17-inch screen dimensions
14.8 × 8.3 inches
37.6 × 21.2 cm · 376 × 212 mm · 16:9 · Laptop size
Why the diagonal is not enough
Screens are advertised by their diagonal, and a diagonal does not determine width until you also know the shape. The same 17-inch measurement produces a screen 2.8 inches wider at 32:9 than at 4:3. If you are measuring a space, the width is the number that matters.
| Aspect ratio | Width | Height | Screen area |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16:9 — the standard for televisions and most monitors | 14.8 in / 37.6 cm | 8.3 in / 21.2 cm | 123 in² |
| 16:10 — taller than widescreen, common on laptops and design monitors | 14.4 in / 36.6 cm | 9.0 in / 22.9 cm | 130 in² |
| 21:9 — the 34-inch class ultrawide, actually 43:18 | 15.7 in / 39.8 cm | 6.6 in / 16.7 cm | 103 in² |
| 4:3 — the pre-widescreen shape, still used by projectors and older panels | 13.6 in / 34.5 cm | 10.2 in / 25.9 cm | 139 in² |
| 32:9 — two 16:9 panels side by side in one screen | 16.4 in / 41.6 cm | 4.6 in / 11.7 cm | 75 in² |
How it compares by area
A diagonal is a length, so a step up sounds smaller than it is: moving from 16 inches to 17 adds 1.0 inches of diagonal and 13% more picture, and the next size up, 19 inches, is another 25% again.
| Size | Width | Screen area | vs 17-inch |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13.3 in | 11.6 in | 76 in² | -39% |
| 14 in | 12.2 in | 84 in² | -32% |
| 15.6 in | 13.6 in | 104 in² | -16% |
| 16 in | 13.9 in | 109 in² | -11% |
| 19 in | 16.6 in | 154 in² | +25% |
| 21.5 in | 18.7 in | 198 in² | +60% |
| 22 in | 19.2 in | 207 in² | +67% |
| 24 in | 20.9 in | 246 in² | +99% |
Pixel density at 17-inch
The same resolution is sharp on a small screen and coarse on a large one, because sharpness is pixels per inch and the inches are not in the resolution.
| Resolution | Density at 17-inch | |
|---|---|---|
| Full HD (1920×1080) | 130 PPI | Sharp at desk distance |
| QHD (2560×1440) | 173 PPI | Sharp at desk distance |
| 4K UHD (3840×2160) | 259 PPI | Very high — the interface will be scaled |
| 8K UHD (7680×4320) | 518 PPI | Very high — the interface will be scaled |
Frequently asked questions
How wide is a 17-inch screen?
A 17-inch 16:9 screen is 14.8 inches (37.6 cm) wide and 8.3 inches (21.2 cm) tall. The diagonal alone does not fix the width — a 17-inch 4:3 screen is 13.6 inches wide instead.
What are the dimensions of a 17-inch TV in cm?
37.6 × 21.2 cm for the screen itself at 16:9. The cabinet is larger — usually 1 to 3 cm on each side for a modern set, more if it has a bezel — so measure the product rather than the panel when checking whether it fits a space.
Is a 17-inch screen much bigger than a 16-inch one?
By area, 13% bigger. Screens are sold by diagonal, which understates every step: going up 1.0 inches of diagonal here adds 13% of picture.
What resolution should a 17-inch screen be?
Pixel density decides that: Full HD gives 130 PPI, QHD gives 173 PPI, 4K UHD gives 259 PPI, 8K UHD gives 518 PPI. Below about 80 PPI a screen looks coarse at desk distance but is fine across a room, which is why televisions and monitors of the same size are sold at different resolutions.