Differences between 15 R3 & 17 R4?

I'm trying to decide which one to get. It will spend most of its time sitting on my desk hooked up to an external monitor and will travel with me once or twice a month for work. Primary uses are gaming and office applications.

I have an external g-sync monitor so I don't really want the 4K screen so 1080p is fine for me.

I'm leaning towards the 17 because I can get the 6820hk with 1080p where on the 15 the only option is the 6700hq. Is the 17 better at cooling? Are there any "under the hood" differences between them?

 

There is a 6820HK option on the 15, however with that said there are also some heating issues being reported.
Right now the 17 has had some great results even with stock paste.
So yes clearly the 17 is better at cooling.

There are some differences in the LCD options. If you want 120hz/G-Sync you have one option on each model. (I know you said you had a monitor, but consider the times you will need to be mobile.)
The 15 has a FHD (1080p) 120Hz G-Sync panel
The 17 has a QHD (1440P) 120Hz G-Sync panel

The 17 has a full sized keyboard (number pad on the right side)

Based on your usage I would personally suggest the 17
Based on my own knowledge and personal preferences I'm going with the 17

 

You're right about the 6820hk on the 15 but it looks like it's only available on the 4K models which I don't want. I wouldn't mind having the 120hz but I would prefer the 6820hk if possible for the extra performance down the line.

 

I have a feeling that will change eventually. I also have a feeling it has something to do with some hardware limitation or legal red tape.
What makes me think that is the fact that also the 17 also doesnt have the ability to pair the top processor with the 120Hz G-Sync panel.
So if you have patience I would just want a couple of weeks.