The LG gram 17 (2021) is a 17-inch ultraportable Windows laptop. It's available with Intel 11th Gen. CPUs, ranging from a Core i3-1115G4 to a Core i7-1195G7, and up to 16GB of memory and 2TB of storage. It has a QHD 16:10 IPS display, a full-size keyboard with a Numpad, a 720P webcam, and an 80Wh battery. Its port selection includes two USB-As, two USB-C/Thunderbolt 4s, an HDMI 1.4, an SD card reader, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. A fingerprint sensor is built into the power button for quick logins.
See our unit's specifications and the available configuration options in the Differences Between Variants section.
Our Verdict
The LG gram 17 is great for school use. It's a well-built laptop with a sturdy chassis, and despite its large size, it's still portable, thanks to its lightweight design. Its compact charger fits easily into most bags, but you likely don't need it as the battery lasts 13 hours of light productivity. The display provides enough space for multitasking, the keyboard feels comfortable to type on for extended periods, and the touchpad is large and responsive. Its Intel 11th Gen CPU and integrated graphics can handle most light workloads like web browsing and text formatting but aren't ideal for demanding tasks like graphic design or 3D animation. The screen gets bright enough for use in most indoor settings; however, visibility is an issue in well-lit or sunny environments as it doesn't handle reflections well.
- Incredibly light for a 17-inch laptop.
- Sturdy build.
- Long battery life.
- Screen provides plenty of space for multitasking.
- Keyboard is comfortable to type on for extended periods.
- CPU and integrated graphics can't handle demanding tasks.
- CPU and GPU throttle under load.
- Display doesn't handle direct reflections well.
The LG gram is sub-par for gaming. Its Intel 11th Gen CPU and integrated GPU aren't powerful enough to handle graphically demanding AAA games. You can play some lighter, well-optimized titles with the Core i5s and i7s' Iris Xe Graphics, but you'll have to play at the lowest settings or at 720p to get smooth gameplay. Also, it has a 60Hz display with a slow response time and no VRR support, and its CPU and GPU throttle under load.
- Keyboard is comfortable to type on for extended periods.
- Low fan noise under load.
- CPU and integrated graphics can't handle demanding tasks.
- CPU and GPU throttle under load.
- 60Hz display with slow response time and no VRR support.
The LG gram is decent for media consumption. Although it's a fairly large device with a 17-inch screen, it's still very portable as it's incredibly light. The battery lasts over nine hours of video playback, enough time to get you through multiple full-length movies and TV show episodes. The screen is sharp and colorful; however, it doesn't handle bright reflections well, and its low contrast makes blacks look gray in dim settings. Likewise, its speakers sound well-balanced but don't get very loud. Sadly, the display doesn't support touch input, and it has poor color accuracy out of the box.
- Incredibly light for a 17-inch laptop.
- Long battery life.
- Sharp and colorful display.
- Wide viewing angles make it suitable for sharing content.
- Blacks look gray in dim settings.
- Display doesn't support touch input.
- Quiet speakers.
- Display doesn't handle direct reflections well.
The LG gram 17 is okay as a workstation. Its Intel 11th Gen CPU and integrated GPU aren't powerful enough to handle demanding tasks like video editing or 3D rendering. Also, while the fans are quiet under load, the CPU and GPU get very hot and throttle, causing a noticeable performance drop in heavy, sustained workloads. You can do some color-correction work, though, as the display has full DCI P3 coverage. Unfortunately, you can only configure the laptop with a maximum of 16GB of memory, and the RAM modules aren't user-replaceable. On the upside, it has a fast storage drive for quick file transfers and a wide port selection that includes two USB-Cs with Thunderbolt 4 support.
- Keyboard is comfortable to type on for extended periods.
- Fast SSD.
- USB-Cs support Thunderbolt 4.
- Low fan noise under load.
- CPU and integrated graphics can't handle demanding tasks.
- CPU and GPU throttle under load.
- Hard to access internals for repairs and upgrades.
