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If big screen portable gaming is a priority for you then the best 17-inch gaming laptops in 2023 should be the ones to watch. These larger models offer more than just a bigger display, as they usually have full-size gaming keyboards, enhanced cooling, and other features you won’t typically see from the best 15-inch gaming laptops or the best small gaming laptops.
The added real estate does come at a slightly higher cost for the hardware inside, however, but we’ve endeavoured to bring you a balanced and encompassing selection of only the best 17-inch gaming laptops that money can buy from trusted manufacturers. For more, we’re also rounding up all the best gaming laptops overall as well as the best OLED gaming laptops if screen quality happens to be a priority for you, too.
Best 17-inch gaming laptops at a glance
We’re bringing you an overview of the hardware of what’s inside our top picks for the best 17-inch gaming laptops on the market by manufacturer and feature set all in an easy to read format.
Acer Nitro 17 (RTX 4060)
CPU
AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS
GPU
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060
RAM
16GB DDR5
SSD
1TB NVMe
Display
17.3-inch QHD 165Hz IPS
ASUS TUF F17 (RTX 3050)
CPU
Intel Core i5-11400H
GPU
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050
RAM
8GB DDR4
SSD
512GB NVMe
Display
144Hz FHD IPS
Razer Blade 17 (RTX 3070 Ti)
CPU
Intel Core i7-12800H
GPU
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti
RAM
16GB DDR5
SSD
1TB NVMe
Display
17.3-inch QHD 240Hz
ASUS ROG Strix G17 (RTX 4060)
CPU
AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX
GPU
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060
RAM
64GB DDR5
SSD
4TB NVMe
Display
17.3-inch QHD 240Hz
MSI Stealth 17 Studio (RTX 4090)
CPU
Intel Core i9-13900H
GPU
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090
RAM
64GB DDR5
SSD
2TB NVMe
Display
17.3-inch QHD 240Hz
Now that we’ve outlined the hardware itself, we can get into the details of why we’ve chosen these particular 17-inch gaming laptops and recommended them to be worth your time and money more thoroughly below.
1. Acer Nitro 17 – The best 17-inch gaming laptop overall
Acer Nitro 17 (RTX 4060)
CPU
AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS
GPU
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060
RAM
16GB DDR5
SSD
1TB NVMe
Display
17.3-inch QHD 165Hz IPS
- Powerful CPU and GPU combo
- Superfast DDR5 RAM
- Stellar screen
- Just 1TB SSD
The Acer Nitro 17 takes the top spot as the best overall 17-inch gaming laptop for most people and this is due to its aggressive price-to-performance ratio which packs in all the essential features you need for high-end 1080p and decent 1440p gaming. For around the $1300 mark, this machine includes all current-generation hardware which we rarely see at this budget.
That means the utilization of the stellar RTX 4060 GPU and its 8GB GDDR6 memory which is more than enough for today’s games in both target resolutions combined with the AMD Ryzen 7 CPU which is one of the fastest and most power-efficient ever put into a gaming laptop. Overall, there’s no faulting what this rig will be able to do for the money.
2. ASUS TUF F17 – The best budget 17-inch gaming laptop
ASUS TUF F17 (RTX 3050)
CPU
Intel Core i5-11400H
GPU
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050
RAM
8GB DDR4
SSD
512GB NVMe
Display
144Hz FHD IPS
- Budget price point
- Respectable gaming performance
- Fast display
- SSD is on the smaller side
- Older hardware inside
There’s no reason why a respectable 17-inch gaming laptop has to be particularly expensive and it seems as though ASUS agree with its TUF 17 entry-level configuration running the 11th Gen i5 CPU, RTX 3050 GPU, and 8GB DDR4 RAM. These are far from the most impressive or mind-blowing specs, however, that’s before considering the humble sticker price hovering around under the $800 mark, which makes this a good buy for 1080p gaming.
Now, it’s worth noting that you won’t be maxing out the bleeding-edge titles on PC with the ASUS TUF 17, but all things considered, you can expect to game at 1080p at 60fps or above as long as you’re smart with your settings slider. We recommend optimizing titles through NVIDIA GeForce Experience for optimum performance every time. Considering that we usually see far weaker machines at the sub-$800 mark, this is an easy recommendation all told.
