17' notebooks - are they a good idea?

I'm thinking about getting a gaming capable notebook. I plan to use it as my everyday computer, saving the desktop for downloads and movie playing.

I have an eye on some 15' and 17' computers, but I worry 17' is too big/heavy to carry around. Does anyone here got a 17' after having a 15', or vice-versa, and can give me an idea of what to expect?

Thanks.

I have a 16" Dell and I hate hauling it around. For the first year I was fine lugging it to and from class, but after a while you get really annoyed having such a heavy bag. Some of the Asus laptops are absolute tanks, and that's not even counting the massive power bricks they require. I know they're expensive, but if I were really wanting a gaming laptop, I would look at a Razer Blade.

17" laptops are great if you intend to have the live on a desktop and never move. But at that point, you may as well get a tower. They're beasts that don't even fit on tray-tables on airplanes unless perhaps you're in the front of the plane and paid a crapload to be in business/first.

"Gaming" laptops cost a crapload of money, have heat issues, are big/heavy...and all around there's better ways to spend your money IMHO.

Oye, those things are big, heavy, and awkward to carry. As mentioned, the PSU units can also literally be brick sized and even heavier than a brick.

I wouldn't recommend getting one.

Depends entirely on use case. I've always preferred small laptops for portability, being a desktop user primarily. I figure, if I already have a desktop, I'd rather my portable machine be portable.

That said, my work machine is a 17", and is a complete beast, putting my home desktop to shame. When in its dock, the 17" screen works alongside a 24" for a dual-screen setup. If I'd had a 15" on the other hand, I'd have had to get another monitor. So for using on a desk for long periods, esp. with a dock and/or keyboard/mouse, a 17" is absolutely the right choice. It still offers some portability compared to a desktop, as well. I can easily pick it up and take it home.

On the other hand, battery life is not great, and it's awkward and heavy to carry around a lot, use on my lap, etc. If that was my goal, I'd go smaller. It's all about how mobile it will be. (IMHO)

In short: If you plan to carry it around and travel with it, then it is just too heavy. I switched from 14" to 15.4" and i'm now suffering.

Why? I'm a computer addict. If i'm home, I'll just use my super powerful desktop. But if i'm on the move, i'll need to carry my laptop always. Result: PITA to carry unless you are into weight lifting^-^

I just realized the thread header says 17 foot.

You have a 33" stonehenge?

Not really worth it -- even the relatively light models, like the 17-inch MacBook Pro (discontinued) and Razer Blade Pro, are a PITA to haul around. I've seen a lot of people dreaming of having a laptop that can completely replace a gaming desktop, but they usually back away after they realize how bulky it'd be, how hot it runs, or how expensive it is to stay current. Mobile tech is catching up, but it's not there yet.

I'd say it's wisest to see what you actually do (or want to do) when mobile, and buy a system based on that. I currently have a 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro and love it, because I don't really game when I'm on my laptop -- I just want something that's fast enough for creative tools (Photoshop, iMovie), lasts for a long time on a charge and will fit on an airline seat tray. If you're more likely to be watching Netflix or checking email when at your laptop, you're better off getting something light and easy to carry.

LOL. That's me taking a hit from the U.S. units. Nevermind.

About the power supply: being as big as a brick goes only for 17" (yay!) or it happens for all "gaming" notebooks?


I need three notebooks:

- One is for me to carry around. I want to do most of my work on it - which is mostly standard office+internet load - but every now and then I want to play games on it. I currently play COD: BO2, Diablo III and Torchlight 2 (that one runs on almost anything). I currently have a Lenovo G470 (i5-2520, with 8GB of RAM and 750GB HDD, 14-inch screen). The size sometimes bothers me, and it's not really suitable for gaming, except for Torchlight II. Also, my current Desktop is by no means a beast (i3-2120 with 8GB of RAM and a Radeon 6870), but I have no issues running al these games at 1080p and maximum settings. I have my eyes on this. I figure it'll beat my current desktop without breaking a sweat, but I may be wrong.

- The other one is for my mother, and she is the one that wants a 17". She does mostly CAD/Revit work, and wants it to carry to meetings with her clientes. She says she'll have no issue with a 17", and like the idea of a bigger screen, but after reading the comments on this thread I fear she WILL have issues with it. She doesn't have any notebook as of now, and uses a desktop which sports a Phenom II X4 955 oc'd to 3.8GHz, having no complaints about its performance

- And the third one is for my sister. She has a C-60 12" netbook and is desperate for something faster. As I'm typing this from a AMD C-50 notebook, I know firsthand why she is so desperate, LOL. If I get something for me she wants my current laptop, else I'm thinking about grabbing something bigger and faster than the C-60, like this.

I had 17 inch (macbook pro) which was too big for a laptop. Then a 15" Macbook pro, then decided to try win8 with the Dell XPS 12 and few weeks ago went to the XPS 15 as a workstation on the go. I will probably go with the Surface Pro 3 as going back to a 15" laptop was great except for weight and size. More power, dedicated GPU (runs most games but not at 4K) and bigger screen which is nice for reading and movies. But once you are used to a paperweight like a XPS12, you don't want to lug around something bigger. (Surface is bigger than a 13" in therms of screen realestate, so that would still be great for me)

If you are going to use it at home or just home-work; just laptop in car and only have to do max 30min with it/day, then size and weight is a non-issue and a 17" might be what you are looking for.
I fly a lot, walk at least 2 hours a day with my laptop and start to annoy me with weight.

What do you currently have?

Right now I have a Lenovo G470, a 14" notebook with a i5-2520, 8GB of RAM, 750GB HDD and Intel HD 3000 Graphics.I find I could use a bigger screen and want to play some games, but its weight is OK.

17 Sager NP8278, really most 17 inch laptops are not much larger than their 15 inch counter parts and usually don't weight that much more.

MrGuvernment said:

17 Sager NP8278, really most 17 inch laptops are not much larger than their 15 inch counter parts and usually don't weight that much more.

Click to expand...

Not sure what planet you're living on, but... nope.

That Sager is 8.6 pounds. It's not hard to get a 15-inch laptop under 6 pounds, and a 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro (not that I'm not necessarily suggesting one, in this case) is 4.5 pounds. Those are gigantic differences... and a two-inch screen size change can mean quite a lot in terms of overall surface area.

If you're carrying a system around a lot, like the OP may be, an 8.6-pound brick like the Sager is going to be a mild form of torture. He doesn't need to go to some 13- or 14-inch ultraportable, but something in between would be better.

my 17" MBP is quote portable... other 17" notebooks I've seen... not so much lol

my lenovo y500 is not bad to carry around campus, its around 5.5 pounds.

Not a fan of the super sized laptops. I use a 15.4 for my main workstation, and I don't even like lugging that around. I use a 10" asus T100 for my travel/going to client offices laptop.

I will echo what everyone else says. 17" notebook is intended to stay at home 99% of the time. If you intend to carry your computer with you then you are better off going lighter and smaller and getting a cheap gaming desktop.

I have enjoyed using my MSI gt780dxr 17" on the road. Nice comfy backpack helps. I like the bigger screen size and find the size trade-off to be worthwhile.

My MSI GT60 is like 11lbs with the power brick, and it IS a brick, definately heavy to lug around in a backpack , even my comfy backpack.

The GT60 and clevo P150SM are the smallest of the fastest gaming notebooks, everything smaller than that starts getting slower/hotter.