17 inch laptop recommendations

djmsemcgrath

It appears that the current trend over the past decade or so has been smaller = better, especially in laptops. Chromebooks and ultra-portables are now dominating the shops. However, I have no interest in those at all. My laptop needs to serve a few purposes:

- I watch a lot of TV/films on it. The bigger the screen the better.
- I play Football Manager, which for the uninitiated, is basically a glorified spreadsheet, so again, the bigger screen, the better.
- I do a lot of data analysis work so I like having large spreadsheets visible, or as many database columns visible at once as possible.
- I never use my laptop on trains/buses etc, and hardly ever use it away from home, unless it's transported in my car boot to a hotel. Portability isn't an issue.

I am after a new 17 inch laptop to replace my aging one. My current one is a HP Pavilion DV7-6C01EA (http://www.amazon.co.uk/HP-Pavilion-dv7-6c01ea-Quad-Core-A6-3430MX-Processor-Windows/dp/B006W7B2WA), and the specs are 8GB RAM, 1TB hard drive and a AMD A6 1.7Ghz processor.

I've had it for around 4-5 years, I think January 2012, and the screen is starting to play up, and I think the memory is developing faults, so I'm starting to look around for a possible replacement.

I'm assuming that in the past 5 years, laptop specs have advanced, and prices have come down, but after a brief look at Amazon, that doesn't appear to be the case. Even on that Amazon link above, it says "there is a new model available", but that one has LOWER specs! What's that all about?? I paid £799 for my laptop five years ago - there must surely be an equivalent nowadays?

My current specs are my minimum specs for a new machine, so 8GB RAM, and 1TB hard drive, plus as good a processor as possible with a decent enough graphics card to watch TV and play FM, with as reasonable a price as possible.

I'm really struggling to find any decent 17.3 inch laptops anywhere. Amazon seems to have about 6, the high street shops don't have any on their shelves and laptop review websites keep reviewing the 13 inch end of the market. I think I'm a fairly rare non-gamer looking to buy a machine that tends to be aimed at the gamers.

Does anyone have any 17inch laptop recommendations?

Thanks.

dcouponzzzz

Whatever you do, don't get the HP envy... worst decision I made that mouse was created by a sadist.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/HP-17-k206na-Laptop-Intel-Windows/dp/B00TH8U8GM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1458744348&sr=8-2&keywords=hp+envy+17

I know Dell used to have a conveyor belt style ordering system where you chose the size/style and simply added the components you wanted, although with a quick search I can't find that now. Worth looking for though.

dcouponzzzz

Try here
http://www.dell.com/uk/p/laptops?~ck=anav#!111726~0~1780115&facets=70205~0~2922199,93410~0~1450395&p=1

djmsemcgrath

I did stumble onto the Dell website and they do actually seem to have a good selection, and the specs seem good for the price. Oddly though, most review websites give them pretty poor scores......I need to do a bit more research into that.

I've always had a HP and they've always been great - disappointing to hear about the Envy though! They always looked great in the shops, but you're not the first to warn me off them.

Cisco001

Is there a reason it has to be laptop?

Why not going for small desktop?

What sort of budget are you talking about?
How about this?

http://www.ebuyer.com/726293-pc-specialist-optimus-vii-v17-960-gaming-laptop-pcs-l860516

Or go to saveonlaptops
and check out Cube Chameleon GTX-7870

RumRat

Or, a more portable laptop and a monitor for when needed?....