Razer Blade 17 (RTX 3070 Ti)
CPU
Intel Core i7-12800H
GPU
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti
RAM
16GB DDR5
SSD
1TB NVMe
Display
17.3-inch QHD 240Hz
- Strong CPU and GPU combo
- Tons of superfast RAM
- Incredible display
- Previous generation i7 CPU
Few gaming laptops are as revered as the Razer Blade 17 and that’s for a good reason. Armed with high-end hardware and a premium aluminium chassis, this machine looks and feels truly high-end. While this particular spec is previous-generation, there’s no faulting what the RTX 3070 Ti with its 8GB GDDR6 VRAM can do in 1440p and the 12th Gen i7 CPU remains a beast to this day. This is all bolstered up by 16GB DDR5 memory for smooth operation for both work and play.
Where the Razer Blade 17 really wins favor is with its 17.3-inch QHD 240Hz refresh rate display for super smooth gaming with V-sync enabled in competitive titles or more immersive story games. The color reproduction is especially strong, and the speakers are among the best you’ll find on any gaming laptop for a true desktop replacement at a fair rate. You can expect to pay around the $2,300 for this build, which has come down from its once lofty rates.
4. ASUS ROG Strix G17 – The best value 17-inch gaming laptop
ASUS ROG Strix G17 (RTX 4060)
CPU
AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX
GPU
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060
RAM
64GB DDR5
SSD
4TB NVMe
Display
17.3-inch QHD 240Hz
- Tons of storage
- High refresh rate 1440p display
- All the RAM you’ll ever need
- Pricey for the GPU choice
If you’re someone who is worried about running out of space to store and play more PC games, or wants to really push the system to its limits then you’ll want to keep the ASUS ROG Strix G17 on your radar. That’s because this model features a staggering 64GB DDR5 RAM which we rarely see on even the most high-end of machines combined with 4TB NVMe storage to keep a ton of the largest and most demanding games ready to go at any one time.
What’s more, the RTX 4060 inside should be more than up to the task of gaming in either 1080p or the system’s native 1440p thanks to NVIDIA DLSS 3’s Frame Generation. Considering the upgraded hardware inside, this is an easy recommendation as this hardware will be technologically relevant for many years to come and you won’t need to upgrade anything inside.
5. MSI Stealth 17 Studio – The most powerful 17-inch gaming laptop
MSI Stealth 17 Studio (RTX 4090)
CPU
Intel Core i9-13900H
GPU
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090
RAM
64GB DDR5
SSD
2TB NVMe
Display
17.3-inch QHD 240Hz
- Unbelievably powerful
- Decent amount of storage
- Tons of superfast RAM
- Incredibly expensive
Sometimes only the absolute best will do, and that’s where the MSI Stealth 17 Studio comes in. If money is no object for you then there’s no question of this behemoth’s gaming and productivity prowess even if the machine commands an expectedly high price tag as a result. Fuelling this beast is an RTX 4090 GPU combined with the bleeding-edge 13th Gen i9 CPU and a monstrous 64GB DDR5 RAM. Without question, it’s one of the best RTX 4090 gaming laptops available.
Simply put, we rarely see machines of this spec packed into such a slimline chassis and all that power comes at a cost. You can expect to pay around the $3,700 for the privilege of absolute power. The rig is running a 240Hz 1440p display, which the GPU will absolutely be able to hit without worry, but we also recommend plugging this rig into one of the best gaming monitors and experiencing true 4K gaming with it, too.
Best 17-inch gaming laptops – FAQs
If you still have more questions regarding the best 17-inch gaming laptops then fear not, because we come with the answers. We’ve combining our knowledge and experience to bring you all you need to know.
Are 17-inch gaming laptops worth it?
17-inch gaming laptops are worth it if you want a much bigger screen than the likes of the best 15-inch gaming laptops for a more immersive gaming experience. Generally speaking, a larger unit will have bigger speakers for better audio playback, a larger battery, and a full-size keyboard, too.
Is a 17-inch gaming laptop too big?
This ultimately comes down to personal preference. A 17-inch gaming laptop is best suited to being used on one of the best gaming desks rather than being on your lap due to their added weight and overall size. Portability could be an issue as they may not fit into smaller bags and could be heavier in transit.
Is a bigger laptop screen better for gaming?
A larger laptop screen such as 17-inch display means you’ll get a bigger overall image when playing games or with media playback than with a 14-inch or 15.6-inch model in comparison. If you’re someone who wants to play at a desk then bigger is always better, but if you’re frequently on the move then scaling down may be a better move.
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