The best 17-inch laptops in 2023

Whether you are doing creative work or crunching the numbers across multiple spreadsheets, 17-inch laptops are the ultimate productivity machines. In years past a screen this large meant the laptop had to be large and clunky, but thinner bezels and thermal advancements have reduced the footprint of some of the best laptops. 

Yes, we still recommend the best 13-inch laptops and the best 15-inch laptops if you want portability, but if you want to maximize productivity or get a theater-like experience, a 17-inch laptop is an excellent choice. 

What's more, 17-inch laptops are great for content creators, whether that's photo, video, or design work, because they offer a vast canvas. If you're a creator who wants specific recommendations, you can also check out our best laptops for photo editing and best video editing laptops pages. 

From the powerful Alienware m17 R5 to the eye-catching Dell XPS 17, here are the best 17-inch laptops on our shortlist.

The Quick List

Best 17-inch Laptop Overall

AMD and Alienware have teamed up to create the most powerful 17-inch AMD gaming laptop in the Alienware m15 R5. Both the AMD Ryzen 9 6900XT and Radeon RX 6850M XT GPU deliver big numbers on performance, enough to give their Intel and Nvidia-powered competitors a run for their money more often than not. 

And that’s with no small help from the AMD Advantage software suite designed to squeeze every bit of performance out of the system no matter the situation. The lovely 4K display, powerful speakers, ultra-low profile Cherry MX are the literal cherry on top. Oh and with that Legend 2.0 design, it’s just a stunner of a system. 

See our full Alienware m17 R5 (AMD Advantage) review

Best 17-inch Dell Laptop

Dell's XPS 17 takes everything we love about the XPS 13 and XPS 15 and supersizes it. But don't get the wrong impression, the XPS 17 is a surprisingly portable laptop thanks to its relatively small footprint, which is aided by a four-sided edge-to-edge display. As impressive as it looks on the outside, there is no ignoring what's on the inside. 

Sometimes a simple spec change is all that’s needed to keep you at the top of the heap. Such is the case with the Dell XPS 17. Thanks to its 11th Gen Intel processor and 30-series Nvidia GPU, the premium system has more than enough power to keep even its fiercest competitors struggling to keep up. And it doesn’t hurt that the laptop has a large, bright display, a great pair of speakers, and a comfy keyboard.

See our full Dell XPS 17 (2021) review

Best Overall Performance

It might be a gaming laptop, but the MSI GE76 Raider is not playing any games when it comes to specs. The desktop replacement is an absolute ringer bringing Intel’s new 12th Gen Alder Lake H-series chips to the fray.

But it doesn’t stop there, it’s also got one of Nvidia’s new RTX 3080 Ti GPUs to the mix and the result is an unstoppable beast of a machine. Throw in some ridiculously fast SSDs and decent battery life, along with its 17.3-inch display in a 15-inch chassis, and you've got yourself a powerful laptop that's hard to miss.

See our full MSI GE76 Raider review

Best 17-inch Display

The Alienware x17 R2 offers a tantalizing bounty of power thanks to Intel’s new 12th Gen processors and Nvidia’s RTX 3080 Ti GPU. Take heed though, it's very expensive.

The Alienware x17, which has quickly become a Laptop Mag favorite, has gotten scores more powerful thanks to some shiny new specs. First, you’ve got the Intel 12th Gen processor that stands heads and shoulders over its predecessor. Next, you’ve got the Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 Ti GPU which has torn through every benchmark we’ve thrown at it. Add in the super clicky Cherry MX keyboard, powerful Dolby Atmos sound, and gorgeous 17.3-inch, 1920 x 1080 display with a 360Hz refresh rate, and you've got a laptop worth checking out.

See our full Alienware x17 R2 review

Best foldable 17-inch Laptop

It’s time to get bent — in a good way. After years of teasing, the world’s first foldable 17.3-inch laptop is here and there is plenty to like. The Asus Zenbook 17 Fold OLED is a multi-pronged solution to work and play thanks to Asus’ proprietary hinge and a foldable OLED display created by both Asus and Intel. Speaking of Intel, the Core i7 U-series processor is no slouch, delivering a surprising amount of power for a chip that’s known for its focus on power efficiency. 

OLED. Just 17.3 inches of beautiful, bendable OLED display in all its vibrant glory. Like most foldables on the market, you can see the crease made from the hinge. But it’s not so pronounced that it distracts from the overall beauty of the panel, especially when you’re gazing at it head-on in Tablet or Desktop mode. In those modes, you get the full experience of the 2.5K (2560 x 1920) resolution and its 4:3 aspect ratio. When the convertible is in either of the Laptop modes, the screen shifts to a 12.5-inch, 1920 x 1280 panel. And yes, it's still a stunner.

The $3,499 pricing will hurt anyone's wallet, but that won't stop drawing all the oohs and ahhs as it transforms from a ginormous tablet to a dainty laptop.

See our full Asus Zenbook 17 Fold OLED review

Most Powerful 17-inch Laptop

Potent specs, solid design, crisp display, and breathtaking gaming performance make the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 (2023) a brilliant choice for performance-hungry gamers.

As the 17.3-inch, QHD (2560 x 1440) display with a 240Hz refresh rate came into full view, we were instantly sold on the Scar. Not to mention it's a gaming laptop powered by an AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX, 32GB of RAM and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 GPU.

The redesigned Scar is the Cris Hemsworth of muscular gaming laptops, and this time it has a webcam.  It also features some of the quietest cooling fans and packs a serious gaming punch.
See our full Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 (2023) G733PY review

Best RTX 3070 Ti Laptop

The MSI Vector GP76 delivers outstanding performance, a solid display, and a comfortable keyboard. However, the weak battery life and thermal performance are the only things keeping it from top-tier status.

The Vector GP76 gives you a massive 17.3-inch, 1080p display with a 360Hz refresh rate, an Intel Core i7 CPU paired with an Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU, and 16GB of RAM. The MSI Vector GP76 gives gamers a lot of what they want with outstanding performance, a great keyboard, and a solid 360Hz refresh rate display. If you never, or at least rarely, use your laptop away from a charger and you do all of your gaming with a headset on, this is a solid option.

See our full MSI Vector GP76 review

Best Transfer Speeds

It’s the Raider’s time now. As MSI puts its formidable Titan out to pasture, the GE76 Raider is here to fill that ginormous footprint. A smaller, thinner version of the Titan, the Raider proves it’s every bit as powerful as its behemoth predecessor, bringing an Intel Core i7 processor and an Nvidia RTX 3080 GPU to the party. Plus, you get incredibly fast transfer speeds, solid battery life, and great audio.

But for $2,899, there are a few flaws to contend with, namely a mushy keyboard and a dim, dull display. However, that panel does have one of the highest refresh rates available.

See our full MSI GE76 Raider review. 

Best Budget 17-inch Gaming Laptop

The Alienware m17 R4 will give you all the power you can handle. The Nvidia’s new RTX 3080 GPU with its ridiculous 16GB of VRAM tore through every game we threw at it. And the 10th Intel Core i9 processor made light work of our multitasking loads. And a straight-up chef’s kiss to the display’s 360Hz refresh rate that’s so smooth it’s making babies’ butts everywhere jealous. 

The display could be a tad brighter and more vivid. Also, I would expect faster file transfer speeds. And, of course, longer battery life always sits at the top of my list. But if power and super high refresh rates are paramount, the Alienware m17 R4 is the laptop for you.

See our full Alienware m17 R4 review

Most Portable 17-inch Laptop