 4.40 Ghz
• Comparatively lighter than the competition

Cons

• Screen brightness is not great
• No thunderbolt port
• Doesn’t come with a built-in memory card reader

Buy from here

Buy Now at Amazon:$1539

Rating 

9/10

MSI GS76 Stealth–32GB RAM Gaming Device

Key Features

• Intel Core i9 11900H at 2.5GHz
• Nvidia RTX 3070 8GB GDDR6
• 32GB DDR4 RAM at 3200MHz
• 17.3” FHD with 360 Hz Refresh rate
• 1 TB NVMe SSD

Overview

When it comes to premium MSI is among the first names that pops up into our heads. With legendary models like the GT75 Titan and the GE75 Raider; MSI has always brought their A game to the gaming laptops market. 

The GS76 Stealth is one of the latest gaming rigs from the manufacturer under the big screen tag. The giant 17.3” laptop comes with the latest from Intel; a Core i9 11900H running at a clock speed of 2.5GHz. An amazing 32GB RAM that runs at blistering fast speeds. An RTX 3070 to support all those GPU thirsty games and a 1 TB NVMe PCIe SSD to store all your games and windows. 

GTA V, Cyberpunk 2077 and Far Cry 6 are just some of the titles it devours with its performance. MSI offers a free upgrade to Windows 11 along with all these goodies inside the GS76 Stealth.

Pros

• Huge battery pack
• Sharp 4K Display
• Thunderbolt 4 port

Cons

• Poor Webcam quality
• Fans are comparatively loud under pressure
• Touchpad is not great

Buy from here

Buy Now at Amazon:$3999

Rating 

9/10

ASUS ROG Strix G17

Key Features

• AMD Ryzen 9 5900Hx at 3.3 GHz
• Nvidia RTX 3070 8GB GDDR6
• 16GB DDR4 RAM running at 3200MHz
• 17.3” WQHD with 165Hz Refresh rate
• 1 TB NVMe SSD

Overview

Asus has come out with the latest in it’s ROG series, the Strix G17. And the config we’re considering here has a considerably better display than the rest of our contestants. 

The display is a WQHD 17.3” display with a resolution of 2560 x 1440; is the best one in this series of 17 inch gaming laptopss. But it isn’t just it’s pretty face; the Strix has a lot of firepower under its hood to put it among the best of the best. With a Ryzen 9 5900Hx, that’s right, one of the fastest processors out there, the Strix G17 is capable of handling anything! 

Along with an RTX 3070 and a 16GB RAM; it devours the latest titles. Like the previous contestants; the Strix G17 comes with a 1 TB NVMe SSD in the PCIe slot, which is of course, upgradable. The Strix G17 has hands down the best display among its competitors right now!

Pros

• Highest resolution screen in the competition
• Blistering fast CPU
• Decent built-quality

Cons

• No webcam
• No built-in Memory card reader
• Single M.2 NVMe slot for SSDs

Buy from Here

Buy Now at Amazon:$1499

Rating 

8.5/10

Gigabyte AORUS G17 YD

Key Features

• Intel Core i7 11800H running at 2.3 GHz with Turbo boost upto 4.6 GHz
• Nvidia RTX 3080 16GB GDDR6
• 32GB DDR4 RAM at 3200MHz
• 17.3” FHD with 300 Hz Refresh rate
• 512 GB NVMe SSD

Overview

Gigabyte is one of the best gaming hardware manufacturers out there and its products have been competing with the top companies in the market for years. Gigabyte makes some pretty expensive and over-built gaming rigs and that makes it perfect for what we’re looking for right now. With an Intel i7 11th Generation processor with a turbo boost upto 4.6GHz paired with 32 gigs of DDR4 RAM, it is more than capable of handling everything you’ll throw at it. The GPU is a total beast of a chip; an RTX 3080 with 16GB GDDR6 VRAM The screen is decent, not the best but it offers great colors, an awesome refresh rate at 300 Hz, and an FHD 1920 x 1080 resolution for the best gaming experience. The SSD is the smallest one among the competition at 512GB but of course, easily upgradable. Gigabyte gaming laptops have always sort of had a ‘bulky’ and eccentric design language, and parts of it does show in the G17 YD. The Gigabyte is powerful enough to take on the latest titles in the gaming industry like the Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and GTA V.

