The LG gram 14 (2023) is a high-end Windows ultraportable laptop that replaces the LG gram 14 from 2022. It's identical to its predecessor in design, as it's only an internal upgrade to Intel 13th Gen. CPUs. You can configure it with an Intel Core i5-1340P or i7-1360P CPU, up to 32GB of memory, and up to 1TB of storage. It has a 16:10 FHD+ (1920 x 1200) IPS display with full DCI P3 coverage, a 1080p webcam, and a facial recognition IR camera. Ports include two USB-As, two USB-C/Thunderbolt 4s, an HDMI, a MicroSD card reader, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. You can see our unit's specifications and the available configuration options in the Differences Between Variants section below.
The LG gram 14 is great for school use. It's very portable, thanks to its compact and lightweight design, and its battery lasts around ten hours of light use. Its 14-inch display looks sharp, provides just enough room for split-screen multitasking, and gets bright enough for use in well-lit settings. The keyboard feels spacious and tactile, and the touchpad is responsive. It's available with Intel 13th Gen. P-series CPUs, which can handle fairly demanding workloads; however, you can only get this laptop with integrated graphics, so it isn't ideal for students in technical fields that require lots of GPU processing power.
The LG gram 14 is mediocre for gaming. While its Intel 13th Gen. CPU can handle demanding tasks like gaming, you can only get this laptop with integrated graphics, which aren't powerful enough to provide smooth gameplay in graphically intensive games. Also, the display has a 60Hz refresh rate, a slow response time, and doesn't support variable refresh rate to reduce screen tearing. On the upside, it has tons of ports for peripherals and external monitors, and it doesn't get overly hot or loud under load.
The LG gram 14 is good for media consumption. It's very portable due to its compact and lightweight design, and its battery lasts around ten hours of video playback. Its FHD+ display looks sharp and gets bright enough for use in most indoor settings, but it isn't ideal for dark room viewing, as its low contrast makes blacks look gray. Unfortunately, while the speakers get very loud, they sound hollow and lack bass.
The LG gram 14 is very good for use as a workstation. Its Intel 13th Gen. CPU performs well and can handle demanding tasks; however, it throttles under load, leading to inconsistent completion times when performing heavy, sustained tasks like video rendering. Also, its integrated graphics perform poorly and aren't suitable for anything that requires lots of GPU processing power. You can do some color work, though, as its IPS display has full coverage of the DCI P3 color space. It has a comfortable keyboard, a fast SSD, and numerous ports, including two Thunderbolt 4 and an HDMI port.
The LG gram 14 is great for business use. It has a compact and lightweight design, and its battery lasts around ten hours of light use. Its 14-inch display provides enough space for split-screen multitasking and gets bright enough to combat glare. The keyboard feels spacious and tactile, and the touchpad is responsive to all movements and gestures. Its Intel 13th Gen. CPU can easily handle productivity tasks like text processing, web browsing, spreadsheets, and presentations. It has a great 1080p webcam for video calls and a wide port selection, including two Thunderbolt 4 and an HDMI port. It isn't very serviceable, though, as accessing the internals is hard, and the memory isn't user-replaceable.
We tested the LG gram 14 (model 14Z90R-K.AA75A9) with an Intel Core i7-1360P CPU, Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics, 16GB of memory, and 512GB of storage. The CPU, memory, and storage are configurable; the available options are in the table below. Our review applies only to variants with a model number starting with '14Z90R'.
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You can see our unit's label here.
The LG gram 14 is a great laptop overall. It provides a good user experience with a nice screen, a comfortable keyboard, and good thermal and noise handling. Its magnesium alloy chassis makes it one of the lightest laptops in its class. It's even lighter than the Apple MacBook Air 13 (2022) and the Dell XPS 13 Plus (2022), which are smaller 13-inch laptops. However, its lightweight design comes at a cost, as it doesn't feel as solid as other premium laptops with a full aluminum chassis.
For more options, check out our recommendations for the best laptops, the best laptops for college, and the best business laptops.
The ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED (2024) and the LG gram 14 (2023) are both great ultraportable laptops. Each has its pros and cons. The ASUS has a sturdier build and a better webcam, and it's available with a sharper 120Hz OLED display that supports touch and pen input. Also, the ASUS' Intel Meteor Lake CPUs have more cores and an NPU (Neural Processing Unit) to handle A.I.-based tasks. On the other hand, the LG has more ports, longer battery life, and better performance over time.
The LG gram 14 (2023) and the ASUS Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (2023) are both high-end ultraportables that provide a similar user experience. However, the ASUS is a 2-in-1, while the LG is a standard clamshell model. The ASUS' OLED display is better for media consumption, especially if you like viewing content in the dark, and its 90Hz refresh rate makes the system feel more responsive. On the other hand, the LG has longer battery, lasting two hours more than the ASUS.
The HP Spectre x360 14 (2024) and the LG gram 14 (2023) are both 14-inch Windows ultraportables. However, the HP is a 2-in-1 convertible with touch and pen input support, while the LG is a more traditional clamshell laptop. The HP is better overall; it has a sturdier build, a brighter, sharper 120Hz OLED display, and a better 4k webcam. It also performs better under load, as its CPU doesn't throttle as much. On the other hand, the LG is a full pound lighter, and it has a wider port selection that includes a MicroSD card reader, an HDMI, and an additional USB-A port.
The LG gram 16 (2024) is the newer and larger sibling to the LG gram 14 (2023). Depending on your use, each laptop has its strengths and weaknesses. Get the gram 14 for on-the-go use. It offers superior build quality, as its chassis is more rigid and durable, and it's more portable since it's a smaller device. While the gram 16 isn't hard to carry around either, as it's incredibly thin and light for a 16-inch model, our model came with a couple of build defects, including a warped display assembly that doesn't inspire too much confidence as to its longevity for on the go use. The larger 16-inch model is better if you need to multitask a lot for your workflow, as the larger display offers much more real-estate for placing windows next to each other. Its battery life is also much better for light use.
The Acer Swift Go 14 (2024) and the LG gram 14 (2023) are very similar in terms of user experience. The LG has a better keyboard and touchpad, but the Acer is available with a nicer 90Hz 2.8k OLED display. If portability is a major factor in your buying decision, the LG is the better option, as it's more compact and lighter. That said, the Acer comes out on top performance-wise; its Intel Meteor Lake CPUs are faster, especially in multi-threaded workloads, and they don't throttle as much under load due to the laptop's more robust cooling system.
The Dell XPS 13 (2021) and the LG gram 14 (2023) are both premium ultraportable laptops that provide a similar user experience. Although the LG is a larger 14-inch laptop, it's lighter than the Dell, weighing only 2.1 lbs. The LG has a wider port selection and is available with faster Intel 13th Gen. CPUs; however, the Dell laptop's display gets brighter to combat glare.
The LG gram 14 (2023) is better than the Acer Swift 14 (2023) for most uses. The LG has a better keyboard and touchpad, longer battery life, and a more compact and lightweight design. However, the Acer has a better 1440p webcam and is available with faster H-series CPUs. The Acer's display gets brighter, but its glossy finish doesn't handle reflections as well as the LG.
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 (2023) and the LG gram 14 (2023) are high-end ultraportables that offer a similarly premium user experience. The gram 14 is lighter, making it easier to carry around, and its battery lasts a little longer. However, the ThinkPad X1 offers more configuration options, like a sharper 2.2k or 2.8k OLED display and lower-power U-series CPUs. Also, the ThinkPad X1 is available with LTE support.
The LG gram 14 (2023) is better for general productivity, while the HP Pavilion Plus 14 (2023) is better if you have a slightly more CPU- or GPU-intensive workload. The LG is thinner and lighter, making it easier to carry around, and its battery lasts almost twice as long as the HP's. Additionally, it has a more comfortable keyboard and a smaller but more responsive touchpad. On the flip side, the HP is available with a much nicer OLED display, more powerful Intel H-series CPUs, and discrete NVIDIA GPUs. It also doesn't throttle as much under load.
