We feature the best 17-inch laptop under $1000. For gaming on a laptop, a bigger screen always helps. While a 15.6-inch screen offers better portability, a 17″ laptop provides a sophisticated, desktop-like experience. A bigger screen offers better visibility and clarity which is very important if you’re playing fast-paced FPS games. Besides, you can also use a 17″ gaming rig as a portable workstation for work.
But despite all the advantages, 17-inch gaming rigs have one major drawback. They are the heaviest class of laptops around, and they take up a lot of space. For a college goer or a professional who needs to carry the laptop regularly, a lighter, 15-inch laptop seems like a better suit.
Suggested: Best Gaming Laptops for College in 2022.
Contents [hide]
- 1 A 17″ screen isn’t too big
- 2 Excellent for creators & developers
- 3 Great for movies
- 4 Better keyboard & lots of ports
- 5 Better cooling systems
- 6 Bulky and Heavy
- 7 Refresh rate and resolution matters
- 8 Best 17-inch gaming laptops
- 8.1 1. Razer Blade Pro 17 – The All-rounder
- 8.2 2. MSI GE76 Raider – Desktop-level Performance
- 8.3 3. Dell Alienware x17 r2 – Powerful & Slim
- 8.4 4. ASUS ROG Strix G17 – An affordable Beast
- 8.5 5. MSI Crosshair 17 RTX3060 – Budget Beast
- 8.6 6. Eluktronics MAX 17 (2021) – Best for professionals
- 8.7 7. Lenovo Legion 5 17 – Insanely Cheap
A 17″ screen isn’t too big
A 17-inch display isn’t too big when it comes to gaming. Most gamers prefer bigger monitors when building their rigs. Professional gamers normally play on a 24″ monitor for desktop builds, as it’s the standard for all e-sports competitions.
Excellent for creators & developers
Nowadays, high-performance gaming rigs are used for many professional applications. And for content creators and designers, a bigger screen can help boost productivity. A larger, 17-inch display can help in multitasking as well as working with professional software like Photoshop or the Premiere Pro. A high-performance gaming laptop with a 17-inch display can easily replace your old workstation.
Great for movies
If you also love watching movies, a large 17″ monitor is going to be a good choice. Movies look great on bigger screens, especially if your laptop has a 4k OLED display.
Better keyboard & lots of ports
Thanks to their bigger screen, 17-inch gaming laptops have plenty of room for all the ports you’ll ever need. And along with that, you have a spacious, near-desktop-class keyboard with a Numpad. On 15.6 inch laptops, manufacturers either have to ditch the Numpad or reduce the size and spacing of the keys.
Better cooling systems
Typically, 17-inch gaming laptops usually feature a bigger and better cooling system. This can help keep the laptop cooler when playing games. More efficient cooling also helps boost the performance of CPU and GPU, so 17-inch rigs tend to perform better.
Bulky and Heavy
Despite all their pros, 17-inch gaming laptops have one major drawback: they’re darn heavy! All gaming laptops are heavy, much heavier than ultrabooks and business laptops. And the 17″ rigs are known to be even heavier.
A typical 17″ gaming notebook weighs at least 5 pounds. They also take up more space, so you’ll need a much larger backpack to carry it. If you have to regularly carry your laptop, you may want to reconsider before purchasing a 17″ gaming rig.
Refresh rate and resolution matters
For gaming, the resolution and refresh rate of the display is actually more important than its size. A higher-resolution screen provides more details, and a high refresh rate enables you to sense the slightest of changes. This is especially important for fast-paced FPS titles, where you have to react in a split of a second.
Best 17-inch gaming laptops
So here are our picks for the best 17″ gaming rigs. As these luggable machines are infamous for their size and weight, we tried to include lighter and slimmer rigs with the heavier, more powerful rigs.
1. Razer Blade Pro 17 – The All-rounder
- CPU: Intel Core i7-12800H
- GPU: Nvidia Geforce RTX 3080 Ti
- RAM: 32GB DDR5
- Screen: 17.3″ QHD 240Hz
- Storage: 1TB PCIe SSD
- Battery: ~5 Hours
- Weight: 6 lbs
Pros:
- Unmatched build quality.