Pros

• Full Mechanical Keyboard
• Aluminum built body
• Thunderbolt 4

Cons

• Not the brightest screen
• Fans get noticeable loud under pressure
• Not as slim and light as its competitors

Buy from Here

Buy Now at Amazon:$1499

Rating 

8/10

Alienware x17 R1

Key Features

• Intel Core i7 11800H at 2.3GHz with Turbo boost upto 4.6 GHz
• Nvidia RTX 3070 8GB GDDR6
• 16GB DDR4 RAM at 3200MHz
• 17.3” FHD with 360 Hz Refresh rate
• 1 TB NVMe SSD

Overview

The latest from Dell’s Alienware; the x17 R1 barely makes our list as it being the most expensive laptop in the competition at $2500. Alienware laptops have always been expensive because of the engineering that goes into designing and building these beasts. 

This x17 is no joke; even though this is a base model; it still comes with an Intel i7 11th generation with up to 4.6 GHz using turbo boost. The RTX 3070 with 8GB GDDR6 VRAM can handle the latest titles with ease. There’s 16GB of RAM and a 1 TB NVMe SSD. 

The screen is a 17.3” FHD 1920 x 1080 360 Hz display. But, the most impressive thing that the x17 offers is that sleek jaw-dropping Alienware design language. It is the best looking laptop in this competition. 

Pros

• Best looking laptop
• Great feedback from the mechanical keyboard
• Sturdy chassis

Cons

• Heavier than the competitors
• The most expensive one out the bunch
• Runs hotter than usual

Buy from Here

Buy Now at Amazon:$2379

Rating 

9.6/10

Here’s what you should look for when buying a big laptop:

Things to look for when choosing a 17 inch gaming laptops

When you’re paying the big bucks, you should expect your rig to have the latest Intel or AMD chip paired with one of the latest Nvidia GPUs offered in the market today. So, we’ve prepared a little guide for you to consider some important factors before choosing your 17 inch gaming laptops.

The Work:Play balance

The first thing that should matter when choosing a 17 inch laptop, is to determine what you want out of your machine. You need to figure out the balance between your Work and Play activities, and what type of specs they’d require to function optimally. 

A certain type would look for something that helps them accomplish everyday tasks like Microsoft Office, Project Management, and are essentially looking for ‘just a laptop’. So, if you’re more towards that side; go for something that doesn’t have the most powerful CPU and GPU. You’ll save a lot of money and get what you want out of your 17 inch laptop.

But what if you’re inclined towards play; gaming that is? Well, for that, you need a lot of performance from your CPU and GPU. We recommend going for the best specced laptop your money can buy as anything less wouldn’t do.

The Work:Play theory isn’t the only thing you should base your decision on; have a look at the rest of the deciding factors we have lined up for you:

Screen:

Resolution

First thing you should keep an eye on is the screen itself. If you’re choosing a laptop based on its screen size, you want the display to be the best in the business, and FHD ought to do so. All of our contestants in this category have Full HD screens except for the ASUS; the configuration we chose doesn’t come with a FHD screen. The one that does costs way more than the competition; which wouldn’t be a fair comparison. All of our contestants cost around $2000-$2300, other variations of these exact models can cost upto $3000 as well. What about the smoothness?

Refresh Rate

Refresh rate is one of those things that make your gameplay smooth and let you experience all the power your GPU has to offer. At this price point; you should expect a refresh rate of 165Hz and more. The ASUS again comes in with a 165Hz refresh rate, barely making it through our competition. The rest of our contestants have an FHD 300 Hz and above screen refresh rates. Anything lower than 165Hz, is not worth considering given the large sum of money you’ll be spending on one of these machines. We should talk about performance now.

