One of the hottest laptops around today is the 17 inch Lenovo ThinkPad P17 Gen 2. With features like a powerful Intel Core i5 processor, a stunning Full HD display, and the ability to be easily converted into a tablet, it’s no wonder that it’s so popular. However, it can be difficult to know which model to choose from, especially since there are so many to choose from.
LG Gram 17
The LG Gram 17 is one of the lightest 17-inch laptops on the market. Despite its diminutive size and weight, the Gram features a great display, long battery life, and a good overall performance.
The 17-inch model is powered by an Intel Core i7-1260P processor. It’s also loaded with 32GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD. This makes it a solid performer in mainstream productivity workloads.
The 17-inch screen has an impressive resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels. While it doesn’t have discrete graphics, it does feature a built-in Intel Iris Xe graphics chip. These are great for editing video in Adobe Premiere.
In addition to the aforementioned Intel Iris Xe graphics, the Gram also sports an integrated touchpad and Bluetooth. You can use the touchscreen to scroll, navigate, or even control your music.
Moreover, the LG Gram features an HDMI port and a 3.5mm headphone jack. This allows you to play audio and watch video simultaneously. If you’re a Netflix fan, you can connect a cable to enjoy high-definition streaming.
The Gram’s screen isn’t the most stunning in the world. But, the 17-inch model’s 2,560 x 1,600 pixel resolution makes it a decent choice for gaming and video. Plus, the display has good brightness and accuracy.
Other key features include a full-sized keyboard, two Thunderbolt 4/USB-C ports, a 3.5mm headphone jack, a 512GB solid-state drive, and a touchscreen. The battery is rated for up to 12.5 hours of usage on a single charge.
As a bonus, the LG Gram comes with a free LG +view monitor. It also includes a stylus pen and pre-installed note taking applications.
The LG Gram is an excellent Windows laptop that packs a lot into a relatively small package. Although its price tag is a little steep, it is a solid purchase.
Asus VivoBook Pro
The Asus VivoBook Pro 17 inch laptop is a premium notebook, ready for play or work. It is a great combination of features that make every task a little easier.
With a full HD IPS screen, a powerful processor, and a comfortable keyboard, the VivoBook Pro 17 is a well-balanced multimedia notebook that you can use to do your everyday tasks. However, there are some minor design flaws and the battery isn’t as powerful as some competitors. Fortunately, it has a generous port outlay.
The Asus VivoBook Pro has a reversible USB Type-C port, which is a great feature for connecting to other devices. Additionally, it has a fingerprint sensor on the power button.
Another nice feature is the large glass clickpad. This is located on the armrest and allows you to control systemwide settings, including volume levels and audio playback. You can also use the dial to control the display’s brightness.
Other notable features include Dolby Atmos and USB-C, which are supported by the AMD Ryzen 9 Zen 4 processor. ASUS also uses IceCool Pro thermal technology, which claims to keep the system cool.
Aside from the reversible USB Type-C port, the Asus VivoBook Pro also has a barrel power connector. In addition, it has three USB-A ports and a microSD card slot.
The battery life is surprisingly good for a mid-range notebook. You can expect to get around nine hours of battery life. That may be the result of the laptop’s energy-efficient processor.
If you like to play games on your notebook, the AMD Radeon Vega 3 graphics card can help you do that. Unfortunately, the GPU runs at 35-40W, which results in a 5-15% framerate drop.
Gigabyte Aorus 17
The Gigabyte Aorus 17 is one of the newest 17-inch laptops on the market. Designed for content creators, designers, and business professionals, this new model is packed with performance. It comes with the latest Intel 12th-gen processor, an impressive 1080p IPS display, and RTX mobile GPUs. Despite its impressive specs, it still has a lot of room to grow.
One of the first laptops in its class to incorporate a four-sided bezel-less design, the Aorus features a 17.3-inch IPS display with a full 360 Hz refresh rate. It also includes an upgraded FHD 1080p webcam for clearer images during meetings.
This laptop is built with the new Intel Core i7 12 Gen Alder Lake processor. This processor is powerful and capable of handling multi-threaded tasks. It scored 1480 on the CineBench R15 multi-core test, and is perfect for editing and recording.