- Sleek for a gaming rig.
- Extremely Powerful GPU.
- Latest Intel CPU.
- Faster DDDR5 RAM.
Cons:
- Poor battery backup.
- Expensive.
- No Numpad.
- Quite heavy.
Product Description
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti GPU: The new GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU brings the flagship 80 Ti class of GPUs to laptops for the first time – featuring 16GB of the fastest GDDR6 memory ever shipped in a laptop, the RTX 3080 Ti delivers higher performance than the desktop TITAN RTX.
- 12th Gen Intel Core i7 14-Core CPU: Experience cutting-edge speed on the all-new Intel Core i7-12800H processor with up to 4.8GHz of Turbo Boost for unrivalled performance to take on the most demanding gaming and creative tasks.
- QHD 240Hz Display: High refresh rate meets high resolution to provide a responsive gaming experience that comes with a greater level of detail and no screen-tearing thanks to NVIDIA G-SYNC.
- DDR5 4800MHz Memory: 50% faster than the previous generation – enjoy a quicker, smoother experience when loading applications, running games, and performing other everyday tasks.
- Next-Gen Vapor Chamber Cooling: Upgraded with more exhaust fins, quieter fans, and a larger liquid capacity, the new Blade 17 performs cooler and quieter than ever before.
- Desktop-Grade Connectivity: Never feel the need to compromise on how to accessorize with the built-in HDMI 2.1 port, Thunderbolt 4 USB-C (2 ports), USB-A (3 ports), 3.5mm audio jack, UHS-II SD card slot, and 2.5GB Ethernet Port.
From the outside, The 2022 version of the Blade Pro 17 doesn’t look too different from its earlier versions. It’s mostly the same old classic Blade – with a classy design and an elegant touch of gaming aesthetics. But under the hood, the components have been updated.
The Blade Pro 17 features the all-new 12th gen Intel core i7 processor with 14 cores and 20 Threads. The RAM slot is upgraded as well. It now comes with 4800MHz DDR5 Memory – which is almost 50% faster than its predecessors. And combined with the fast PCIe SSD storage, games should load in seconds on this beast.
The extremely powerful RTX 3080Ti GPU is one of the fastest mobile GPUs right now. It can easily handle any demanding game you can throw at it. The QHD IPS panel is bright, crisp, color-accurate, and has a high refresh rate 240Hz.
As for battery backup, the Blade pro 17 lasted just 4 hours in the TechRader’s movie test. You can expect an average of 5 hours of backup while not gaming.
At 6 pounds, it’s still heavier for a 17-inch gaming laptop. But it’s quite slim, so it takes less space in backpacks. And thanks to its non-gaming design, you can use it as your daily driver for office and work too.
Suggested: 9 Gaming Laptops with Incredible Battery Life.
2. MSI GE76 Raider – Desktop-level Performance
- CPU: Intel Core i9-11980HK
- GPU: Nvidia Geforce RTX 3080
- RAM: 16GB
- Screen: 17.3″ FHD 300Hz
- Storage: Up to 1TB SSD
- Battery: 7 Hours
- Weight: 6 lbs
Pros:
- Excellent performance.
- Quiet fans.
- 1080p webcam
- Good audio Quality.
- Lots of ports.
Cons:
- Steep price for the performance.
- Dim screen.
- Heavy.
Product Description
- Visual Prowess: The 17.3” 360Hz FHD display delivers true-to-life images with a high refresh rate so you can see every frame of the game.
- Redefined Power: The 11th Gen. Intel Core i9 processor, delivers high performance to take on any games and applications with ease.
- Supercharged Graphics: The MSI GE76 Raider is powered by NVIDIA GeForce RTX, take on today’s most popular games with these performance graphics.
- On the Go Gaming: Designed to be the ultimate portable gaming station with immense power and a 99.9WHr battery to keep you gaming for longer.
- Cool and Powerful: MSI’s exclusive Cooler Boost Technology ensures optimal thermal dissipation. Featuring state of the art fans and heat pipes, get the airflow you need for gaming.
- Customized Keys: Customize each key to your liking and receive real-time in-game status through keyboard lighting, or even watch the lights dance to your favorite tune.
