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LG Gram 17 review: lightweight with huge display

27.8.2021

Translation: Jessica Johnson-Ferguson

LG notebooks are back. And to make sure no one misses the event, there’s also a blooming big variant. Although the Gram 17 features an eponymous 17-inch screen, it’s by no means a bulky beast.

For a few years, LG held back from releasing new notebooks in Germany and Switzerland. Now the manufacturer is back with its Gram series. After such a long period of absence, I’m excited to see if the LG Gram 17 wows me as the largest model in the series with the best possible features.

Notebooks

LG Gram 17

17", 1000 GB, 16 GB, DE, Intel Core i7-1165G7

Technical data at a glance

Processor: Intel Core i7-1165G7 (2.8 GHz, turbo up to 4.7 GHz)
Integrated graphics processor: Intel Iris X Graphics
RAM: 16 GB, LPDDR4X (Dual channel, 4,266 MHz)
Storage: 1 TB SSD: M.2 2,280)
Display: 17-inch, IPS LCD, 16:10, 2560 × 1600 pixels
Keyboard: larger keys, backlit, fingerprint sensor
Ports and slots: HDMI, 2× USB-C (power delivery, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt 4), 2 × USB 3.2, microSD card reader
Audio: 3.5-mm jack plug, stereo speakers (2 × 2 W)
Camera: HD webcam
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1
Operating system: Windows 10 Home Plus
Dimensions: 380.2 × 260.1 × 17.8 mm
Battery: 80 Wh lithium-ion battery

The LG Gram is also available with a 16- and 14-inch display. The features on these models are identical; it’s only the dimensions that change – although there are slight differences in battery capacity and resolution. With its Core i7, 16 GB RAM and 1 TB SSD, my LG Gram 17 offers the best possible features. If that’s not what you’re looking for, there are also variants with Core i5 or i3 as well as models with less memory. The ports and connection standards are state of the art and do not limit you in any way.

Mirror, mirror

I got so used to anti-glare displays. That’s why the reflections on the 17-inch screen of the LG Gram 17 stick out like a sore thumb. And there’s no getting around them, as there isn’t an anti-glare version of the notebook. Even if you don’t have a window or other light source behind you, you can still be bothered by reflections. What it comes down to is how well you can ignore them.

I find the reflections on the display annoying.

If we take the reflections out of the equation for a moment, you have 2560 × 1600 pixels spread across an aspect ratio of 16:10 on an IPS panel with LED backlight. The level of detail is high and colour rendering is clear and powerful. According to LG, it provides 99% coverage of the DCI-P3 colour space.

Side-by-side size comparison with an anti-glare 14-inch display.

To my eyes, the display is uniformly lit and is bright enough for indoor spaces. Having said that, I’ve not tested whether or not it holds up in harsh light. As far as alfresco situations are concerned, I don’t even want to think about taking the reflective display outside.

Light laptops: breaking down the biases

According to my kitchen scales, the LG Gram 17 only weighs in at 1,300 g. But LG has allocated an extra 50 g. To put this into perspective: the big iPad Pro 2021 comes in at 1,398 g when you factor in the keyboard and pen. When it comes to carrying the notebook about in a backpack or other bag, LG’s edition is pleasantly light, but when you’re holding it, it feels too light. LG bills this as a «full metal body made from magnesium alloy» that’s simultaneously stable and light. But initially when you pick this light notebook up, it doesn’t seem as high quality as it is. The lid gives way in the middle considerably once weight is put on it, which is unsurprising for a notebook of its size. But the fact remains that this makes it seem less stable than it is.

It took me a while to realise how well the LG Gram 17 has been finished. To give you an example, the hinges on the screen stay solidly in position, but you can still open the lid with one hand without needing to hold onto the other part of the notebook. Bit by bit, the preconceptions of this light laptop are fading. Just because it weighs so little doesn’t mean it’s automatically a cheap plastic device.

Packing in performance

LG has fitted the Gram 17 with the latest hardware. Talking specifics, that means 16 GB RAM and an SSD, which give a 1 TB capacity in my test device. That’s unbeatable. The same goes for the chip. With the Intel Core i7-1165G7 and integrated Iris X graphics, this notebook delivers LG’s top of the range. You couldn’t ask for more when it comes to everyday activities such as surfing the net or completing standard office tasks. Whether you need so much computing power for these things is a whole other question in itself.

In terms of what the device is like to actually use, I found the Gram 17 switched on in a flash and was quick to load all the apps I tried out. All in all, I’m completely satisfied with its performance. I can even substantiate it with figures or a comparison with other devices.

In the Geekbench 5 CPU test, the Core i7-1165G7 achieved a score of 1,021 in the single-Core and 4,269 in the multi-core test. Meanwhile, in Cinebench R23 it racked up a score of 1,110 and 4,211 in the single-core and multi-core tests respectfully. With these kind of results, the notebook is on a par with the Core i7-1160G7, which my colleague Martin Jud examined in ThinkPad X12 (article currently only available in German).