Performance

The CPU

When you’re spending this much on a gaming rig, you should expect the latest offerings from Intel or AMD, at a minimum of Core i7 10th Generation or Ryzen 7 5900H. These processors are guaranteed to provide you the ability to run the latest AAA titles with ease. Of course most of these come with turbo boost which can take them up to a whopping 4.4 plus GHz. 

So, to sum it up, you should look for a laptop with at least an Intel i7 or a Ryzen 7 to get your money’s worth. Anything lower than these chips; is not worth considering if you want to actually game. So a powerful CPU, what about the Graphics processor?

The GPU

This is the most important component for any gaming laptop; the graphics processor. Without a powerful GPU pushing those game graphics to the max; you won’t get the immersive experience you were expecting from a big screen. 

When it comes to GPUs; it’s a make or break case, you have to spend money here. And luckily, all of your contestants are equipped with the latest RTX 30-series, with either an RTX 3070 or RTX 3080 in the bag; they can easily run GPU hungry games like the GTA V, Psychonauts 2 and Halo Infinite on max settings. We suggest that you avoid rigs with anything lower than these cards. Should the quality of the laptops matter?

The Build quality

A 17 inch laptop shouldn’t be limited to a huge display, massive performance figures and great GPU, but to handle the weight of that giant screen; the laptop should have a solid chassis and a decent built quality. 

This is necessary because a laptop is carried around all day; it should be able to handle the stress and be durable and sturdy. Fortunately, none of our contestants have a built quality issue and all of them seem to be sturdy and solid enough to withstand everyday usage. 

So, built quality should be one of the top priorities when considering a 17 inch gaming laptops. Wanna know what we prefer?

Conclusion

If you are reading this it means you have already read our article and now want to grasp an answer quite clear. 17-inch Gaming devices are the real desktop killers and require a huge amount of budget as well. Most of these gaming rigs are quite compatible with running all the typical AAA games effortlessly with great specs. This article is well curated with excellent format to help you consider the best machine of your choice. If you still require some guide regarding going for the purchase then you should visit our Buying guide as well for 17”-Gaming laptops.

What should you go for? (Techywired’s Choice)/Buyer’s Guide

To make it easier for you to decide; we’ve rounded up three laptops that are the best in their own leagues, ranking from the best looking to the best value for money and finally, the best performance. We didn’t take the battery life into consideration for these rigs as 17 inch laptops do not offer a great battery life. So, here are TechyWired’s choices:

Our Winners:

• Best Performance: MSI GS76 Stealth (link to MSI GS76 Stealth Specs)
• Best Value for Money: Acer Nitro 5 AN517 (link to Acer Nitro 5 AN517 Specs)
• Best Looking: Alienware x17 R1 (link to Alienware x17 R1 Specs)

Best built-quality/Best Looking

This is honestly the best looking and the best built laptop out of the competitors; the Alienware x17 R1. The rig is loaded with performance, all while looking the best of the bunch. Dell has put a lot of money into designing this thing and the price tag reminds us of that. 

Putting a fully mechanical Cherry MX keyboard inside a body this smooth is engineering at its peak. The x17 has an arsenal of performance under it’s sleek body, an Intel Core i7 11800H that can ramp up its clock speed to a blistering fast 4.6 GHz. The i7 is paired with an RTX 3070 with 8 gigs of GDDR6 VRAM goodness for that buttery smooth gameplay you love. The RAM is sufficient to handle the tasks you throw at it; a pair of 8GB DDR4 memory sticks running at a speed of 3200MHz. 

For storage, Dell has put in a 1 TB NVMe PCIe SSD ino the x17 to ensure that all your games and windows are stored. The design language is full of RGB accents all around the laptop, a honeycomb mesh design covers the speakers of the x17 that ends right before the Cherry MX keys. 

