It’s pretty confusing to choose a laptop for gaming when you’ve two options– 15-inch and 17-inch ones. They both are the most popular sizes among the gamers from their own perspectives. Although, most people say the bigger one is better for having high resolution, more real screen estate, and immense gaming experience.
Yes, the two-screen inches are not similar. You might hesitate when getting one from the market. They may be a big deal and affect your user experience, sometimes. Here, we shared different thoughts and comparisons of 15-inch vs 17-inch laptops.
Besides, we’ll also describe their benefits and drawbacks as well so, you can choose the best gaming laptop. Let’s start the discussion–
Read more: Are Gaming Laptops Good for Video Editing?
How Is Laptop Screen Size Measured?
A laptop size is measured by following the diagonal length of a screen typically from the lower corner to the upper corner. However, the most 15-inch and 17-inch laptops we see are basically referred to as either 15.6-inch or 17.3-inch. The laptop manufacturers mention the whole number for marketing purposes only.
Remember! The edge around the screen(bezel) is not included in the display measurement. You should avoid that plastic frame for the perfect diagonal calculation.
How Big Is a 17-Inch Laptop Compared to a 15-Inch Laptop?
You’ll get a two inches bigger display screen when choosing a 17-inch laptop over a 15-inch one. Not the display alone, you can also have larger chassis and they can have more space for further hardware module integration. You might have a 2x slot for the memory, storage system, graphics, and cooler fan.
15 Inch Vs 17 Inch Laptop – Which Gaming Laptop is Better?
A 17-inch gaming laptop is better as most gamers prefer them for the greater screen size. On the contrary, 15-inch ones provide you with a lightweight, compact, and convenient to carry everywhere. Otherwise, both options have similar characteristics except for the screen size and body weight.
Aspects to Consider When Buying A 15-Inch and 17-Inch Laptop
What size laptops you should buy mostly depend on what and where you’re using them for. We try to inform you about different aspects and suitable size requirements below. Here you go–
However, we also prefer a 17-inch display system because you may need to have an external monitor in the future if you’re getting a 15-inch laptop today as you won’t be able to have the fun of the most high-end games and layout compatibility. Not just gaming, a larger screen also helps in the programming, photo, and video editing as well.
Besides, when you’re getting a larger screen they have a larger hardware department too. Therefore, the manufacturer can provide good heat management and extra hardware section like– upgrading RAM, SSD, etc. But, you can extend or update the 15-inch one since they’ve no such scope for extensibility due to short hardware estate. So, you can boost the performance of your 17-inch laptop even after you bought.
But, if you travel a lot and worry about storage space, go for the 15-inch ones. They’ve better for transportability. As you will feel uncomfortable carrying a 17-inch laptop around the city, especially when traveling by public transportation. Plus, you’re considering the weight too and that’s around at least 1 to 3 pounds. Hence, these things make it much handier for general purposes.
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What Are The Best 15 Inch Screen Gaming Laptop
There are some of the best 15-inch laptops for gaming with promising features with lightweight and portable architecture. Here is our best pick for the best 15-inch display gaming laptops with the best overall features:
1. Asus ROG Strix G Gaming Laptop
| Specification– | |
| CPU: | Intel Core i7 |
| GPU: | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 |
| RAM: | 16GB |
| Storage: | 1TB SSD |
| Weight: | 5.28 pounds |
2. Razer Blade 15 Gaming Laptop
| Specification– | |
| CPU: | Core i7 |
| GPU: | NVIDIA Max-Q GeForce RTX 2070 |
| RAM: | 16GB |
| Storage: | 512GB SSD |
| Weight: | 4.74 pounds |
3. MSI CUK GF65 Thin Gaming Notebook
| Specification– | |
| CPU: | Intel Core-i7 |
| GPU: | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 6GB |
| RAM: | 16GB |
| Storage: | 512GB NVMe SSD |
| Weight: | 4.1 pounds |
Read also: How to buy a gaming laptop? A Complete Guide
What Are The Best 17 Inch Gaming Laptop
Here, we have listed some of the best 17-inch laptops for gaming purposes in mind. You’ll also have an idea of the specifications showing what hardware components they offer.