The LG gram 14 (2023) and the LG gram Pro 16 (2024) are both great Windows ultraportable. The gram Pro 16 is better overall; it has more processing power to handle demanding tasks, and it's available with sharper, brighter displays, including a 2.8k OLED panel. Also, its available displays have a high refresh rate (144Hz on the IPS and 120Hz on the OLED) to provide a smoother and more responsive desktop experience, whereas the gram 14's display is limited to 60Hz. However, the gram 14 has a better keyboard, as it has longer key travel and requires less force to actuate the keys. The gram 14 is more portable since it's a smaller device. That said, the gram Pro 16 isn't hard to carry around either, as it's incredibly thin and light for a 16-inch model.
The LG gram 14 (2023) and the LG gram 17 (2021) are similar overall. The gram 17 has a larger and sharper 17-inch screen, making it a better option for multitasking, although its larger size also means it isn't as portable. On the other hand, the gram 14 is available with much faster Intel 13th Gen. CPUs, and its HDMI port supports HDMI 2.0 standard, whereas the gram 17 is limited to HDMI 1.4. The gram 14 is lighter since it's a smaller device, but the gram 17 is still very portable, as it weighs only 3.1 lbs.
The Apple MacBook Air 13 (2022) is marginally better than the LG gram 14 (2023). The Apple has a sturdier build, a sharper, brighter display, and a better webcam. However, the LG has a wider port selection and supports more external displays, whereas the Apple can only output a video signal to a single external display. Also, the LG is lighter, even though it's a larger device overall.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) and the LG gram 14 (2023) are both great high-end ultraportables. The MacBook Air has a sturdier build, and it provides a better user experience with a brighter, sharper display, a larger haptic touchpad, better-sounding speakers, and a better webcam. It doesn't get as hot under load, and unlike the gram 14, it's a fanless device. However, the gram 14 has longer battery life, and its USB-C/Thunderbolt 4 ports can output a video signal to multiple displays, whereas the MacBook Air is limited to a single external monitor.
The LG gram 14 2023 has a simple, business-oriented design. It has a wedge-shaped chassis with ports on both sides, thin bezels, and an island-style keyboard with boxy keys. On the bottom, you can find the speakers near the front and air vents near the back. There are also air vents on the back of the laptop. It's available in two colors: Snow White and Obsidian Black. If you prefer a 2-in-1 convertible, check out the HP Spectre x360 14 (2024).
The build quality is great. The chassis is a magnesium alloy, which helps keep the weight down. The laptop feels sturdy overall; it just doesn't have the hefty feel that we often associate with premium laptops like the Apple MacBook Air 13 (2022). There's some flex on the lid and display but almost none on the keyboard deck. The finish is relatively scratch-resistant, and while it does pick up some fingerprints and smudges, it's nowhere near as bad as other laptops with a dark-color finish, like the LG gram 17 (2021). The feet feel strong and adhere firmly to the bottom of the laptop.
The LG gram 14's serviceability is sub-par. It uses standard Philips screws, but you must remove the feet first to get to the screws. Also, the bottom panel bends easily, so you must remove all the screws before removing the panel. Once inside, all the replaceable components are easily accessible. LG doesn't provide a service manual.
The LG gram 14's FHD+ display looks very sharp and provides just enough space for split-screen multitasking. Its 16:10 aspect ratio is better suited for productivity than a standard 16:9 screen, as the increased vertical space allows you to see more information when reading a document or website, reducing the need to scroll. If you want a similar productivity laptop with a sharper display, check out the ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED (2024).
The LG gram 14 is only available with a 60Hz display. Its slow response time causes noticeable ghosting, which isn't ideal for viewing fast-moving content or gaming. If you want a productivity laptop with a higher refresh display, check out the ASUS Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (2023).
The display gets bright enough for use in most indoor settings but not outdoors in broad daylight. It gets very dim at the lowest brightness setting, which is great for dark room viewing, as it causes less eye strain. If you need a laptop with a brighter display, check out the Apple MacBook Air 13 (2024).
