Best Desktop Replacement Laptops

With pricing around $650, the Gateway NV75S17u is practically a budget class laptop but offers a bit more than what you typically find in this price range. First, it is based on the quad core AMD Fusion A8-3500M processor which offers good performance and decent integrated graphics. In addition, it comes with 6GB of memory for smooth Windows 7 performance and even a Blu-ray compatible optical drive. There are a number of drawbacks however including no high speed USB 3.0 ports for external expansion, a huge amount of trialware and a display that can't fully support 1080p video. If you need a bit more from your 17-inch laptop such as a dedicated graphics option, then Dell's Inspiron 17R can typically be found with discounts for around $750 with a decent set of options.

If you are looking for a high performance desktop replacement that can be used for just about any task, then the HP Envy 17 is a a solid choice especially with prices typically in the $1300 price range. It features a strong quad Core i7 processor with 6GB of memory. Add in two hard drives in a RAID 0 array for 1TB of storage space with fast performance and it is fast with lots of space. Finally, you have a high resolution display with a blazing fast Radeon HD 6850M graphics that can even handle some serious gaming. In fact, there is so much performance packed into this that heat tends to be its biggest overall issue with potential performance implications. In addition, the integrated button trackpad still needs work. For those looking at a slightly more affordable option, the Samsung RF711-S02 can still be found for just over $1000 with a good mix of features even if it lacks a 1080p display and has some odd hard drive partitioning.

For gaming, the graphics subsystem is a major factor in performance but the display, processor and even storage can also add to the experience of gaming. MSI does an excellent job here with a great anti-glare 17-inch panel with 1920x1080 resolution matched with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570M graphics processor. Add in a quad core i7 processor and 12GB of DDR3 memory and this won't likely have trouble with PC games for many years to come. Finally, the RAID 0 drive array offers plenty of space for games and media files while boosting performance over most single drive systems. Now, it doesn't come with Blu-ray at this $1650 price tag but this isn't an issue for many gamers. If Blu-ray is something that you want to have, then the ASUS G74SX is a nice alternative with many similar features but a screen that is not quite as nice for about $1500.

If you want a large screen laptop but want to have it be portable, than the Apple MacBook Pro 17-inch is the clear choice. The system has a very thin profile of just 1-inch high and a very low 6.6 pound weight. Performance is also quite strong thanks to the Intel Core i7 quad-core CPU with 4GB of DDR3 memory. It also has plenty of storage space thanks to a large 750GB hard drive. Their polymer battery also gives the system some incredible battery life that can't be matched among 17-inch laptops. The system still carries a very high price tag of $2499. Unfortunately there aren't many options for thin profile 17-inch laptops to compete with Apple's MacBook Pro 17. The closest option would likely be the HP Envy 17 which is just 1.3-inches thick but weighs in at a hefty 7.7 lbs. At least it is much more affordable at under $1500.