1. ASUS TUF Gaming F17 Gaming Laptop
| Specification– | |
| CPU: | Intel Core i5 10th Generation |
| GPU: | GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Integrated graphics |
| RAM: | 8GB DDR4 |
| Storage: | 512GB PCIe SSD |
| Weight: | 5.73 pounds |
2. Acer Nitro 5 AN517 Gaming Laptop
| Specification– | |
| CPU: | Intel Core i7 11th Gen |
| GPU: | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050Ti |
| RAM: | 16GB DDR4 |
| Storage: | 1TB NVMe SSD |
| Weight: | 5.95 pounds |
3. Lenovo Legion 5 17 Gaming Laptop
| Specification– | |
| CPU: | AMD Ryzen 5 Hexa-Core |
| GPU: | GeForce GTX 1650 4GB VRAM |
| RAM: | 16GB RAM |
| Storage: | 1TB SSD |
| Weight: | 6.57 pounds |
FAQ About 15 inch Vs 17-inch Gaming Laptop
Here are some other important questions you may ask to know about the 15-inch vs 17-inch gaming laptop. You may also find the answer that we couldn’t cover in the information section.
Is 15 inches a good size for a laptop?
When you’re buying a 15-inch laptop there is a tradeoff between performance and portability, sometimes. You might get a relatively tiny chassis that have fewer chances to extend hardware components. However, the 15-inch gaming laptop has a compact shape, is lightweight, and is easy to carry form.
Is there a big difference between 15-inch and 17-inch laptops?
No, there is no such big difference between 15-inch and 17-inch laptops except for the 2-inch screen size. But, you’re also compromising chassis size, battery life, and extendability. The differences are pretty minor otherwise, everything is almost similar in terms of performance.
Is a 15-inch laptop too small?
No, 15-inch is an average size for a laptop screen display but a 14-inch laptop is too small. You can opt for the 17 inches ones if you’re a gamer since you need a larger screen real estate. Otherwise, 15 is good enough to get everything done.
Is a 17-inch computer too big?
No, not really. A 17-inch laptop is not big all at, whether it’s a desktop PC or laptop screen. Besides, many people prefer them as the minimum gaming display requirement with an immersive graphics card. Although, you can rarely find a larger laptop than 17 inches in recent days.
Why is a higher resolution better for a gaming laptop?
You need a higher resolution for a gaming laptop since you’ll be playing high-end and graphics-intensive games mostly. Besides, you can play games seamlessly and smoothly without any flaws in the frame. This is to say, the higher resolution you have the better refresh rates and response time you’ll get in the display to enjoy the immersive experience.
Is 15-inch or 17-inch better for gaming?
Of course, the 17-inch one is better for gaming performance as you’ll have a greater display of real estate to enjoy every frame of the graphics. Most of them have a greater memory space, storage, and other additional hardware integration module.
Does a 17-Inch Laptop Have Better Cooling?
Yes, most 17-inch laptops have a better thermal cooling system since they come with relatively a greater space for hardware components. Plus, you can also upgrade them in the near future if you feel any issues with their current performance.
What Is The Best Size Screen For A Laptop?
We must say a 17-inch is the best screen size for a laptop to deal with almost every kind of work. Although, 13 to 15 inches are the most popular screen sizes for different reasons. However, you can get an overall hardware specification and performance from a 17-inch laptop. As you know they have an opportunity to adopt extra hardware including RAM, SSD, and other components.
You have to consider some things as well to define the best one, since it involves portability, budget, battery backup, etc. Here, the screen size isn’t the only subject, you’ve to keep an eye on others too.
Why Are 15-inch Laptops Better?
The 15-inch laptops are better than other options because they provide enough hardware components, performance, and portability. As a result, you can perform your tasks accomplish no matter if you’re traveling on a plane, bus, or train. Hence, the transportability is your first priority then it’s a better option to have a 15-inch screen laptop.
Though, you have some factors to consider if you choose them like upgradability, optimal performance, cooling system, etc. But, it’s still possible to complete your office and business needs at the end of the day.
Final Word
So, one thing is clear the screen size depends on the individual need, personal preference, and what other things you’ll do with it. If somebody asks me “15 Inch Vs 17 Inch Laptop – Which Gaming Laptop is Better?” I’d definitely say the 17-inch one. The reason is its screen size, battery capacity, and hardware integration capabilities for the future if you’re gaming or video editing.
And who wouldn’t love to have an easy-to-carry and comfortable gaming laptop option with a 15-inch monitor? The 15-inch gaming laptops made these things happen for people who frequently travel and perform different activities like gaming, presentation, publishing, and other lightweight tasks.
Hi there! My name is Mohiuddin Alamgir and I’m the man behind of “Laptopvine”. I love learning about all sorts of technology, especially laptops. I find it fascinating how laptops have evolved over the years and how they’ve become essential tools for both work and play. I strive to provide information that is both accurate and helpful to those looking for a new laptop.