The display's reflection handling is great. Reflections aren't a problem when viewing light-color content with the screen at maximum brightness; they're only distracting when viewing dark-color content. If you want a laptop with even better reflection handling, consider the Dell XPS 13 (2024) with an OLED panel.
The display's horizontal viewing angle is okay. The image dims and washes out relatively quickly as you move to the side, so you need to be more or less directly in front of the screen to get the best accuracy.
The display's vertical viewing angle is okay. Like the horizontal viewing angle, the image dims and washes when viewing from above and below, so you need to look at the screen more or less straight on to see an accurate image, which can be hard in tight places where you don't have much room to tilt the screen, like on a bus or airplane.
The LG gram 14's display accuracy is okay out of the box. The white balance inaccuracies are minor and hard to notice. Color accuracy isn't bad; it's mainly the reds, greens, and yellows that look inaccurate because the default color profile targets a wider color space, oversaturating those colors. The color temperature is slightly cooler than the standard 6500K target, giving the image a slight blueish tint. The gamma doesn't follow the sRGB curve; dark scenes look too dark, and bright scenes look too bright.
The LG gram 14 has an outstanding color gamut. It has full coverage of the sRGB and DCI-P3 color spaces, making it suitable for viewing and producing SDR and HDR content. Its Adobe RGB coverage is excellent but not enough for professional print photography as it can't produce the saturated greens that define Adobe RGB.
The LG gram 14 has a great keyboard. The layout is fairly standard, and while key spacing is a little tight, it's fine for a 14-inch laptop. The keycaps feel high-quality, and the keys are stable. As for the typing experience, the keys have a lot of travel and provide satisfying tactile feedback; however, they require a fair amount of force to actuate, which might cause some fatigue over time. Typing noise is relatively low and isn't bothersome in quiet settings.
The touchpad is great. It's reasonably large, and it tracks all movements and gestures well. There aren't any issues with palm rejection or actions like dragging and dropping. The click mechanism feels satisfying, but you can only click in the bottom half of the touchpad.
The LG gram 14's speakers get very loud with minimal dynamic compression at max volume. They deliver speech clearly; however, they sound hollow and slightly unnatural, with almost no bass, so they aren't ideal for music or movies. Check out the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2024) if you want an ultraportable with better-sounding speakers.
The webcam's video quality is good. The image has a fair amount of fine details but looks slightly faded and underexposed. Voices sound loud and clear over the microphone; there's just a little static background noise.
The port selection is outstanding. Both USB-A ports support USB 3.2 Gen. 2 data transfer speed of up to 10Gbps. The USB-C ports support Thunderbolt 4 (up to 40Gbps data transfer speed and two 4k displays at 60Hz), DisplayPort Alt Mode, and Power Delivery. The latter allows for fast charging of the laptop and other PD-enabled devices connected to the port.
The wireless adapter is an Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX211. Wi-Fi 6E has faster speeds, lower latency, and less signal interference than previous Wi-Fi standards. However, you need a router that supports Wi-Fi 6E to benefit from these features.
The LG gram 14 is available with the following CPUs:
Both CPUs are designed for thin and light laptops. Intel's P-series processors a step up from the U-series typically found in most ultraportables, as they have more cores and operate at a higher wattage of 28W. Like Intel's 12th Gen. processors, the Core i5-1340P and i7-1360P have a hybrid architecture with a mix of performance and efficiency cores. They both have four performance and eight efficiency cores; their clock speeds and cache memory size are the only differences between them. These P-series CPUs can handle general productivity tasks like text processing, web browsing, video playback, and more demanding tasks like photo and video editing. The Core i7 is faster, although the performance difference isn't significant.
The LG gram 14 is only available with Intel Iris Xe graphics. This integrated GPU is designed to handle light tasks like web browsing and video playback, not demanding workloads like video editing or 3D graphics. You can play some older or puzzle-like games, but you'll likely have to play at a lower resolution or with low graphical settings to get smooth gameplay. If you need a thin, light laptop with a discrete GPU, check out the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 (2023).
