When someone refers to the size of a laptop, they simply mean its screen size (length of the diagonal). Well, the best way to find your laptop size is to use a measuring tape for computing the distance between the diagonal corners, excluding the bezel.
Although you can directly check your laptop size in the user manual or the manufacturer’s website, measuring it physically can help determine the precise screen dimension. Moreover, you also require the length, width, and thickness if you’re searching for the right-sized laptop bag or sleeve.
What are the Different Laptop Sizes?
If you’re a laptop user, you’ve probably tried to know the size of your laptop. Basically, the computer screen is measured in inches, and the average size of these portable computers can range anywhere from 11 inches to 17 inches.
Moreover, you’ve likely heard people labeling laptops as small or large-sized. Indeed, these sizes matter the most when it comes to portability and durability. Likewise, measuring the laptop’s size also gives you an idea of its weight.
- Small: The laptops in this category are no more than 14 inches. Generally, they are lighter and weigh approximately 1.5 to 2 kilograms. Despite their smaller screen size, they are portable and take up less desk space.
- Medium: Those laptops with screen sizes 14.1 to 16 inches can be classified in the Medium category. Talking about their weight, they are slightly heavier than small-sized laptops (2 to 2.5 kg). Indeed, these laptops can be used in both homes and offices, which is why they are the most preferable.
- Large: These laptops have the largest screen displays, usually 17 inches or even larger. Also, they are comparatively heavier, weighing over 3 kg. Hence, they are best used for complex multi-tasking projects and are definitely not ideal for carrying from one place to another.
How Do I Measure My Laptop Size?
Now that you’re aware of the different laptop size types, you can move forward with the necessary steps of measuring it. Indeed, this can be useful if you’re getting a new laptop bag or packaging it to transport somewhere.
Generally, most users prefer to avoid measuring the laptop size physically, as the information is readily available online. However, you need to know the model number first.
To check the laptop model, all you have to do is launch the System Information app. From the list of items, find System Model. Now, check the specifications on the manufacturer’s website based on the model, or you can even find the size on some reliable sites.
Unfortunately, manufacturers may have missed out on some models’ specifications. In such a case, you can follow this section which should help you measure the laptop size manually in just four steps. Indeed, this will also help you verify whether the manufacturer’s specification is correct.
Get a Ruler or Measuring Tape
First and foremost, getting the right equipment is absolutely necessary. Interestingly, you can use either a large-sized ruler or measuring tape.
Generally, rulers come in different sizes, from short 6 inches to 24 inches. Although any type of ruler can be used, we highly recommend getting the latter one as they will be much more convenient for measurement.
If you already have a ruler, that’s totally fine. But if you’re planning to spend a few bucks on an instrument, it’s best to get a measuring tape as they are comparatively precise and quicker.
Well, two types of measuring tapes can be used to measure the laptop size – tailor-inch tape or self-retracting metal tape. While the former is relatively long and needs to be folded well, the latter can be easily fitted in a pocket as it uses a spring mechanism that returns the tape back to a small case.
Measure Height, Width, and Depth
Once you’ve got the measuring tape or ruler, you can now start measuring the width and height. Additionally, you can also measure the depth as this help determine the thickness of your laptop.
Well, there’s a slight misconception regarding the laptop size. Although most people recommend taking the measurement by closing the lid, the right way to do this is by measuring just the screen size horizontally. While doing so, ensure that you do not include the length of the bezel.
Although you can measure the screen diagonally, it’s better to measure the height and width as this is much more efficient. Once you’ve done that, you can use the Pythagoras Theorem to get the precise horizontal length, which we will discuss in the next step.
Most modern laptops have a thinner bezel, so measuring the screen size might be tricky. Nonetheless, you can follow the below instructions to do it correctly:
- Firstly, keep your laptop on a flat surface. Moreover, if you have a laptop with 180 degrees or greater hinge, we recommend laying it flat on the surface.
- Now, use the measuring instrument (tape or ruler) and place the first end (0 inches) at the top of the screen, and mark the inch that touches the bottom. This will give you the height of the laptop monitor.
- Next, place the first end at the leftmost part of the screen and mark the inch that touches the rightmost end. This will give you the width of the laptop screen.
- Now, close the laptop lid and use the tape or ruler to measure the depth (thickness).
Alternatively, you can also use a string instead of directly placing the measuring instrument on the screen. All you have to do is extend the string from the top and cut the end once it touches the bottom of the screen. Now, use the measuring tape or ruler to determine the precise length of the string.
Moving on, if you’ve taken the measurement in centimeters, you can easily convert it to inches. Mathematically, 1 inch = 2.54 cm
For example, if the height of the screen is 16.5 cm, we can easily convert this into inches using the above mathematical equation:1 cm = 1/2.54 inches
Therefore, 16.5 cm = 16.5/2.54 = 6.496 inches
Likewise, you can also convert the width in cm to inches.
Note: If you’re trying to measure your laptop size to get the right size bag, you may require the overall height, width, and depth (including the bezel). In such a case, you can close the lid and do the measurement.
Use Pythagoras Theorem
Once you’ve got the height and weight of the laptop, you can use simple geometry to determine the diagonal length. Mathematically, the Pythagoras theorem states that:d2 = h2 + w2
i.e., d = √(h2 + w2)
where d = diagonal, h = height, w = width
For demonstration, we’ve taken the measurement of the Samsung Notebook 9:
Height (h) = 6.5 inches
Width (w) = 11.5 inches
Now,d = √(h2 + w2)
i.e., d = √(6.5)2 + (11.5)2 = 13.209 inches
Thus, the size of the laptop is approximately 13.209 inches.
Also, there’s an alternative way to detect the laptop size if you’re not so great at taking measurements or lack the measuring devices. However, you need to know the maximum screen resolution supported by the device, along with its PPI.
For example, Samsung Notebook 9 supports a maximum resolution of 1920 x 1080, and its PPI is reported to be 166. Well, you can quickly get this information using a simple Google search. Now, let’s use the Pythagoras theorem:
Here,
Height = 1080 pixels
Width = 1920 pixels
PPI = 166
Calculating the height and width in inches,
h = 1080/166 = 6.506 inches
w = 1920/166 = 11.566 inches
Now,
d = √(h2 + w2)
i.e., d = √(6.506)2 + (11.566)2 = 13.27 inches
Hence, the precise screen size of the laptop is 13.27 inches.
Directly Measure the Diagonal [Optional]
Moving on, you can directly measure the screen’s diagonal length to determine the laptop size. However, this doesn’t give a precise measurement compared to the previous steps. Nonetheless, if you’re someone who prefers the short way out, here’s what you need to do:
- First of all, place the laptop on a flat surface.
- Now, carefully place the ruler or measuring tape’s first end (0 inches) in the top-left corner of the display.
- Then, mark the end of the instrument that aligns with the bottom-right corner.
For example, in the Samsung Notebook 9 model, the diagonal size comes out to be 13.2 inches. Finally, comparing it to the previous result (13.27 inches), the size seems to match. However, the measurement is 0.1 inches shorter than what is specified on Samsung’s official site.