The flagship GE76 is MSI’s take on the premium gaming laptop market. at three and a half grand, you get a blazing-fast, market-leading Intel Core i9 processor. As for graphics, the mobile RTX3080 GPU can easily produce three-digit framerates for an ultra-smooth gaming experience.
With a metal chassis and edged design, the laptop looks classy while keeping the gaming signature. The fast, 17-inch display delivers excellent color quality, but it could have been brighter. The keyboard is comfortable, and the trackpad is accurate to touch.
Though it sports a 99-WHr battery, the backup isn’t too good. That’s understandable in high-performance laptops since the components are highly optimized for speed rather than efficiency. We think the battery life should improve with more BIOS and driver updates in the future.
3. Dell Alienware x17 r2 – Powerful & Slim
- CPU: Intel Core i7-12700H
- GPU: Nvidia Geforce RTX 3060
- RAM: 32GB DDR5
- Screen: 17.3″ FHD 165Hz
- Storage: Up to 4TB SSD
- Battery: 87 WH
- Weight: 6.7 lbs
Pros:
- Top-notch performance.
- Elegant and slim design.
- Excellent gaming experience.
- Stunning Screen.
- Mechanical keybaord available.
Cons:
- Slightly expensive for the performance.
- A lot Heavier than its rivals.
Product Description
- STUNNING VISUALS: Explore new worlds on this gaming laptop in Full HD detail on the 17.3-inch 300 nit display with 1920 x 1080 resolution, 360hz 1ms refresh rate and ComfortView Plus
- LIMITLESSLY THIN: Break boundaries and the scoreboard with this thinnest 17″ inch high-performance gaming laptop.
- KILLER COOLING: Game for longer periods of time thanks to Alienware’s quad fan technology designed to move air over internal hotspots by dissipating heat and reducing external temperatures.
- STUNNING GRAPHICS: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 6GB GDDR6 graphics card is built with enhanced RT Cores and Tensor Cores and high-speed G6 memory, allowing you to play through the most demanding games.
- OPTIMIZE YOUR GAMING LAPTOP: Killer AX 1675 + Bluetooth 5.2 technology delivers multiple high-speed channel wireless for improved performance and reliability.
The Alienware x17 is Dell’s attempt to enter the portable gaming laptop market. It’s the lightest and slimmest Alienware series ever, and probably the slimmest 17″ gaming notebook in the world.
Suggested: Best Thin and Light Gaming Laptops: 7 Picks.
The latest r2 series features an Intel Core i7-12700H, with 14 Cores and 20 Threads for smoother multitasking. And the 32GB DDR5 RAM, combined with a high-speed PCIe SSD provides a snappy computing experience.
You can either buy the x17 r2 with either an RTX 3060, 3070, or a 3080 GPU. Personally, we think that an RTX 3080 is overkill for an FHD screen. We recommend the RTX 3060 or the 3070 version – saves quite a lot of bucks.
4. ASUS ROG Strix G17 – An affordable Beast
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX
- GPU: Nvidia Geforce RTX 3070 8GB
- RAM: 16GB
- Screen: 17.3″ FHD 300Hz
- Storage: Up to 1TB SSD
- Battery: 8 Hours
- Weight: 6 lbs
Pros:
- Top-notch performance.
- Bright and fast 17-inch display.
- Quiet fans.
- excellent battery backup.
Cons:
- Slightly expensive.
- No webcam.
- No card reader, Thunderbolt port.
- Chassis gets hot under heavy load.
Product Description
- NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 8GB GDDR6 with ROG Boost up to 1802MHz at 115W (130W with Dynamic Boost 2.0).
- Latest AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX Processor (16M Cache, up to 4.6 GHz).
- 300Hz 17.3” Full HD 1920×1080 IPS-Type Display.
- 16GB DDR4 3200MHz RAM | 512GB PCIe SSD.
- ROG Intelligent Cooling thermal system with Thermal Grizzly Liquid Metal Thermal Compound.
- Comes with Windows 10 Home and a FREE upgrade to Windows 11.
Now here’s a beast at an affordable price. The Strix G17 is designed to get max performance out of its powerful CPU and GPU. And like other portable machines, this one doesn’t limit performance, thanks to the more efficient cooling system.
