
Ask HN: Lightweight 17-inch laptop for programming? - JBiserkov
I&#x27;m looking for a portable 17-inch laptop for programming. The best candidate so far is the MSI GS73VR 6RF [1]. It&#x27;s &lt; 2.5 kg, quad-core 45 W CPU, Full HD @ 120Hz, ports, etc. are exactly what I&#x27;m looking for. No optical drive. Perfect.<p>The thing is I don&#x27;t need a GeForce 1060, the Intel HD Graphics 530 is more than enough for a text editor. It has 3 fans that run all the time and battery life is much less than desired.<p>If I could swap the discrete GPU (and it&#x27;s cooling) for a larger battery, I would buy this in an instant!<p>Are you aware of any 17-inch laptops that fit those requirements?<p>[1] http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.notebookcheck.net&#x2F;MSI-GS73VR-6RF-Notebook-Review.172138.0.html
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jads
Out of interest, why is 17" the requirement? While there are laptops that have
screens that size, they're not as portable as one might think. Laptops with
screens that size tend to be used by video editors, photographers, anything
that involves manipulating photos and videos really, so a powerful graphics
card is pretty much part and parcel of that.

I used to have a 17" PowerBook years ago and I can tell you, if you're wanting
portability then a 17" machine is not it. Machines of these size tend to be
used in the field when needed, so it's not typically expected you'll be
carrying one around day to day–they're more a "need to head to a shoot, take
the 17" and put it in the truck so I can edit video while we work" type of
deals.

More importantly, you'll find that many places where you'd normally be able to
use a laptop are no longer an option, simply because of the gargantuan machine
you're carrying (coffee shops, airplanes - many places you would expect to use
a laptop tend to be uncertainties with a 17" laptop). If you're going to be
carrying this around for any length of time then your back is also going to
let you know just how painful this is.

As pointed out on the thread, the rise of 15" hi-res screens provides many of
the benefits of the real estate of the 17" without the drawback of the extra
bulk - provided you're eyesight is pretty good.

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brudgers
I doubt that such a beast exists because 17" laptops are a niche product.

1\. The sweet spot of that niche is games with CAD a somewhat distant second
and both of those uses demand GPU's these days.

2\. The size and weight and form factor of a modern mobile GPU probably does
not make replacing it with a battery a viable option. If it were, putting in
another battery would add significant weight.

3\. Lightweight laptops will tend to run their fans more (or use lower power
processors) because the mass and volume of the case is not available as a heat
sink.

Personally, I'd look at Dell Precision 7000 series. They can be ordered online
with Linux out of the box (at least in the US) and therefore enjoy long term
support. In terms of processors, they come with just about whatever one's
wallet can cover.

The current 17" model: [http://www.notebookcheck.net/Dell-
Precision-7710-Workstation...](http://www.notebookcheck.net/Dell-
Precision-7710-Workstation-Review.158505.0.html)

The older m6800 may also be available online in the US:
[http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Dell-
Precision-M6800-Not...](http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Dell-
Precision-M6800-Notebook.105108.0.html)

~~~
wprapido
yeah the 7710 is just awesome

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ericzawo
Portable 17 inch laptops seriously do not exist. It's just too girth-y a
dimension to reconcile any semblance of portability. I would seriously look in
to the rMBP 15" computers (especially now that new ones are imminent, you
might snag one secondhand on the cheap!) or Dell XPS 15. Your back and
shoulders will thank you!

~~~
flukus
They exist and they are usable as a portable machine. Luggable may be a more
fitting category though.

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shaynesweeney
Take a look at System76, especially if you're considering running Linux.

[https://system76.com/laptops/kudu](https://system76.com/laptops/kudu)
[https://system76.com/laptops/oryx](https://system76.com/laptops/oryx)

~~~
witty_username
Why?

The laptops I know work mostly fine on Linux.

~~~
webmaven
Well, you said it: _mostly fine_.

 _Mostly_ shouldn't be good enough. With System76 (and for that matter,
Zareason) you'll have zero worries during OS upgrades, and never _ever_ have
to think about drivers. The laptop will just work.

~~~
witty_username
I've never thought of drivers on my previous laptop and current desktop. And
my brother's laptop too (these are all low to mid range though).

~~~
webmaven
Perhaps this is less of a problem today, but at the time I made my first
purchase from System76 (2012), the sudden absence of video and sound issues
after every other system update came as a welcome relief.

------
siscia
[http://www.santech.eu/c57-series](http://www.santech.eu/c57-series)

~~~
brudgers
The 17" model is 3.1kg and has a pretty substantial GPU. Not a criticism,
that's pretty much the reality in the 17" market.

------
f_allwein
one thing to consider is that, because laptop screen resolutions are higher
than they used to be, you may be fine with a smaller screen. Maybe take a look
at a 15" one with high resolution?

~~~
cylinder714
A friend just bought a 15-inch LG gram notebook: 1080p screen, i7 CPU, 8
gigabytes of RAM, 512-gigabyte SSD, and it weighs 980 grams--just over two
pounds. An i5/4G/256G version also exists.

It is not a super-fast machine, and _definitely_ see reviews on the web and
YouTube as it's not in the same league as a Thinkpad, but if an HD screen and
light weight are priorities, it's worth investigating. Fry's Electronics has
them on display.

A representative review:
[https://youtu.be/Aub6RCHmpHg](https://youtu.be/Aub6RCHmpHg)

~~~
JBiserkov
Thanks, this is a very interesting machine. I didn't like the sound of
"tablet-class performance" or the sight of the screen bending like a sail.

Good luck to your friend.

If we can have a 1 kg 15.6 inch,

why not 2 kg 17.3 inch?!?

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grok2
HP Spectre is great. The HP Envy line is cheaper, but also has the numpad.

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wprapido
i've got a 17in dell 7710 and am happy with it. it's not exactly lightweight
though

~~~
brudgers
Was cleaning out recently and pitched my Satellite 1805-S203 I bought in '01\.
Out of the box, it weighed over seven pounds [1]. Back in the day, I threw it
in the bag and thought nothing of it. The 7710 doesn't weigh much
more...though the same cannot be said for the power brick, with the emphasis
on 'brick'.

[1]: [https://www.cnet.com/products/toshiba-
satellite-1805-s203-13...](https://www.cnet.com/products/toshiba-
satellite-1805-s203-13-3-celeron-128-mb-ram-15-gb-hdd-ps181u00cfche/specs/)

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pravula
Lenovo has brought back its 17" Thinkpad series (P70).