Alienware has managed to integrate a lot of ports in that slim design including Thunderbolt 4 and USB-C ports, there’s even a Killer Ethernet jack. The x17 is offered in a lot of configurations, the one we’ve chosen for this competition is the base variant costing around $2500, which is way more expensive than any of our other contestants cost. But that is the price you’ll have to pay if you want to experience that Alienware life. What if it’s the value you want?

Best value for money

If you’re looking for a comparatively cheap 17 inch gaming laptops and want the best value for your money; then the Acer Nitro 5 AN517 is the one you want. The Nitro 5 was also in our cheap gaming laptops review, which further proves how much value it offers for your money. This variant; the AN517-41 offers a Full HD 17.3” 360 Hz refresh rate screen which is one of the best screens you could get for $2000. 

The Nitro 5 comes with an AMD Ryzen 7 5900H that can turbo boost upto 4.4 GHz, good right? That kind of performance can handle the latest titles easily. Speaking of the latest titles, the Nitro’s RTX 3080 with 16GB GDDR6 GPU is the monster that is integrated inside the Acer to handle them without even reaching its max clock speed. The RAM, just like the Alienware, is a pair of 8GB DDR4 sticks. A 1 TB NVMe SSD is capable of storing all your games and windows along with them. And speaking of windows, Acer offers a free upgrade to Windows 11. So, if it’s a cheap 17 inch gaming laptops you’re looking for, you can’t go wrong with the Acer Nitro 5 AN517-41. Want Performance?

The best performer/(TechyWired’s Choice)

The title for the best performer goes to the MSI GS76 Stealth. And it’s due to the fact that it has the best that Intel has to offer; a Core i9 11th generation chip with a turbo boost of up to 4.2 GHz, putting the MSI into beast mode. The i9 11900H is one of the fastest CPUs that the market has to offer right now. The GPU is also one of the best; Nvidia’s RTX 3070 at 8GB GDDR6. 

It was a close battle between the MSI GS76 Stealth and the ASUS ROG Strix G17 as the Asus has also one of the best processors on the market; the AMD Ryzen 9 5900Hx, but MSI’s bigger RAM gave it an edge when under pressure. Even though the Asus is also offered in a 32 gig config, it made it much more expensive taking the variant out of the competition. So, if it’s performance you’re shopping for; the MSI GS76 Stealth is the best choice you can make when it comes to 17 inch gaming laptopss. The MSI isn’t bad either; it certainly has the looks to match the performance it offers. It has a minimalistic design with a huge touchpad in the middle and an RGB Keyboard, no fancy blings like the Alienware but it isn’t bad. The best word we could come up with was ‘understated’.

FAQs

Do 17 inch laptops break comparatively easily?

Whether it’s a 17 inch screen or a 15 inch, the durability depends upon the quality of the materials used in the laptop. If the chassis is strong and sturdy, the laptop will certainly not break under normal use. None of our contestants show any signs of vulnerability when it comes to the actual build quality of the rigs. But, do consider the build quality of whatever laptop you’re considering buying. 

Are 17 inch laptops good for editing?

Yes, 17 inch gaming laptopss are also good at editing. As these laptops already have the best specifications to handle power hungry tasks like the latest games, they’re capable of handling editors and rendering software to some extent. The widescreen offers editors the ability to see their work in full HD. So, in theory, yes, you can edit on gaming laptops.

How long do 17 inch laptops last on battery?

If you’re looking to buy a full 17.3” laptop that puts out 300 Hz refresh rates, you are bound to have a comparatively shorter battery life as compared to a smaller sized laptop. But for what it’s worth, these giants lasted for more than 5 hours under pressure and their clock speeds turned high. That is a decent time for a 17 inch gaming laptops, and it is honestly the best you’re going to get in this league.

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