TechCompare LogoTechCompare
Switch between centimeters and inches

How big is a 17.3-inch laptop screen? The gaming and workstation size, with dimensions and PPI

By TechCompare · Updated · How we check

A 17.3-inch 16:9 screen is about 38.3 cm (15.08 inches)15.08 inches (38.3 cm) wide and 21.5 cm (8.48 inches)8.48 inches (21.5 cm) tall. These are screen dimensions and exclude the bezel and stand.

The 17.3" 16:9 laptop panel next to a 15.6" 16:9 reference

Drawn to scale so you can see the size difference at a glance

17.3" 16:9 laptop: 38.3 cm (15.1 in)15.1 in (38.3 cm) × 21.5 cm (8.5 in)8.5 in (21.5 cm) · 825 cm² (128 in²)128 in² (825 cm²)
15.6" 16:9: 34.5 cm (13.6 in)13.6 in (34.5 cm) × 19.4 cm (7.6 in)7.6 in (19.4 cm) · 671 cm² (104 in²)104 in² (671 cm²)
Width difference: 3.8 cm (1.5 in)1.5 in (3.8 cm) (9.8%) · Height difference: 2.1 cm (0.8 in)0.8 in (2.1 cm) (9.8%) · Area ratio: 0.81×
Both panels share a corner and are drawn at the same scale, so the extra width and height of the larger screen are true to size. Open these two in the full Screen Size Comparison ›
This exact 17.3″ vs 15.6″ overlay, pre-loaded. Swap the reference, change either panel, or flip units.
Edit in the full tool

A 17.3-inch 16:9 laptop screen measures 38.3 cm (15.08 inches)15.08 inches (38.3 cm) wide by 21.5 cm (8.48 inches)8.48 inches (21.5 cm) tall, giving you about 825 cm² (127.9 square inches)127.9 square inches (825 cm²) of display area. It's the largest mainstream laptop diagonal still in production, used almost exclusively on gaming laptops (ASUS ROG Strix, MSI Raider, Alienware m17) and mobile workstations (Dell Precision 7770, HP ZBook 17).

The 16:9 aspect ratio matches games and video natively, which is why it dominates this class. It's heavy and expensive, and it's meant to replace a desktop rather than share a backpack with one.

Dimensions
38.3 cm × 21.5 cm15.1" × 8.5"
15.1" × 8.5"38.3 cm × 21.5 cm
Screen area
128 sq in
825 cm²
Aspect ratio
16:9
43.9 cm (17.3") diagonal17.3" (43.9 cm) diagonal

How this is calculated

In metric, 38.3 cm wide by 21.5 cm tall, roughly 825 cm². At the typical 1920×1080 resolution on a 17.3-inch panel you get about 127 PPI, which is fine for gaming and media but visibly soft for text work compared to a 15.6-inch 1080p panel at 141 PPI.

Many 17.3-inch gaming laptops now ship 2560×1440 (170 PPI) or 3840×2160 (255 PPI) panels to address that. The 16:9 ratio trades vertical workspace for media compatibility, which on a 17.3-inch gaming laptop is the right trade. Chassis weight typically runs 3.0-3.6 kg, which is enough that most owners treat it as a portable desktop rather than a daily-carry laptop.

Verdict

Pick 17.3 inches only when this is your one machine and it moves between rooms, not between offices. The panel measures 38.3 cm (15.08 in)15.08 in (38.3 cm) wide by 21.5 cm (8.48 in)8.48 in (21.5 cm) tall for about 825 cm² (127.9 in²)127.9 in² (825 cm²) of area. The 16:9 ratio matches games and video natively, which is the right trade for this class, but at 3.0-3.6 kg plus the power brick most owners treat the laptop as a portable desktop rather than a daily carry machine.

At 1920x1080 the panel reads soft for text against a 15.6-inch 1080p panel's 141 PPI, so many 17.3-inch panels now ship at 2560x1440 (170 PPI) or 3840x2160 (255 PPI). For anyone who commutes daily, a 16-inch 16:10 delivers similar productivity workspace at roughly two-thirds the weight.

More Screen Size scenarios

24" 16:9 monitor
The classic desktop size: big enough for a browser plus sidebar, and it fits on any desk.
View details
27" 16:9 monitor
A 27-inch 16:9 monitor measures 23.53 inches (59.8 cm) wide by 13.24 inches (33.6 cm) tall, giving you about 312 square inches (2010 cm²) of screen area, excluding the bezel.
View details
32" 16:9 monitor
A 32-inch 16:9 monitor measures 27.89 inches (70.8 cm) wide by 15.69 inches (39.8 cm) tall, giving you about 438 square inches (2823 cm²) of screen area.
View details

Related guides

15.6" 1080p laptop PPI
The PPI step-down from 17.3-inch 1080p to 15.6-inch 1080p.
View guide
16:9 at 27" aspect ratio
The 16:9 aspect ratio this 17.3-inch gaming laptop ships.
View guide
18" 16:10 laptop screen size
A larger 16:10 laptop panel, one step up from this page.
View guide
Screen size chart
Width, height and area of common screen sizes, in inches and cm.
View guide

Frequently asked questions

What are the exact dimensions of a 17.3-inch laptop screen in inches and cm?
A 17.3-inch 16:9 screen is 38.3 cm (15.08 inches)15.08 inches (38.3 cm) wide and 21.5 cm (8.48 inches)8.48 inches (21.5 cm) tall. The screen area is about 825 cm² (127.9 square inches)127.9 square inches (825 cm²).
Is a 17.3-inch laptop too big to carry?
At 3.0-3.6 kg (6.6-8 lbs) plus a power brick, a 17.3-inch laptop is heavy enough that most owners treat it as a portable desktop rather than a daily-carry machine. If you commute daily, a 16-inch 16:10 gives similar productivity workspace at roughly two-thirds the weight.
What is the PPI of a 17.3-inch 1080p screen?
A 17.3-inch panel at 1920x1080 has about 127 PPI, which is fine for gaming and video but visibly soft for text compared to a 15.6-inch 1080p panel. 2560x1440 hits about 170 PPI and is the sweet spot for a 17.3-inch panel doing both work and games.

Related tools

PPI & Retina Calculator

Calculate PPI and Retina distance for your display.

Use tool

TV Viewing Visualizer

Find a good viewing distance for a TV or monitor with an interactive room layout.

Use tool

Aspect Ratio Visualizer

Visually compare width differences between 16:9, 21:9, and 32:9 monitors.

Use tool

Desk Setup Visualizer

Visually plan multi-monitor desk setups with front and top-down views.

Use tool