While the Gigabyte Aorus is designed for content creators, it also has plenty of power for gaming. The 17.3-inch screen is only 1080p, but paired with RTX 30-series graphics, it’s a good option for gaming. However, the low wattage Nvidia GeForce RTX graphics card means the laptop isn’t ideal for AAA games.
Despite its great performance, the Aorus is also a bit noisy. When in standard mode, the fans produce a high-pitched whine. Thankfully, the Gigabyte App can help you turn the fans down.
In terms of ports, the Aorus offers a wide range of connections. You’ll find two Thunderbolt 3 ports, a USB 3.0 Type-A port, an HDMI 2.0 port, a 3.5mm audio jack, and a m.2 storage slot. Unfortunately, the Aorus’ ports aren’t organized very well.
Overall, the Gigabyte Aorus is a very competitive gaming laptop that offers a good value. But it lacks the most powerful components, such as the latest Intel Core i9 processor.
Lenovo ThinkPad P17 Gen 2
ThinkPad P17 Gen 2 is Lenovo’s flagship mobile workstation. It features an impressive 17.3″ screen, powerful graphics, and up to 6TB of SSD storage. A wide range of hardware options are available, including Intel Xeon CPUs, Dolby Vision HDR, and professional-grade NVIDIA RTX graphics.
Lenovo’s ThinkPad line has been well-received for its design and performance. But it can be a bit bulky. The 17-inch display is surrounded by thick bezels that may detract from the aesthetic appeal of the laptop.
Fortunately, Lenovo offers a number of customization options. This includes the choice of a Gigabit Ethernet port, two M.2 SSD slots, and a dedicated bottom door.
Lenovo’s ThinkPad P17 Gen 2 is the only 17-inch workstation with a Tiger Lake processor. The Core i7-11800H, which is from the 11th generation, has a 2.3-GHz base clock and a 45W TDP.
Thankfully, the Lenovo P17 is built with a solid chassis. A magnesium-alloy body is coated with a velvety texture.
Though it’s not a portable laptop, the ThinkPad P17 does have a 94Wh battery that lasts about seven hours on a charge. And that’s a good battery lifespan for a laptop this size.
The P17 also has a fingerprint sensor. Located on the right side of the touchpad, it provides a biometric login into Windows. If you plan on using the P17 for videoconferencing, the webcam is excellent.
In addition to the standard ports, the Lenovo P17 also has a built-in mobile broadband modem. Alternatively, the laptop can be configured with three PCIe Gen4 x4 drives and a 128GB memory card.
The Lenovo P17 also features a touchpad with a red TrackPoint button. Its keyboard is designed with 1.8mm key travel.
Apple MacBook Pro
The new Apple MacBook Pro 17 inch is a great laptop for power users, and it’s worth the price tag. This latest incarnation is a good bit faster than its predecessor, and the battery life is a major improvement. It also has a good graphics card, and an excellent operating system.
The 17” MacBook Pro is Apple’s newest and most powerful notebook, and it’s available in a range of processor options. It’s also one of the smallest and lightest. In addition, it comes with a very powerful operating system, and the battery lasts for a long time.
There are lots of improvements, including a better processor, a new Liquid Retina XDR display, and a much improved graphics subsystem. But, if you’re looking for a 17-inch notebook, the best laptops for the money are likely to be the Dell XPS 17 (2022) or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio.
These two are the best laptops for graphics-intensive tasks. They feature Intel’s latest 12th-gen Alder Lake CPUs, and can come with an integrated graphics card.
Apple has been silently refreshing their lineup for the last few months. Their most recent laptop is the 17-inch model, and the design is all new, with a unibody aluminum enclosure.
Apple hasn’t changed many of the hardware and software features from the previous model, but they’ve added the above-mentioned fancies and made a few other tweaks. For example, the new model has a smaller and lighter keyboard, a new MagSafe power connection, and a longer-lasting battery.
Although the new 17-inch MacBook Pro isn’t exactly budget-friendly, it is the best laptop that Apple has put out in a while. Its most significant upgrade is a better quad core processor.