- VERDICT
The LG Gram 17 is a big laptop with a big screen but it’s surprisingly light and thin so you can work and play and be entertained anywhere.
LG has re-entered the laptop market in Australia with the impressive line-up of ultra-light and ultra-portable Gram devices which are available in 14-inch, 16-inch and 17-inch sizes.
For our review, Tech Guide checked out the 17-inch model (Model17Z90P) – the largest Gram laptop on the range.
Go big or go home right?
We’ve always preferred larger screens on our phones, our TVs and our computers – so this laptop was right up our alley.
There aren’t many 17-inch laptops on the market and the LG Gram 17 is ideal if you need a bit of room to move with added screen real estate and a larger keyboard that has enough room for a numerical keyboard on the right side.
The 17-inch IPS display has a 2560 x 1600 resolution with a 16:10 aspect ratio which is an excellent shape for viewing websites, editing images and videos and also for streaming video content.
There is a lot of room to view what you’re working whether it’s a presentation, a video timeline within editing software or an image you’re working on in Photoshop.
Even when browsing a website – you can see a lot of the site without the need to scroll.
With the 16:10 aspect ratio, when compared to the traditional 16:9 aspect ratio, you’re getting an extra 11 per cent screen real estate.
And the screen quality is also there with a wide colour gamut so the colours are accurate and natural.
It has ultra-thin bezels so despite having a 17-inch screen onboard – the laptop itself is a lot smaller than you’d expect.
It’s also quite light as well at 1.35kg. When we first picked it up we were expecting it to be a lot heavier.
So that means taking it out with you and carrying it is not much of an effort.
The LG Gram is made of magnesium alloy which gives it strength but is also makes it so light.
And not just that, the LG Gram 17 has also passed military standard durability tests including drop tests, high temperatures, low temperatures, dust and vibration.
The keyboard is excellent with good sized keys that are well spaced.
The keys are also slightly elevated at 1.65mm which makes it easier and more comfortable to type.
There’s a fingerprint reader embedded in the on button at the top right hand corner of the keyboard as well for added security.
When you place your finger on the button it unlocks instantly.
And the trackpad has the same 16:10 aspect ratio of the screen and is large enough for easy navigation.
On the performance side, the LG Gram 17 isn’t just big it’s also powerful.
It’s powered by the Intel Evo 11th Generation Quad Core i7 1165G7 with a Turbo Boost up to 4.7Ghz.
So you’re not going to be disappointed with the speed and power of this laptop.
It also has 16GB RAM onboard and 512GB SSD (solid state drive) storage.
As an entertainment device the LG Gram can also hold its own.
Playing the latest games, the laptop can certainly meet the processing demands but it slightly lacking in the GPU department which would have provided a much smoother experience.
But that big screen is also great for watching video content.
And if it’s a movie you’re watching the high quality display is well supported by decent audio as well through the smart amp and built-in stereo speakers which supports DTS:X so you’re getting a quality viewing experience.
On the connectivity side, the LG Gram 17 is also very well credentialled.
On the left side there’s a full-sized HDMI 2.0 port, two Thunderbolt 4 ports which can transfer data at up to 40Gbps and deliver up 100W power through the same port and a headphone jack.
These Lightning ports can also be used to connect up to two external 4K monitors or one 8K display.
Over on the right edge are two USB 3.2 ports and a microSD card reader.
Wirelessly connectivity is available through Bluetooth 5.1 and Wi-Fi 6 – the latest wireless standard.
Battery life is also another standout feature for the LG laptop.
Having a larger laptop with a larger chassis means there’s room for a bigger battery. In this case it’s an 80Wh battery that LG says will run for up to 19.5 hours.
In reality you’re looking at closer to 14-15 hours with all cylinders firing and constantly connected to the internet.
And that’s still quite impressive given the size of the laptop and its screen.
The LG Gram 17 isn’t cheap at $3009.
Yes there are lots of features and a larger 17-inch display but at this price point it’s pitting itself against powerful gaming laptops which have more grunt especially in the graphics department.
Take a look at the LG Gram range here.
VERDICT
The LG Gram 17 is a big laptop with a big screen but it’s surprisingly light and thin so you can work and play and be entertained anywhere.