The ROG Strix G17 is a well-designed machine, offering a formidable core experience for serious gaming and multitasking. Its high-performance RTX 3070 GPU is capable of running any modern game at 60fps. And the 8-core Ryzen 9 is similarly capable of providing a snappy computing experience.
The big, 17-inch display is bright, crisp, and color-accurate. And an ultrafast 165Hz 3ms refresh rate makes the flow of fast-paced action look impeccably smooth. Illuminate your environment with Aura Sync accents that shine from the metallic ROG logo, across the backlit keyboard, to the wraparound light bar.
With its 90Wh battery, the Strix G17 can last up to 10 hours at low brightness and a moderate workload. But the major downside is its weight. At 6 pounds, you may not want to carry it on your back on a long haul.
5. MSI Crosshair 17 RTX3060 – Budget Beast
- CPU: Intel Core i7-11800H
- GPU: Nvidia Geforce RTX 3060
- RAM: 16GB
- Screen: 17.3″ FHD 144Hz
- Storage: 512GB SSD
- Battery: 5-6 Hours
- Weight: 6 lbs
Pros:
- Suprb Performance.
- Minimal gaming look.
- Spacious keyboard with numpad.
Cons:
- Average Display.
- Fewer ports.
- Heavy.
Product Description
- Display: 17.3″ Thin Bezel FHD, IPS-Level 144Hz, 72% NTSC
- Processor: Intel Core i7-11800H 8 Core 2.4 – 4.6GHz
- GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX3060 Laptop GPU 6GB GDDR6
- RAM: 16GB (8G*2) DDR4 3200MHz; 2 Sockets; Max Memory 64GB
- Storage: 512GB NVMe SSD
The Crosshair 17 is an excellent mid-end gaming laptop from MSI. You won’t find another 17″ rig under 1500 bucks that performs so well as this one.
The duo of Intel core i7 and the Nvidia RTX3060 performs incredibly well. In many benchmarks, the laptop stood well above other laptops with a similar set of CPU and GPU. It also comes with 16GB of RAM and 512GB NVMe SSD, which you can always upgrade later.
There isn’t a lot to talk about its design – a plastic body that doesn’t scream for attention, and a backlit RGB keyboard that looks and feels decent. The 17″ FHD display isn’t the best in its class, but it has excellent clarity and is bright enough to play games in the daytime.
The battery backup isn’t the best though, it comes with a 59-Wh Battery that barely lasts 6 hours while surfing the internet. It weighs about 5.9 pounds -putting it in the heavier group of 17″ gaming rigs. But despite these downsides, the Crosshair 17 is an excellent choice for gaming under budget.
6. Eluktronics MAX 17 (2021) – Best for professionals
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX
- GPU: Nvidia Geforce RTX 3070
- RAM: 16GB
- Screen: 17.3″ QHD 165Hz
- Storage: 512GB SSD
- Battery: ~7 Hours
- Weight: 5.1 lbs
Pros:
- Sturdy and premium build.
- Neutral Design.
- Solid Gaming and multitasking performance.
- Portable for a 17-inch notebook.
- Lots of ports.
Cons:
- Chassis gets quite hot under stress.
Product Description
- Mobility In Mind: Crafted from magnesium alloy, the MAX 17 weighs only 5lbs and most of it comes from it’s massive internal battery. Power to performance ratio is uncompable to any other thin and light gaming laptop on the market!
- Extreme Performance: Crush the competition with the impressive power and speed of the latest AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX processor, featuring 8 cores and 16 threads to divide and conquer multiple tasks at once
- RTX, It’s On: The latest NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 (8GB dedicated GDDR6 VRAM) is powered by award-winning Ampere architecture with new Ray Tracing Cores, Tensor Cores, and streaming multiprocessors supports up to 140 watts of power for the ultimate gaming performance
- Blazing-Fast & Color Accurate Display: This 17.3″ Quad HD (2560 x 1440) IPS-Type LED-backlit display with 16:9 aspect ratio features an incredibly fast 165Hz refresh rate for gamers and content creators who demand the best visual experiences
- Prioritize Your Way: The Eluktronics control center provides customization to tailor exactly to your needs. Need an office friendly laptop? Office Mode and NVIDIA WhisperMode technology is one click away. Ready to unleash performance? Beast Mode & overclocking capabilities awaits you
- Memory & Storage: 16GB DDR4 3200MHz dual channel RAM helps you open multiple tabs and applications at once. A 512GB PCIe Gen 3 SSD handles your operating system for fast boot times, loading games, transferring work, school projects and more. Plus, there is one additional M.2 SSD bay internally for future expansion if you need extra storage space
- Let’s Get Connected: A USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C Port delivers high-speed data transfer or DisplayPort connectivity. An HDMI 2.1 port is tied directly to the NVIDIA graphics card for maximum performance. Intel WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.2 and a 2.5GBPS Ethernet LAN let’s you connect wirelessly or wired.
