At just over 1300 grams, the LG gram 17 is not only the lightest 17-inch notebook in the test. It is hardly any heavier than ultra-mobile 13-inch notebooks like the Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 or the Dell XPS 13. When you touch it for the first time, you have the feeling that something is missing from the notebook, for example the battery is not installed.
Photo: LG
But there is nothing: the LG notebook has everything and with a construction height of 18 millimeters it is also pleasantly flat. However, after a short time, the enthusiasm for the lightweight case turns into concern whether it is sufficiently robust for everyday use: the thin lid can be bent with very little effort and the palm rest does not make a stable impression.
LG replies that precisely because of these properties, a carbon-magnesium / lithium-magnesium compound was chosen for the housing that is light yet solid. In addition, the yielding cover absorbs pressure on the notebook better if the LG gram 17 is stored in a bag, backpack or suitcase. The same applies to the underside of the housing.
However, there are a few disadvantages: Due to the low material resistance, the lid is often opened a little too wide, so you have to be afraid for the display hinges. In addition, the thin display always shakes violently when you lift the open notebook or open the lid further.
The thin and light housing makes the LG gram 17 an ultra-mobile notebook: You have to do without powerful components that would fit in a 17-inch notebook of common size, such as an additional graphics card. But thanks to the new Core i7-1065G7, 16 GB RAM and a fast 1 TB NVMe SSD from Samsung, the LG notebook is one of the fastest lightweights.
It is only behind in tests that require high CPU performance over a long period of time: In Cinebench R20, for example, the LG works around 30 percent slower than other notebooks with the same CPU. The competition is also 15 to 20 percent faster with CPU-heavy programs for rendering. Other than that, there are no performance issues.
In addition, the fan always remains very quiet even under load, and is usually even inaudible. Nevertheless, the CPU temperature is always in the uncritical range and the case hardly heats up. This actually makes the quiet mode, which can be activated via a preinstalled manufacturer tool, superfluous: the notebook runs a bit more quietly, but the CPU then jerks at less than 1 GHz.
Photo: LG
The LG gram 17 makes no compromises when it comes to battery life: because a large 78-watt-hour battery fits into the case, it does not work more economically, but it does work longer than most 13-inch notebooks. It manages around 15 hours in the WLAN test. Disadvantage: After an hour on the power supply, the battery is only half charged.
The LG notebook has a 17-inch IPS screen with a resolution of 2560 x 1600. Like many current laptops, the gram 17 also uses an aspect ratio of 16:10, which is better for office use due to the additional pixels in height. and web applications. The point density of 178 ppi corresponds to a resolution of 1920 x 1200 on a 13-inch notebook. The measured values speak for almost 400 cd / m² brightness, a contrast of 1030: 1 and good color space coverage for high image quality, which is common in this price range. However, the display is illuminated very evenly, which is particularly important with the large screen area.
The case offers plenty of space for your hands under the keyboard. However, in the 10-finger basic position, the right palm is on the touchpad. If this happens before you start typing, no keystrokes arrive. The key feedback is okay, as is the stroke and fast typing, which does not generate a high volume. The single-line enter key might bother some users, but the gram 17 has a numeric keypad whose keys are slightly narrower than those in the main area. The large touchpad recognizes multi-finger gestures quickly and precisely, the mouse pointer can be moved quickly thanks to the rather smooth surface.
The LG gram 17 model tested has the best configuration with 16 GB RAM and 1 TB SSD. The cheaper version for 1450 euros has half as much RAM and SSD space as well as the Core i5-1035G7. When it comes to the connections, the LG notebook relies on a sensible mix of old and new interfaces: In addition to an HDMI output and two USB 3.0 sockets (Type-A), there is a Type-C connection with Thunderbolt 3 suitable adapter with Ethernet socket. You can log in with a fingerprint using a sensor in the power button.
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SPEED |
LG gram 17 (grade: 2.68) |
|
Office program speed |
108 points (of 110) |
|
Multimedia program speed |
71 points (out of 105) |
|
3D game speed |
32 points (out of 100) |
|
Start time |
10 seconds |
|
SCREEN |
LG gram 17 (grade: 2.42) |
|
size |
43.18 centimeters / 17.0 inches |
|
resolution |
2560 x 1600 pixels |
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Point density |
178 dpi |
|
brightness |
382 cd / m² |
|
Brightness distribution |
91% |
|
contrast |
1041: 1 |
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Anti-reflective coating |
low |
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MOBILITY |
LG gram 17 (grade: 1.28) |
|
Battery life WiFi test |
15:02 hours |
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Weight: Notebook (with battery) / power supply |
1324/234 grams |
|
Battery capacity |
78 watt hours |
|
Charge after 1 hour of charging |
49 percent |
|
ENVIRONMENT AND HEALTH |
LG gram 17 (grade: 1.00) |
|
Operating noise: low / high load |
0.1 / 0.5 sone |
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Temperature under load: bottom / top |
42/44 degrees Celsius |
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GENERAL DATA |
LG gram 17 |
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LG’s Internet address |
www.lge.de |
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Price (manufacturer’s recommended retail price / street price) |
1699 euros / 1699 euros |
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Technical hotline |
0800/4544445 |
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Warranty period |
24 months (battery: 6 months) |
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THE TECHNICAL DATA |
LG gram 17 |
|
Processor (clock speed) |
Intel Core i7-1065G7 (1.30 GHz, Turbo: up to 3.9 GHz; 4 cores / 8 threads) |
|
available working memory (built-in working memory), type |
16.093 MB (16.384 MB), LPDDR4-3200 |
|
Graphics chip |
Intel Iris Plus |
|
Screen: diagonal, resolution, type |
17 inches (43 centimeters), 2560 x 1600, glossy |
|
hard disk |
NVMe SSD Samsung PM981a; 937.2 GB (usable) |
|
optical drive |
– (-) |
|
operating system |
Windows 10 Home (64 bit) |
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LAN |
via adapter via Type-C connection |
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WIRELESS INTERNET ACCESS |
WiFi-6 (2×2) |
|
Bluetooth |
Bluetooth 5 |
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Interfaces peripherals |
3x USB 3.0 Type-A (2 right, 1 left), 1x card reader (right, Micro-SD), 1x Type-C with Thunderbolt 3 (left), finger sensor (in power button) |
|
Interfaces video |
1x HDMI (left), 1x webcam |
|
Interfaces audio |
combined audio input / output |
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TEST RESULT (NOTES) |
LG gram 17 |
|
Test grade |
Well (2.04) |
|
Price-performance |
very inexpensive |
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Speed (20%) |
2.68 |
|
Equipment (20%) |
2.16 |
|
Screen (20%) |
2.42 |
|
Mobility (20%) |
1.28 |
|
Keyboard (10%) |
1.47 |
|
Environment and health (5%) |
1.00 |
|
Service (5%) |
2.58 |
The LG gram 17 brings big and light together perfectly – and without compromise: because its computing power is just as convincing as the display quality and battery life. An absolute recommendation if you want to work on a large screen on the go.
Per
+ very light
+ very long battery life
+ many connections
+ quiet fan
Contra
– moderate CPU performance under load
(PC world)