15" Laptop vs 17" Laptop

[RapidRuben]

I'm in a position where i have to buy a new laptop for college and in the recent future for work.
I need a laptop for programming and adobe programs like photoshop, illustrator, premier etc...

I'm in between 2 laptops, MSI 17.3" GP72MVR 7RFX and the MSI 15.6" GP62M 7REX.
I would like the 17-inch one for multitasking (to be able to have multiple windows on screen) but I don't know if it's gonna be a big difference in portability. The 15-inch is 383 x 260 x 22~29 mm and weighs 2.2 kg, the 17-inch is 419 x 287 x 29~32 mm and weighs 2.7kg.

Is that a big difference?
Anyone got some suggestions or advise?

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

I actually prefer 1" laptops. I use about 17 of them, link them together with superglue and USB chords, and boom! All the benefits of a 17" monitor with 17 times the processing power!

 

[Adam Jensen_v1legacy]

If I were you I'd go to a store to see and feel the difference between those two models. You'll never be sure otherwise.

 

[Frezzato]

I'd go with whichever best suits you but be sure to carry it in a backpack using both straps. An extra pound on both shoulders is barely noticeable.

Otherwise, if you're going to use a laptop bag, make sure you get a decent, padded shoulder strap. The ones included on laptop bags are terrible. I recommend this one [https://courierbags.com/collections/accessories/products/shoulder-pad] from Courierware. I bought three of them, as well as having two of their bags.

There's this thing that puzzles me with people who use laptops. They often don't utilize separate monitors even though they have them. Strange. Don't want to extend the desktop to both? Okay...?

 

[bluegate]

Those sizes don't sound that different, not different enough to have a big impact on portability anyway.

If I were you I'd go for the 17" model, mainly because I extremely dislike working on small screens, it almost triggers a sense of claustrophobia when you're working on a small screen and have multiple windows open, or a window with a lot of toolbars in it.

 

[dscross]

I have a 15" Macbook. It feels pretty huge for a laptop to me (although Macs are a slightly different shape)

 

[LysanderNemoinis]

Both of my laptops (current and previous) are 17". I've tried using smaller sizes, but most of the ones I've come across don't have the extra numerical keypad off to the right, and the way my hands rest on the keyboard need the greater spread. 17" all the way.

 

[Tanis]

My last three laptops have all been 17", I can't think of a reason to go smaller.

 

[JohnnyDelRay]

I'm of a somewhat different camp, I like laptops to be as small and light as I can get. At home I have a 27" monitor for my work/gaming desktop, and my sim rig is a 46" TV, so I don't really need much space for gaming. My laptop is strictly work focused, and thus I only carry around 13" at the most.

So for me, a 15" is massive. I used to carry around a 15", and with accessories, big brick adapter, plus all my stuff, travelling became quite a hassle. But I would only use it for minimal browsing and editing, plus work. But no more than 1 hour at a time. For a main rig, even a 15" would be somewhat crowded, with multiple tabs and serious work going on. So if it seems to be your main machine, then yes, 17" all the way.

 

[Spade Lead]

I took my 17" laptops everywhere, and never even noticed. I went with a 15" laptop this time because it was cheaper and I really miss those 2 inches now.

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

I had a 17" laptop in college, and it was kind of a pain in the ass. If you're going to be using it in classes with those tiny desks

Spoiler: you know the ones I mean

then you're better off with the 15" laptop. The 17" inch laptop is really useful if you need to have side by side windows open a lot. It helps out when writing research papers where you constantly need to reference your notes.

 

[EscapistAccount]

Personally I'd go smaller and make more active use of virtual desktops, if you're going to be carrying it all day you don't want to be lugging something too heavy around. When I was at university I used a 14" laptop and used a desktop at home for sit down work.

The other thing I'd say is that this is the one time in your life you should 100% buy new if you can and check your warranty will cover your entire college period, buying more if necessary. It'd be crippling to be left without your machine for a long period of time. Additionally see if your college gets money off of hardware before you buy.

 

[Chimpzy_v1legacy]

I'd say the 15.6".

Both are pretty similar in terms of hardware specs, but the 15.6" is smaller, lighter and it comes with 16gb ram. The 17.3" has the better gpu, but only 8gb ram. If you plan on doing video editing, you'll probably benefit more from the extra ram than you would from the extra graphical power.

Unless you intend to work in 4K and/or throw in After Effects stuff. In that case, you might want to consider something that has both.