- Covert Gamer Design: PC brands typically slap stickers and logos all over laptops, but not here. There is no external branding or logos on the MAX 17 for a clean look. For those looking to accessorize, a Black Swarm dbrand skin is included for a unique muted appearance of our icon. We’re happy to let the quality of our product and hardware speak for iself.
The Eluktronics Max 17 is a high-performance laptop, but it’s not just designed for gaming. The Max series is aimed at professionals who require extra performance at work. Its clean, notebook-ish design looks perfectly professional. And there are no external branding or stickers on the laptop, no intel or Nvidia logos anywhere.
The laptop is designed with mobility in mind. Crafted from magnesium alloy, the MAX 17 weighs about 5.1 pounds. That’s really impressive for a 17-inch laptop. The display is also top-notch, with its bright colors and a fast refresh rate.
The combo of the latest AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX processor and a powerful RTX3070 GPU delivers an impressive gaming performance and multitasking experience. It also comes with 32GB of RAM which should be enough for most professional workstations.
The laptop can also be put into Office mode, which throttles performance and minimizes fan noise. This is especially useful because gaming laptops can suddenly start making noise when under stress. The battery life is also decent for a 17-inch notebook – under moderate load, it can last well over 6 hours (with the Optimus feature turned on)
Related: Best Gaming Laptops with Advanced Optimus.
7. Lenovo Legion 5 17 – Insanely Cheap
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600H
- GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650
- RAM: 16GB
- Screen: 17.3″ FHD 144Hz
- Storage: Up to 1TB SSD
- Battery: 8 Hours
- Weight: 6.6 lbs
Pros:
- Compact and Stylish design.
- Excellent performance for the price.
- Decent Speakers.
- High quality keyboard.
Cons:
- Too Heavy.
- Low speaker volume.
- Lousy webcam.
Product Description
- Equipped With The Most Powerful and Fast AMD Ryzen 5000 H Series AMD Hexa-Core Ryzen 5 5600H (Beats i7-10750H) (Base Clock 3.3GHz, Max Boost Clock Up to 4.2GHz, 16MB L3 Cache, 12 Threads)
- 17.3″ FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS Display (300 nits, 72% NTSC), Dedicated NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 4GB, Integrated AMD Radeon Graphics
- 3 x USB-A 3.2, 2 x USB-C 3.2, 1 x HDMI 2.1, 1 x Ethernet (RJ-45), 1 x SD card reader, 1 x Headphone/microphone combo jack
- Microsoft Windows 11 Home (64-bit), White Backlit Keyboard, Bluetooth 5.1, 2x2W speakers with Nahimic Audio for Gamers, 720p HD Webcam with Privacy Shutter.
The 17-inch version of the Lenovo Legion 5 is an excellent choice for amateur gamers. Built around gaming performance, it’s a well-designed gaming laptop featuring a capable Ryzen 5 processor and a GTX 1650 GPU.
Its 17.3 inch IPS screen has a 144Hz refresh rate, which provides excellent clarity and smoothness when gaming. The brightness is at the lower side though, with a maximum luminosity of 300-nits. Its TrueStrike Keyboard feels comfy to the touch and is specifically designed for gaming.
The only downside is the weight. At around 6.6 pounds, it’s not the lightest option. But its thin design takes less space, so it fits easily in a backpack. Plus, it provides excellent battery backup for a gaming laptop. So I’ll just leave it to you to decide whether it’s good enough for college or not.