What about the Intel Iris X graphics? You guessed it – there are stats for that as well. In the Geekbench 5 OpenCL test, it clocked up a score of 18,811, while in the Vulkan test it amassed a score of 14,728. A glance back at the integrated UHD graphics chips from the previous year shows Intel’s clear increase in performance. In terms of the graphical user interfaces, the scores were a mere 5,749 (OpenCI) and 4,985 (Vulkan). The Iris X was also able to gain a good deal of ground against its competitor AMD.

Long-lasting battery

With a capacity of 80 watt-hours, the Gram 17 battery seems greater than I’d have expected given the weight and thickness of the notebook. LG claims a battery life of up to 19.5 hours. I put this to the test by playing YouTube videos on a continuous loop. But I made sure to set the notebook to maximum screen brightness without any power-saving features. The result was that after 9:12 hours, the laptop switched itself off because the battery had run out. This may have been sooner than the time given by LG, but I still think it lasts long enough. Especially as I can extend the battery life with reduced display brightness and other energy saving options.

Enough ports and connection standards

On the Gram 17, the port features are good. LG has built in two Thunderbolt 4 ports, which, as always, are USB-C compatible. You can also use these to charge the notebook battery with up to 100 W, and you can hook up two 4K displays or an 8K screen as an external monitor. Alternatively, there’s an HDMI port for transferring images. What’s more, there are two USB-3.2 type A connectors as well as a 3.5 jack plug for audio devices and a microSD card reader. At most, the only thing missing is a LAN port, but it’s rare that I have to connect a network cable. Thanks to Wi-Fi 6, Internet feeds wirelessly and quickly to the Gram 17, while external devices can be hooked up using Bluetooth 5.1.

Keyboard and touchpad: should it be a bit bigger?

The large 17-inch display on the Gram 17 ensures there’s more space for the keyboard. LG has taken advantage of this to make the individual keys bigger and incorporate a numeric pad – without the keys being squashed up against each other. At first, this sounds good. But for my taste, the keyboard is unusually big. And that’s despite the fact it’s still smaller than the keyboard on my desk. When it comes to notebooks, I’m just used to a smaller format.

But after a while, I can find my way around and love the clear pressure point of the keys. I’m just not sure if I can really feel the increased key stroke from 1.5 to 1.65 mm. Either way, it feels good. And when it’s dark, the keyboard backlight proves helpful. The power-on button has become my favourite key. Housed within is a reliable fingerprint sensor, which lets me unlock the notebook directly when I switch it on. Compared with the fingerprint sensor on my work notebook, which is a bit hit and miss, this is a great step forward.

Like the keyboard, the touchpad is also oversized, reacts to touch reliably and clicks nicely. I like its pressure point. Coming in at 16:10, the touchpad’s aspect ratio is the same as that of the screen. That didn’t occur to me immediately, but it’s still helpful to know.

Underground sound

The Gram 17 boasts DTS:X Ultra for headphones, and its stereo speakers each have a performance of 2 W. That’s effectively notebook standard. And so, on a sound quality level, even in normal circumstances, this is a paltry feast for the ears. With another drawback to boot: the speakers are located on the bottom of the Gram 17. What does this mean in practice? That initially, the sound is distinctly audible through table reverberations. The speakers offer a different type of sound depending on whether you have the notebook on the table, held in the air or placed on your lap. If the notebook is sitting on something soft, for instance, the audio will be incredibly dampened.

Verdict: if only there weren’t reflections

The LG Gram 17 has me torn. Some aspects of it I really like, while others mean I can’t recommend the notebook without adding caveats.

What’s noteworthy in a positive sense is the ratio of size to weight, the long battery life as well as the keyboard and touchpad. The notebook’s performance is more than sufficient, but in a top of the range model like this, that comes at a price. Meanwhile, the variety of ports is good and the display is huge. But the thing is, it’s not anti-glare. If that doesn’t bother you, fine. But for me, it’s a no-go when I intend to be staring at it for hours at a time every day. As for the sound, it’s notebook average, but it pays the price for the positioning of the speakers.

https://www.galaxus.de/en/s1/producttype/notebook-6?bra=284&pdo=12-746%3A643015%7C12-746%3A642432&tagIds=614,

To wrap up, given I can’t write about Gram 17 without envisioning a rapper, I can’t go without dropping in the name Grim 104.

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Jan Johannsen

Senior Editor

Jan.Johannsen@galaxus.de

When I was but a young student, I'd sit in my friend's living room with all my classmates and play on his SuperNES. Since then I've had the opportunity to test out all the newest technology for you. I've done reviews at Curved, Computer Bild and Netzwelt, and have now arrived at Galaxus.de.

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