The sad state of screen resolution in Windows PC laptops

[grmlin]

The XPS 15 is a 15.6” screen. And it’s 16:10. Even if it’s 16”, the difference in its physical dimensions is so small, that you won’t use it at 175% scaling all of the sudden and a 15.6” at 200%.

the 16:9 is smaller. And the laptops don’t get really wider. They just use the otherwise wasted space below the screen.

 

[Steve Adams]

I guess what I am saying is I am not running out and buying a new notebook just because I have a 16:9. It works great for me, I have no issue with it and I make money using it. WIN WIN.

 

[skaertus]

The XPS 15 is a 15.6” screen. And it’s 16:10. Even if it’s 16”, the difference in its physical dimensions is so small, that you won’t use it at 175% scaling all of the sudden and a 15.6” at 200%.

the 16:9 is smaller. And the laptops don’t get really wider. They just use the otherwise wasted space below the screen.

Windows allows personalized scaling, but you are right, people would most likely use default round numbers such as 150%, 175%, or 200%, in which case a 4K 16:10 screen would provide more real estate.

As for the sizes of laptops, this is an interesting point. I noticed that nearly all 16:9 laptops have some sort of "chin", unused space under the display. Even the 16:9 Dell XPS, with its very tiny bezels, had this "chin". I wonder why; is it some remnant from the time laptops used to carry a 16:10 display? In any case, just by filling that useless space, a display can become 16:10 without any change to the size of the chassis.

 

[c0ppo]

As for the sizes of laptops, this is an interesting point. I noticed that nearly all 16:9 laptops have some sort of "chin", unused space under the display. Even the 16:9 Dell XPS, with its very tiny bezels, had this "chin". I wonder why; is it some remnant from the time laptops used to carry a 16:10 display? In any case, just by filling that useless space, a display can become 16:10 without any change to the size of the chassis.

Answer to that is really simple. Laptop needs space to fit the keyboard, palm rest and trackpad.
Sure, they can probably shrink that as well. But you would get smaller keyboard, smaller trackpad and smaller palm rest. And with all that, throttling and noise would increase as well.

 

[skaertus]

Answer to that is really simple. Laptop needs space to fit the keyboard, palm rest and trackpad.
Sure, they can probably shrink that as well. But you would get smaller keyboard, smaller trackpad and smaller palm rest. And with all that, throttling and noise would increase as well.

OK, I can understand that, at least on smaller models. But would it apply to a 15.6" laptop as well?

 

[c0ppo]

OK, I can understand that, at least on smaller models. But would it apply to a 15.6" laptop as well?

On any model, no matter the size.
If you shrink the screen, rest of the device needs to shrink as well. Vice-versa.
Try imagining your laptop as it is now, but with a smaller screen. Keyboard deck remains the same. If you close the screen, it won't cover the entire deck.

 

[skaertus]

On any model, no matter the size.
If you shrink the screen, rest of the device needs to shrink as well. Vice-versa.
Try imagining your laptop as it is now, but with a smaller screen. Keyboard deck remains the same. If you close the screen, it won't cover the entire deck.

Sure, that I can understand, I guess I did not make myself clear.

If you remove the space below the screen, the whole laptop shell will shrink as well, and there will be less space to accommodate the keyboard and the trackpad.

What I have some doubt is whether there would be additional throttling and noise even in the case of 15.6-inch models, which will still have a larger shell than a 13.3-inch model even after the shell is reduced.

 

[Steve Adams]

Case in point is my dell inspiron. It has huge black bezels. If these were reduced I am guessing a 15" 16:10 screen could fit in there. It does not bother me at all, but there is room for more screen real estate in some form factor either 16:10. 2:3 or something.

 

[naughtybehavior86]

Unless you live on the road that much why waste your money on a 4K 13" when you can enjoy a 4K 48" OLED? Even on larger screen sizes I still think 4K is gimmicky and 1440p is the sweet spot when considering GPU into the picture and I have AMD 6900xt and Nvidia 3090.

I will never understand comments like this. There is no comparison between the reading experience of 1440P vs 4K. I hated text on my 1440P. My 4K screen displays text crisp, clear, and doesn't bother my eyes.

 

[Falhófnir]

Sure, that I can understand, I guess I did not make myself clear.

If you remove the space below the screen, the whole laptop shell will shrink as well, and there will be less space to accommodate the keyboard and the trackpad.

What I have some doubt is whether there would be additional throttling and noise even in the case of 15.6-inch models, which will still have a larger shell than a 13.3-inch model even after the shell is reduced.

I'd like to see some even bigger screens in chunkier gaming laptops, fitting an 18" display into a current bog standard 17" chassis doesn't look like it would be an issue, a lot of them still have inch-thick bezels. 4K at 18 inches would be a super desktop replacement or the ultimate AIO!