The LG gram 17 is great for business use. It feels well-built, and while its large size requires a fairly big bag, it's still a very portable device thanks to its thin and light design. Battery life is outstanding as it lasts 13 hours of light productivity, meaning you can leave the charger at home. The display is large enough for split-screen multitasking, the touchpad is large and responsive, and the keyboard feels comfortable to type on for extended periods. If you need to connect to an external display for presentations, it has a wide port selection, including an HDMI port and two USB-Cs with Thunderbolt 4 support. Unfortunately, it isn't very serviceable as it's hard to access the internals, and you can only replace the storage drive and battery.
- Incredibly light for a 17-inch laptop.
- Sturdy build.
- Long battery life.
- Screen provides plenty of space for multitasking.
- Keyboard is comfortable to type on for extended periods.
- Great webcam video quality.
- CPU and integrated graphics can't handle demanding tasks.
- CPU and GPU throttle under load.
- Hard to access internals for repairs and upgrades.
- Display doesn't handle direct reflections well.
Changelog
- Updated Mar 14, 2024: We've updated the review for clarity and conciseness.
- Updated Dec 07, 2023: Converted to Test Bench 0.8.2.
- Updated Nov 03, 2023: Converted to Test Bench 0.8.1.
- Updated Mar 24, 2023: We've updated the review to improve clarity and readability.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the LG gram 17 (model 17Z95P-K.AR55A8) with an Intel Core i5-1155G7 CPU, integrated Intel Iris Xe Graphics, 8GB of memory, and 512GB of storage. The CPU, memory, and storage are configurable; you can see the available options in the table below. Our review applies only to variants with a model number starting with '17Z90P' and '17Z95P'.
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See our unit's label here.
Popular Laptop Comparisons
The LG gram 17 is among the best 17-inch ultraportables on the market. It's one of the lightest laptops you can find, and it provides a great user experience with a sharp display, comfortable keyboard, and large touchpad.
For more options, check out our recommendations for the best laptops, the best business laptops, and the best laptops for college.
The LG gram Pro 16 (2024) is slightly better than the LG gram 17 (2021) for most uses. The gram Pro 16 is available with much faster Intel Meteor Lake CPUs, and there’s also an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop discrete GPU option to tackle more demanding tasks like video editing and 3D graphics. The gram Pro 16 is also smaller and lighter, making it easier to carry around. You can get the gram Pro 16 with a 144Hz QHD+ IPS or a 120Hz 2.8k OLED panel, whereas the gram 17 is only available with a 60Hz QHD+ IPS screen.
The LG gram 17 (2021) and the Lenovo Yoga 7i 14 (2021) are both ultraportable Windows laptops with Intel 11th Gen processors. The LG is a traditional clamshell laptop with no touch input support, while the Lenovo is a 2-in-1 convertible with a 360-degree hinge. The LG provides a better user experience overall as it has a larger and brighter display, a bigger touchpad, and a wider port selection. The LG is more cumbersome in size, but it's incredibly light and weighs the same as the Lenovo, which is remarkable for a 17 inch laptop. The Lenovo has a smaller battery but still lasts longer than the LG for light productivity workloads and video playback.
The Dell XPS 13 (2021) and the LG gram 17 (2021) are ultraportable Windows laptops with Intel 11th Gen processors. The LG's larger display gives you more screen real estate for multitasking; however, the Dell has sharper 3.5k OLED and 4k IPS panel options. Both laptops have a great keyboard that provides a comfortable typing experience and a large, responsive touchpad. The LG has a better webcam for video calls, and its wider port selection includes two USB-A and an HDMI port, which the XPS 13 lacks. The LG also has longer battery life, lasting nearly 3 hours longer in light productivity workloads and almost twice as long for video playback.
The LG gram 17 (2021) and the HP ENVY x360 13 (2020) are both thin and light Windows laptops. Both are configurable with Intel 11th Gen CPUs, though the HP has additional AMD Ryzen 5000-series options. The HP has a smaller screen, but unlike the LG, it supports touch input, and its 360-degree hinge lets you use the laptop as a tablet. The HP also has multiple display options like an IPS panel with 1000 cd/m² brightness and an OLED that produces inky blacks. On the other hand, the LG has a larger touchpad with better tracking, better-sounding speakers, and a much better webcam for video calls. The LG also has a wider port selection as it gives you an HDMI and a second USB-C port, and its battery life lasts nearly 3 hours longer for light productivity workloads.
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