Does upgrading my laptop from 16inch to 18inch makes major difference?

[Evyatar]

 

Hello guys
I'm interested in upgrading my device from 16 inch to 18 inch but that's going to cost me more than 2k$.
So, I was wondering, how much of a difference does it make for gaming / working those extra 2 inches?

Currently working on Lenovo Thinkpad P16 Gen 2, thinking about upgrading to ASUS ROG Strix SCAR.
Both are extreme beasts, I know, but that's what I'm working with.

So, has anybody made this kind of a change?
Was it worth it? made a big change or not so much?

Thanks.

 

[filpo]

5 minutes ago, Evyatar said:

Lenovo Thinkpad P16 Gen 2

specs? depending on what they are and how this is for you then, no realistically, the extra screen space is not gonna do much 

[RandomLegoBrick]

it depends on the resolution of the display, if the resolution of the 18 inch model is the same as the 16 inch one, everything will simply look larger (and you might be able to see individual pixels more clearly). If the 18 inch has a markedly higher resolution, you will be able to fit an extra inch or so of windows. 

Regardless of dimensions, the amount you can fit on your screen is mostly denoted by the resolution and what you set your scaling to.

[Brooksie359]

If I really needed a bigger display I would just hook up the laptop to a monitor. Honestly if you hook up a keyboard and mouse as well then you can usually use a laptop like a desktop. Also keep in mind that there are portable monitors if you are concerned about portability. Also you can use it in conjunction with your laptop screen to run a 2 monitor solution giving way more space. 

[-rascal-]

18" laptops are pretty bulky / heavy. Unless you NEED the extra screen size.

IMO, the bigger the laptop, the less "portable" it becomes.

 

Also, both laptops are complete opposites of each other, so what is your purpose?

The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 is a mobile workstation with a RTX Ada GPU, while the ASUS is a gaming laptop.

[voyager_]

it has its benefits, I have a 17in msi and compared to my work laptops 15.6" it's definitely noticeable. It's an older one with either a 1440 or 1080 display (I don't remember at this point) and I find it's easier to use with having the text slightly larger and I prefer it playing games. I have had a 4k laptop from work and honestly hated it to the point I switched. The 4k made the text to hard to read and scaling didn't always help. For my personal laptop I love the larger screen, I just find it much easier to use and it helps most have a larger keyboard layout. The extra size can be a pain when you want to take it places, it wouldn't fit in my old backpack or rolling bag so I did have to get one that would fit the larger laptop. My Msi doesn't weigh any more then my other computers but some can get pretty heavy. I ended up buying a 14in hp probook that can play factorio and other lighter games, play movies, and do minor tasks that I can easily travel with.

 

As others have suggested you could always get a monitor and plug it in but I find if im going to use my laptop it's on the couch, otherwise I use my desktop with an ultrawide.

 

 

TLDR: It's honestly personal choice, I prefer it for home use. Travel can be more difficult since most bags are designed around smaller computers. Weight difference isn't a huge difference but if you travel frequently you'll probably want a smaller and lighter computer. If it's occasional I really like the larger display, that little bit makes a big difference. Best thing I could recommend is find somewhere that has the screen size your wanting and try them side by side. After having a 17in MSI I won't go back, I have a 14in for taking places and my work laptop is a 15.6in and I don't like the screen size, I find it's much harder to work on. 

[Evyatar]

Thank you everyone!
After giving it another thought, I'll push it extra year with my 16'.