Our Review: LG Gram 17
The first thing that grabs your attention when you look at the LG Gram 17 is its massive 17-inch screen, but it shouldn’t necessarily be the only thing. Under its metal hood, there is a 10th generation Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, and a cracking 1TB of SSD storage, enough power to blitz through your regular stream of workflows and workloads.
And to the best part or second best part, the battery is incredibly impressive. There is ample runtime here to go on a big screen-time binge, and the stunning visuals of the high-resolution display will only spur you on.
As for the best part, you’ll know it when you weigh this laptop in your hands, it is ultraportable in every sense of the word.
Design and Appearance
Weighing just 2.98 pounds, in addition to having a thickness of 0.7 inches, the LG Gram 17 can rightly be considered as one of the most portable 17-inch laptops in the market today.
At first glance, it is hard to believe that this laptop is anything but cumbersome, its form factor is substantial, a 17″ box with a massive footprint. Credit goes to LG for fitting in all the requisite hardware under the hood of this laptop without making key compromises in their quality and functionality, all in exchange for a coveted spot in the Ultraportable hall of fame.
As for the design, silver meets magnesium in the chassis of the LG Gram 17, this alloy is aptly chosen for its robustness as much as it is for its lightweight structure.
Thankfully, LG has gotten rid of that ponderous hinge from the previous Gram, but the lid still retains the plainness and dearth of visually striking features.
Ports and Connections
You could be forgiven for envisaging a massive port deficit in this laptop, but in this case, you would be grossly mistaken.
With 3 USB-A ports, a USB-C port, a power lock, and an HDMI-out, the LG Gram17 does seem to punch above its weight. The only notable omissions are the standard network port and standard SD card slot, and there Is adequate replacement too.
For the former, the 802.11ax WiFi or the included adaptor are useful alternatives, while a MicroSD does the trick for external storage. The USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 port is the clincher, you can simultaneously charge the laptop, transfer files and display with this port. It almost seems like we have luxury and utility lining the edges of the LG Gram.
Display
The screen employs the service of an IPS panel to deliver the picture-perfect quality that is befitting of a 17-inch showcase.
The viewing angles are impressive as expected, as is the color vibrancy and display clarity. For a screen this massive, there is a tendency to get a display with lower PPI, and lower quality display by extension, not this laptop thankfully. Armed with a copious supply of pixels(2560×1600), and a decent aspect ratio(16:10), the display is as nuanced and brilliant as it is should be.
The big but is the glossiness In the screen, the reflective surface reduces visibility in places exposed to sunlight, but there is just enough here in terms of brightness and contrast to tackle that problem.
The bigger picture; there is sufficient screen real-estate and quality visuals to cater to all your content creation and consumption needs.
Audio
The sound department is not an area of strength for the Gram 17. The speakers are housed under the keyboard deck; bottom-firing is the fancy word, but this is not a fancy or very effective location for placing laptop speakers. The audio can go from muffled to tinny and much more, mostly depending on where the laptop is placed. If you become unsatisfied with the audio you can always find the audio jack to be of help.
Keyboard and Input Devices
The numeric keypad or Numpad for short takes its spot in this six-row, white backlit keyboard. That should be convenient, considering the size of this laptop, only in this case some of the other keys have given up their size in exchange.
It is admittedly still great for typing-especially for pounding out data entries, the keys have good feedback and better travel distance. Also, the power button now sports a long overdue fingerprint scanner.
The touchpad occupies a generous portion of the keyboard deck, it has a satiny feel that will encourage you to swipe, pinch, and tap all across its slightly recessed coverage area. There is the little problem that comes with having a keyboard deck or screen that is this lean, they call it flex, and the LG 17 has its fair share.
Graphics
The LG gram 17, for all its grace and girth, is unfortunately or unsurprisingly(some may say) not a graphic superpower.
The intel iris plus graphics card is something of a low-end processor and can not favorably compare to bigger players like the Nvidia Geforce or AMD.
Notwithstanding, the Gram 17 can still process a lot of multimedia content editing as well as play some less demanding games. Even if it might not do so at lightning bolt speed.
Battery
The battery exceeds all expectations, its 80Wh of power reserves is enviable, even though it has been given little room or depth, to pack in the punches.
While users can always reduce screen brightness, switch on battery saver, reduce system performance levels or employ a host of alternative power-saving options, some of them drastic, nothing beats the satisfaction of having a great battery.
And this battery is great, the runtimes are impressive; 17hours of normal lightweight operation, with the promise of more during dialed down operation.
Cooling and Noise Emissions
The performance of the cooling system used in the LG Gram 17 is positively flattering, considering its understandably lightweight size.
For most of the time, the system temperature is mild and the fans stay quiet, the temperature is still tolerable on increased workload, and the fans come out of hiding. At the thick of the action, it will inevitably heat up, but the temperature and the fans will not spiral out of control, only you might want to avoid contact between the undercarriage and your laps.
Gaming
It is safe to call the LG Gram 17 a non-gaming laptop If we are to go by the disappointing figures that it posts. The Shadow of the Tomb Raider runs at an underwhelming 12fps, and that is after significantly tuning down on the resolution and performance level. However, as is always the case, other less demanding titles like Rocket League, Fortnite, and Overwatch can just as comfortably be played above 60fps.
Performance
The CPU performance is not particularly spectacular, but it can deliver above the minimum requirements and acceptable standards. The 10th Gen Intel Core i7 (1065G7) processor is outfitted with four cores, eight threads, and a maximum turbo frequency of 3.9GHz. That may not look like a lot of firepower, but it still suffices for high-resolution photo editing, Full HD resolution gaming(1080p) gaming, multimedia content creating, and most CAD works.
When paired with the intel iris graphics card and backed by 16GB RAM, in addition to having sufficient storage to boot from-as with this laptop, the performance can be quite impressive.
On the surface, it appears to have paid the price for its lightweight design, but that is just one prejudiced way to look at it.
Final Verdict
For a lot of people, this laptops’ major and only selling point is its incredible lightweight build. But that would be turning a blind eye to its high-resolution display and amazing battery. And while the processors do not play in the big league, they can still take on a decent number of demanding tasks and games too.
The LG Gram 17 is no workstation, but it sure as hell is not a slacker.
Device Specifications
Processor
Intel 10th Gen Core i7-1065G7 (1.3 GHz)
RAM
16 GB
Graphics
Intel Iris Plus
Storage
1 TB
Display
17 inches
Operating System
Windows 10 Pro
Battery Life
17 hours
Weight
2.98 lbs