If you are looking for a laptop that combines a large display, long battery life, and light weight, you might want to check out the LG Gram 17. This laptop is one of the few 17-inch models that weigh less than 3 pounds, making it easy to carry around without sacrificing screen size or performance. In this review, we will take a closer look at the LG Gram 17 and see how it stacks up against its competitors.

Design and Build Quality

The LG Gram 17 has a simple and sleek design, with a matte black finish and a silver LG logo on the lid. The laptop is made of magnesium alloy, which is durable and lightweight, but also feels somewhat flimsy and cheap. The laptop can withstand some shocks and vibrations, as it meets the MIL-STD-810G military standard for durability, but it does not feel very sturdy or premium.

The laptop measures 0.7 by 14.9 by 10.2 inches (HWD) and weighs 2.98 pounds, making it one of the lightest 17-inch laptops on the market. For comparison, the Dell XPS 17 (9720) measures 0.77 by 14.74 by 9.76 inches and weighs 5.34 pounds, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch measures 0.64 by 14.09 by 9.68 inches and weighs 4.3 pounds. The LG Gram 17 is even lighter than some 13-inch laptops, such as the Dell XPS 13 (9310), which weighs 2.8 pounds.

The LG Gram 17 has a decent selection of ports, including two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, two USB-A 3.2 ports, an HDMI port, a microSD card reader, a headphone/microphone combo jack, and a proprietary charging port. The Thunderbolt 4 ports support data transfer, charging, and display output, and can connect to external monitors or docks. The laptop also has a fingerprint reader integrated into the power button, which allows for quick and secure login.

The laptop has a full-size keyboard with a numeric keypad and backlighting. The keyboard is comfortable to type on, with good key travel and feedback, but it could be more responsive and tactile. The keyboard also flexes slightly when pressed hard, which adds to the feeling of low quality. The touchpad is large and smooth, but it could be more accurate and consistent. The touchpad also supports Windows Precision drivers, which allow for multi-touch gestures.

Display and Audio

The LG Gram 17 has a stunning 17-inch IPS LCD display with a resolution of 2560 by 1600 pixels. The display has a 16:10 aspect ratio, which gives more vertical space for web browsing or document editing than the typical 16:9 ratio. The display also has thin bezels on three sides, giving it an impressive screen-to-body ratio of about 84.8%.

The display is bright and sharp, with good contrast and color accuracy. The display can produce up to 350 nits of brightness, which is enough for indoor use, but not for outdoor use under direct sunlight. The display can also cover about 98% of the sRGB color space, which means it can display most colors accurately and vividly.

The display does not support touch input or any other special features, such as HDR or variable refresh rate. However, the display is still one of the best features of the LG Gram 17, as it offers a large and immersive viewing experience for productivity or entertainment.

The LG Gram 17 has two stereo speakers located on the bottom of the laptop. The speakers are loud enough for casual listening, but they lack bass and clarity. The sound quality is mediocre at best, and does not match the quality of the display. The laptop also has a webcam above the display, which has a resolution of 1280 by 720 pixels. The webcam is decent for video calls or online meetings, but it is not very sharp or detailed.

Performance and Battery Life

The LG Gram 17 is powered by an Intel Core i7-1165G7 processor, which is a quad-core chip with a base frequency of 1.7 GHz and a boost frequency of up to 4.1 GHz. This processor belongs to the Tiger Lake family of Intel’s 11th generation mobile processors, which are based on the 10-nanometer fabrication process and feature Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics.

The processor is paired with 16 GB of LPDDR4X RAM and a 1 TB SSD. The RAM is soldered onto the motherboard and cannot be upgraded, while the SSD can be replaced or expanded with another M.2 slot. The laptop also has Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.1 for wireless connectivity.

The LG Gram 17 delivers solid performance for everyday tasks, such as web browsing, office work, video streaming, or photo editing. The laptop can handle multiple programs and tabs without slowing down or overheating. The laptop can also handle some light gaming, thanks to the Intel Iris Xe graphics, which are significantly better than the previous generation of Intel integrated graphics. However, the laptop is not suitable for demanding games or applications, such as video editing, 3D modeling, or rendering, as it does not have a discrete GPU.

The LG Gram 17 has an amazing battery life, which is one of its main selling points. The laptop has an 80 Wh battery, which can last for up to 20 hours of mixed usage. This is much longer than most laptops in this category, and even longer than some smaller laptops. The laptop also supports fast charging, which can charge the battery up to 50% in about an hour. The laptop comes with a 65 W AC adapter, which is relatively small and light.

Comparison with Competitors

The LG Gram 17 is a unique laptop that offers a large display and a long battery life in a lightweight package. However, it also faces some strong competition from other laptops in this category. Here are some of the main competitors of the LG Gram 17 and how they compare:

Laptop	Display	Weight	Battery Life	Price
LG Gram 17 (2021)	17-inch IPS LCD (2560 x 1600)	2.98 lbs	Up to 20 hours	$1,799.99
Dell XPS 17 (9720)	17-inch IPS LCD (3840 x 2400) touch	5.34 lbs	Up to 13 hours	$2,399.99
Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch	16-inch IPS LCD (3072 x 1920)	4.3 lbs	Up to 11 hours	$2,399
Asus ZenBook Pro Duo UX581	15.6-inch OLED (3840 x 2160) touch + 14-inch IPS LCD (3840 x 1100) touch	5.51 lbs	Up to 7 hours	$2,999

As you can see from the table above, the LG Gram 17 has some advantages and disadvantages over its competitors. The LG Gram 17 has the lightest weight and the longest battery life among the four laptops, but it also has the lowest resolution and the lowest performance. The Dell XPS 17 has a higher resolution and a touch screen, but it also weighs more and costs more. The Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch has a similar display size and resolution as the LG Gram 17, but it also has a better processor and graphics card, as well as a more premium design and software ecosystem. However, it also costs more and has a shorter battery life. The Asus ZenBook Pro Duo UX581 has a unique dual-screen design that offers more screen space and productivity features, but it also weighs more, costs more, and has a shorter battery life.

Conclusion

The LG Gram 17 is an excellent laptop for anyone who values a large display and a long battery life in a lightweight package. The laptop offers a stunning 17-inch screen that is great for productivity or entertainment, as well as a battery that can last for up to 20 hours on a single charge. The laptop also delivers solid performance for everyday tasks and some light gaming, thanks to the Intel Core i7 processor and the Intel Iris Xe graphics.

However, the laptop also has some drawbacks that might deter some potential buyers. The laptop has a flimsy and cheap-feeling build quality that does not match its high price tag. The laptop also lacks a touch screen or any other special features that could enhance its usability or functionality. The laptop also does not have a discrete GPU or enough power to handle demanding games or applications.

Overall, the LG Gram 17 is a great choice for anyone who wants a big-screen laptop that is easy to carry around and lasts for a long time on battery power. However, if you are looking for more performance, features, or quality, you might want to consider other options in this category.