You can configure this laptop with 8GB, 16GB, or 32GB of RAM. The memory is soldered onto the motherboard and isn't user-replaceable.
You can configure this laptop with 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB of storage. The Samsung drive is an M.2 PCIe Gen. 4 NVMe SSD. The storage drive is user-replaceable, and there are two available slots. There's also an option for two 512GB, which you can set up in a RAID array for better performance.
The LG gram 14's overall score in Geekbench 5 is outstanding. The Intel Core i7-1360P performs well in single- and multi-threaded workloads, making it suitable for general productivity tasks and more demanding workloads like programming and video editing. However, there are faster CPUs on the market, like the H-series CPUs typically found in mobile workstations and gaming laptops. The Core i5-1340P is only slightly slower. As for GPU computing tasks, the CPU's integrated Iris Xe GPU performs poorly. If your workload needs a lot of GPU processing power, it's best to get a laptop with a discrete GPU or an Apple MacBook Pro with an Apple ARM-based SoC.
The LG gram 14 performs exceptionally well in the Cinebench R23 benchmarks, making it suitable for 3D graphics rendering and other related workloads. The CPU throttles under load, so you aren't getting the full CPU performance. If you want even better performance to get the fastest render times, you'll have to get a laptop with a better cooling system and an H-series CPU, like the Intel Core i9-12900HX in the MSI Raider GE67 HX (2022).
The LG gram 14 performs well in Blender; however, it's best to get a laptop with a discrete GPU if you need to render images professionally. Even an entry-level GPU, like an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650, can render images much faster than the CPU.
The LG gram 14 performs poorly in the Basemark GPU benchmark. Its Intel Iris Xe isn't bad compared to other integrated graphics, but it's starting to show its age and isn't fast enough to provide smooth gameplay in graphically demanding games. It can only handle simple, puzzle-like games or older titles at 1080p, and even then, you'll have to play at a lower resolution or with low graphics settings to get playable frame rates.
The SSD's performance is outstanding. Its fast read speeds allow the system to boot up, launch apps, and retrieve data quickly. The sequential write speed is slow for a PCIe Gen. 4 SSD but still plenty fast for a general productivity laptop. Also, remember that this is the 512GB SSD; the 1TB drive is likely faster, as larger capacity SSDs typically perform better.
The LG gram 14's battery life is excellent. It lasts easily through a typical 8-hour day of light productivity. The battery life for video playback is particularly noteworthy and among the best for Windows laptops.
Borderlands 3 isn't playable. The gameplay is extremely choppy, even with low graphical settings. The Intel Iris Xe integrated GPU can't handle such a graphically demanding game. You can expect the same performance in other similar titles.
Civilization VI is choppy at 1080p with high settings, but you can get much smoother gameplay if you lower a couple of graphical settings. The average turn time is okay and within the expected range for an Intel 13th Gen. processor. The Core i5 is only slightly slower.
CS:GO runs poorly at 1080p with high settings. Although the average frame rate is good, the game stutters a lot due to frame drops. It runs more smoothly with low settings, but there are still noticeable stutters. The Core i5 will perform slightly worse.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider runs poorly at 1080p with high settings. The Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics can't maintain playable frame rates in this and other similarly demanding games.
The LG gram 14's keyboard is cool when idle and only gets mildly warm under load, not enough to cause discomfort. The fan is audible at full speed but isn't distracting at all.
The performance over time is decent—both the CPU and the GPU throttle under load. The CPU's performance is somewhat inconsistent, leading to unpredictable completion times in heavy, sustained workloads. The GPU's performance loss is minimal and isn't noticeable. If you want a similar laptop with better performance over time, check out the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 (2023).
The LG gram has many pre-installed applications, including:
The LG gram 14 has a Windows Hello facial recognition IR camera. You can use it to log into Windows, authorize Windows Store purchases, and auto-fill saved passwords on supported websites.