The convenience of using a laptop includes the ease of carrying it around as you desire. Most people take their laptops along with them to work, on trips, school, and back to their homes. Also, it affects your choice of a new laptop when the purpose involves frequent mobility.
But a laptop’s weight can limit its portability besides other factors. So, you may wonder how much does a laptop weigh?
A laptop usually weights between 2 to 8 pounds based on its category and model. Other factors include the battery, CD/DVD drive, fans, number of storage drives, and the laptop screen size.
Keep reading to learn why the weight of laptops matters and the how the type of a laptop determines how heavy the laptop will be.
Contents
How Much Does a Laptop Weigh?
A laptop weigh is between 2 lbs-8 lbs. However, the category of the laptop will determine its weight and functionality.
When getting a laptop, most people focus on its portability. The major contributing factor to a laptop being portable is its weight.
Lightweight laptops are the desirable choice since they will offer the convenience of taking them along with you wherever you go.
However, you can also settle for a lightweight surface pro best for artists and other professionals who require a super lightweight PC for easy mobility.
The challenge in choosing a laptop has always been to get the right weight without compromising the quality. How much does a laptop weigh usually differ according to its classification, size, purpose, and screen dimensions.
Classification of Laptops
Laptops are generally categorized into five groups that influence their weights. They are as follows.
- Chromebook/Ultrabook
- Ultraportable
- Thin and Light
- Desktop Replacement
- Luggable
Chromebook/Ultrabook Laptops:
Chromebooks are those laptops that operate on the Chrome OS, the Ultrabook are those running on the Windows OS. These laptops are highly lightweight and are best regarded as the most convenient laptop when traveling by air. Generally, they weigh between 2lbs to 3 lbs.
Ultraportable:
The Ultraportable laptops are lightweight and highly portable, weighing between 2 lbs to 5 lbs. They will provide you the ease of carrying them anywhere you go.
Ultra portables are the best choice for those who move their laptops to work, school, home, during trips, etc. Examples of this category of laptops include Apple MacBook Air, HP EliteBook, Acer Swift 7, HP Spectre Folio, etc.
Thin and Light
These laptops uphold their names as they are very thin and light. They weight between 3 to 6 lbs. Some laptops of this category include Dell XPS 15, 13′ Apple MacBook Pro, Google PixelBook, and others.
Desktop Replacement
This category of laptops has more power and is stronger than normal laptops. However, their weights are much bigger, about 4 lbs to 8 lbs. The functionality is almost like that of a desktop but with the added advantage of portability.
Desktop replacement laptops come with bigger batteries and an extra fan that provide a more cooling effect to avoid overheating. Among these laptops are gaming laptops such as MSI GP73 Leopard and Alienware 17 R5 17′ gaming laptop.
Luggable
Luggable laptops are the heaviest category that are currently out of sales. But people who still desire them can get special casing through some online DIY. These laptops weight around 15 lbs and above. Luggable laptops are similar to desktop PC in terms of design and operation. An example is Compaq Portable II.
Do Laptops Get Heavier Over Time?
The weight of a laptop doesn’t change over time through downloading data and files. This is because the stored data and files don’t exist as physical objects. If you do not upgrade any internal parts, you laptop’s weight will remain just the same.
Data are stored in a magnetic hard drive of laptops as their particles are characterized as magnetic dipole moments. The little amount of change that happens can’t be measured even with the most sensitive scales. So, the weight of your laptop will not increase over time as the change is negligible.
What Components Determine The Weight Of A Laptop?
Components that adds to a laptop’s weight are the following:
- Batteries: Battery is one of the heaviest parts of a laptop. It will increase its weight. If you use a high performing laptop, it’ll require a higher battery backup than the normal ones. Also, the design will include a bigger fan. Therefore, the only way of sustaining the operations of all the integrated parts is with a larger battery with more weight than other simple ones.
- Fans: Fans are one of the laptop components that significantly impact its weight. A laptop operates in diverse ways, and this produces heat. To prevent overheating and any parts damage, laptops often require powerful cooling fans.
- Moreover, some laptops come with more than a single fan, while some will have just one bigger fan. So, with a bigger fan or multiple fans, the weight of the laptop will invariably be more.
- Ports: Having more ports than the usual laptop will increase the weight of the laptop. These ports include CD/DVD drive, SD Card Reader, USD/USD Type-A, Display Port, and others. However, latest models are now designed with minimal ports to reduce weight, such as the 12” Apple MacBook with just a single port.
- Screens: The size of a laptop screen is a contributory factor to its weight. Screens sizes range from 9” to 18” and above. Bigger screens will increase the laptop’s weight.
Does The Weight Of A Laptop Matter?
The heavier a laptop is, the more inconvenient it will be to move it around. This is especially for people who travel with their laptops a lot, such as students. Besides, when traveling by plane with a laptop, the weight will matter because you will have a stipulated allowable weight to carry as a passenger.
The weight of a laptop determines its portability. And the manufacturer’s design and quality, the screen size, battery, and other factors determines how heavy it’ll be. So, when you need something portable, a smaller laptop is a favorable choice because the weight won’t be much.
Laptop sizes
The size of a laptop refers to its external physical dimensions. This include the width, height, and depth of the laptop. Most manufacturers list the dimensional sizes of their laptops in the box.
- Width: The measurement of a laptop’s width is from the left part of the keyboard across to its right.
- Height: The height of the laptop is measured with the laptop closed. It’s the size from the bottom to the back of the display of the laptop. This is also known as the thickness of the laptop. Some brands have two listed measurements of thickness since the height spills down from front to back of the laptop. But with just one measurement, it represents the thickest part of the laptop.
- Depth: This is the measurement from the front to the back panel hinge of the system.
Laptop Standard Dimension Measurements
The table below gives you the standard measurement of the laptop categories, excluding other accessories like power adapters.
| Laptop Category | Weight | Width | Height | Depth |
| Ultrabook/Chromebook | 2 lbs – 3 lbs | 9” – 13.5” | 1” | 8” – 11” |
| Ultraportable | 2 lbs – 5 lbs | 9” – 13” | 0.2” – 1.3” | 8” – 9” |
| Thin and Light | 3 lbs – 6 lbs | 11” – 15” | 0.5” – 1.5” | 11” |
| Desktop Replacement | 4 lbs – 8 lbs | 15” | 1” – 2” | 11” |
| Luggable | 8lbs | 18” | – | 13” |
Final Thought
The convenience of using a laptop goes with its portability. This is because it offers the opportunity of moving it around, unlike a desktop that you must fix at a place.
But this ease of mobility lies in the weight of the laptop. So, how much does a laptop weigh? This article explains the weight of laptops based on different categories. Rather the weight of a laptop mainly depends on the components of the system. So, storing data on your laptop doesn’t increase its weight over time.