Our test version is the standard configuration of the 2022 LG Gram 17 17Z90Q, with an Intel 12th-gen Alder Lake Core i7-1260P processor, 16 GB of LPDDR5-5200 memory, a fast 1 TB SSD, and the Intel Iris Xe graphics embedded within the Intel processor.

There aren’t many such laptops out there, designed to bundle a large display in a portable and lightweight format. In fact, the Gram 17 is the lightest 17-inch laptop currently available in stores, at under 3 lbs (1.3 kilos). For storage, LG opted for a premium-tier PCIe gen4 Samsung PM9A1 drive here. There are two M.2 2280 slots inside. The 2021 has now been released and the latest model takes that recipe and refines it. It’s still the lightest 17in laptop you can buy and it’s an even more impressive machine than last year’s model. In fact, the only threat to its lightweight laptop crown comes from the new LG Gram 16, which is cheaper, even lighter and has a display that’s almost as big.There turned out to be an acceptable amount of volume (84dB average at 1m from a pink noise source and 87dB peak from a music source at the same distance) and even a reasonable amount of bass, certainly more than the old 2021 model produced. Balance and definition are good, too. I really was genuinely surprised by the quality of the sound that the LG Gram 16 (2022) produces. An RTX 2050 dGPU is also available on some variants of this laptop, and I expect that to come with an updated cooling module, so I can’t judge its capabilities based on this iGPU-only unit. There’s a large 80Wh battery inside this LG Gram 17, which is fair-sized for this sort of laptop. Of course, LG could have even included an even bigger battery in this 17-inch chassis, but instead chose a consistent internal design between the different Gram models. A larger 90Wh battery is available with the i7+RTX 2050 Gram 17 Pro models.

We’ll cover all these in the review, so you’ll know what to expect when looking at one of these LG Gram 16 laptops. Specs as reviewed – LG Gram 16 I’m curious about the performance of the i7-1260P + RTX 2050 version of the Gram 17. That entry-level RTX 2050 should be 2x the performance of the Iris chip if supplied with enough power, and I’d expect LG to implement a superior thermal design on that model which should also benefit the CPU in sustained loads. That’s a topic for another article, though. Not only that, but the increased efficiency of the 11th gen CPU also helps out when it comes to working on the move. With the same 80Wh capacity battery in place as in last year’s laptop, the 2021 LG Gram 17 lasted a whopping 13hrs 24mins. That’s around two-and-a-half-hours longer. Aside from this small niggle, the display measures up incredibly well. If you’re using the laptop for professional-level photo editing, especially if you’re working in sRGB content, you’ll still want to break open the calibrator. However, out of the box and within the P3 colour space, performance is highly respectable. A peak brightness of 350cd/m2, a contrast ratio of 1,514:1, an average Delta E colour accuracy of 0.67 and a total colour volume of 101.6% DCI-P3 are all excellent figures.

Graphics are handled by the Iris Xe integrated iGPU, which is dependent on enough power to run at its full potential. In this implementation, it runs at between 70-90% of its potential. I’ll explain why further down. For biometrics, there’s no longer a figner-sensor integrated within the power button with this 2022 Gram 16 generation, as on the previous models, which instead has been replaced by an IR-capable camera. Having both would have been nice. Screen Hence, the LG Gram 16 is not for everyone, especially when you also factor in the price that you’re paying for it. But that’s where things get interesting. At MSRP prices, the slightly larger LG Gram 17 makes more sense to me. If you’re going for this sort of large-screen laptop for daily use, why not get the largest possible display, especially when the Gram 17 also offers a brighter panel and a full keyboard, plus a minor bump in performance based on our experience with the two units? These are some good runtimes for a 12th-gen Core P implementation, and slightly longer than on the Gram 17.

An updated thermal module is most likely available on the LG Gram 16 Pro with the RTX 2050 GPU, but that’s something we will discuss in a future article. The 2020 LG Gram 17 was a great laptop but the 2021 model is even better. LG has made small improvements everywhere you look while doing nothing to undermine the attraction of the original. This change of mind return policy is in addition to, and does not affect your rights under the Australian Consumer Law including any rights you may have in respect of faulty items. To return faulty items see our Returning Faulty Items policy. At the same time, it only offers the performance of a smaller ultrabook, and is in fact outmatched by many of these modern 13 and 14-inch units, mostly because LG use a common internal design between all their Grams, thus the space in this 16-inch chassis is not fully utilized. In other words, that means this Gram 16 is mostly suited for daily tasks and multitasking, but not for serious workloads or for gaming.An RTX 2050 dGPU is also available on some variants of this laptop, but that comes with an updated cooling module, and I can’t judge its capabilities based on this iGPU-only unit. W (~10 h of use) – 1080p fullscreen video on Youtube in Edge, Optimal + Balanced Mode, screen at 60%, Wi-Fi ON; EASY SETUP] - You can easily set up the +view monitor with a USB Type-C Thunderbolt connection. Even better, the USB Type-C ports are on both sides and no additional power is required. The LG Gram 17 gets a basic thermal module with a single fan and a short heatpipe, much like all the other past Gram. On High, we’re looking at 15-22W of power with fan noise around 37-38dB and CPU temperatures in the mid-70s and to mid-80s C.

The keyboard layout is a bit different than what LG offers on their Gram 16, with an extra column of keys in the NumPad section and different arrows. Furthermore, LG updated the fonts that they’re using for this generation, and the smaller writing is more visually pleasant imo.For connectivity, there’s WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.1 through an Intel module on this laptop. It performed well with our setup and the signal and performance remained strong at 30 feet, with obstacles in between.