If you want a Windows laptop with a wide screen as possible, your options are simply the Dell XPS 17 or the LG Gram 17. The comparison between the two is pretty clear. If you care more about firepower, go XPS; if you care about power with portability, go Gram.
With the new Gram 17, LG manages to fit newer and more powerful components into the same small and lightweight package as last year’s model.
The processor is now a considerably faster 12th Gen i7 1260P processor combined with rapid LPDDR5 memory.
The storage subsystem has also been improved to PCIe Gen 4.0, and Windows 11 now comes pre-installed as standard.
Being a 17-inch laptop, you might think the Gram 17 is bulky to carry about on a daily commute, but it’s precisely the opposite.
At slightly under 3 pounds (2.98 pounds to be exact), this Gram is quite light and thin despite its size, making it a perfect contender for dragging around in a backpack all day.
This is a laptop meant for pro-creatives and artists, meaning you will be doing very little in terms of real gaming.
If you ever find yourself seeking a powerful laptop for your productivity chores.
The Gram is one of the greatest laptops you can discover out there with a bigger-than-life 17-inch screen minus the weight.
LG Gram 17Z90Q Review
LG Gram 17 Specs
| Model | 17Z90Q |
| Display | 17-inch WQXGA, IPS LCD |
| CPU | Intel Core i7-1260P |
| GPU | Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics |
| RAM | 32 GB LPDDR5 |
| Storage | 2 TB NVMe SSD |
| Ports | 2x USB-A, 2x USB-C/Thunderbolt 4, HDMI, microSD card reader, headphone jack |
| Size | 14.9 x 10.9 x 0.7 inches |
| Weight | 2.98 pounds |
Design and Features
With the Gram 17 (2022) LG manages to defy the laws of gravity by designing a machine that seems too big yet weighs too little when you hold it.
LG adopts the same minimalist design language as other high-end Asian manufacturers like Fujistu and Dynabook, a subdued approach that should appeal to its core target group, digital nomads and business travellers.
Not only did LG engineers build a lightweight machine, but they also guaranteed that it is super-durable, according to the demanding specifications.
The bezels surrounding the screen are very thin on all sides. That’s fairly astounding when you consider that LG managed to squeeze a full HD webcam with IR capabilities and twin microphones on the top one.
The Gram 17 (2022) includes a 17-inch screen in a thin magnesium alloy body that’s only 0.7 inches thin.
While that doesn’t compare to the 0.44-inch thinness of the Apple MacBook Air M2, for a 17-inch laptop, that’s very slim.
Still, the Gram 17 comes as small and lightweight as opposed to, let’s say, the Dell XPS 17 that’s larger and thicker at 0.77 inches and 4.87 pounds, respectively.
The main selling point of this year’s Gram 17 is the fact that it manages to cram a great screen and a comfortable full-sized keyboard and fantastic speakers into an ultraportable 17-inch shell.
The matte black paint on our review unit makes it look nice too, with subdued elegance that looks equally well in the office, classroom, or coffee shop.
Keep in mind though, that the Gram 17 gathers fingerprints readily, but it’s not a dealbreaker at all.
Display
The 17-inch WQXGA (2,560 x 1,600 pixels) display of the LG 17Z90Q looks gorgeous and is flanked by tiny bezels that make the screen look much bigger than it is.
It isn’t a touchscreen, but its colours appear true and it becomes fairly bright, so you won’t have trouble using this Gram on the go.
LG quotes its display’s brightness at 350 nits, that’s excellent for an ultraportable, but it doesn’t compare with the likes of the Dell XPS 17 (504 nits) and the MacBook Air M2 (489 nits).
Elsewhere, its color reproduction is extremely respectable, hitting 172.1% of the sRGB color spectrum and 122.3% of the DCI-P3 color gamut.
Compared, the Gram 17 packs more colors than either the Dell XPS 17 (120% sRGB) or the Alienware m17 R5 (107.5% sRGB), two of the recently introduced 17-inch 4K laptops.
Performance
The 12th Gen Intel Core i7-1260P CPU employed here is a strong chip, especially in single thread performance, matching the AMD Ryzen 9 5900H.
That implies that Gram 17 will give greater performance than most other devices in its category in productivity tasks like word processing and web surfing.
It also means its Multi-thread performance is amazing considering its form factor; it easily matches heavy hitters like the XMG Pro 17.
LG marries the Core i7 CPU with 32GB LPDDR5 RAM and a 2TB NVMe SSD that makes the Gram 17 an extremely fast laptop.
In addition, even with an integrated GPU, it will not be as quick as the Alienware X15 R2 with a dedicated RTX 3070 Ti but should be enough for casual gaming or playing AAA-rated titles at low resolutions.
The Samsung SSD is a quick one as well, attaining over 6.3GBps and approximately 5GBps continuous read/write rates.
The LG Gram 17 is a delight to use; fast, lightweight, and fairly quiet, and the bright screen with a 1200:1 contrast ratio is a treat for creatives looking for accurate colour reproduction.
While that screen doesn’t match specialists’ displays, it should give a near-enough match for most usage circumstances.
Audio is handled by a Realtek chip and is supported by DTS: X Ultra technology via a bundled app.
The down-firing speakers offer decent audio, but they lack a dedicated subwoofer like that on the Apple MacBook Pro M2.
Therefore, they don’t become extremely loud but are still enough to fill a mid-sized room.
Ports
Port selection is fair on the Gram 17Z90Q, making this a more adaptable laptop than a much smaller, more constrained ultraportable one.
Along the left edge, there’s DMI out, a headphone jack, and two Thunderbolt 4/USB-C connections, one of which is to be utilized for charging via the accompanying adaptor.
Along the right side has two additional USB-A ports, which are handy if you will be using older accessories.
There is also a Kensington lock connector and a microSD card reader, making this Gram a boon for people searching for a big-screen machine capable of retrieving files.
Keyboard and Touchpad
The illuminated keyboard is a touch uninspired, but it’s still enough for regular use.
To make the Gram 17 paper-thin, LG had to make a few compromises; in that sense, key travel is shallower than say, most business laptops where space and weight are not an issue.
The result is a keyboard that’s rougher and harsher which some touch typists might enjoy because it delivers similar acoustic feedback to mechanical keyboards.
The power button doubles as a fingerprint reader and it also comes with a separate keypad.
The trackpad is good, with enough room to complete motions and deliver a solid, gratifying click each time it’s pressed down to select something.
I simply wish it was a touch larger, but it’s still roomy enough for anyone but the largest hands.
Battery Life
The LG Gram packs a decent-sized battery inside its broad frame. Its 80 Whr battery is greater than what you would get on most rival notebooks, and the Evo platform helps keep power demands low.
The 17-inch display does require a relatively high amount of power.
The Gram 17 lass over 12 and half hours (12:32) on a full charge during constant surfing of the web through Wi-Fi with the display set to 150 nits of brightness.
This is outstanding performance, and the Gram 17 should last you a whole day at work or college without the need to plug it in to charge it up.
Should You Buy the LG Gram 17?
The LG Gram 17Z90Q is a rare big-screen laptop with a gorgeous 17-inch display, is lightweight and gives great battery light, and is designed to be carried all day.
While its display doesn’t become as bright as the more expensive gaming laptops with a dedicated GPU, that’s not what the Gram 17 is meant to do.
In building the Gram 17, LG envisioned a laptop that will provide you with a lot of screens to work on, with lots of power to keep the screen running all day.
Sure, we simply wish the sound quality was any better, but these are constraints you can manage with or even ignore, they don’t impair core performance at all.