17" and Above Laptops

A 17in or 18in laptop is a desktop replacement. The screen is large enough to work on comfortably without an external monitor, there is usually a full number pad, and the extra internal volume means better cooling — which is why the most powerful gaming laptops are this size.

Two things people underestimate. Weight: these machines are typically 2.5 to 3.5kg before the power brick, and a large gaming laptop’s charger is heavy in its own right. If it will be carried daily, that adds up fast. And bag fit: many 15in laptop bags will not take a 17in machine, so plan for one that will.

What the size is genuinely good for is a laptop that lives on a desk and occasionally moves — a home office machine, or a gaming laptop that replaces a tower.

The range covers ASUS Vivobook 17 and 18 and Acer Aspire Go 17 for everyday work, up to TUF Gaming A18, Acer Predator Helios Neo 18 and ROG Strix G18 for gaming.