LG Gram 17 first look: Lightweight champion?
What is the LG Gram 17?
The LG Gram 17 is a new addition to LG’s mind-bogglingly ultra-light laptop lineup. While last year’s 14-inch LG Gram 14 and 15-inch LG Gram 15 options boasted a masterclass design by weighing a mere kilogram and still packing a powerful punch, the new 17-inch Gram seems to scrap the the laws of physics altogether by weighing just 1340g.
Surely LG has been forced to settle for watered-down specs to achieve such a architectural feat? Nope. The LG Gram 17 packs a zippy Intel Core i7-8565U processor, 16GB DDR4 RAM and an Intel UHD Graphics 620 GPU. For those not well referenced in computer lingo, these specs equate to a portable with enough power to fulfil the needs of both students and professionals without sweating.
With the LG Gram 15 coming close to picking up Trusted Reviews’ gong for best ultrabook of 2018, the LG Gram 17 may well go one further and become the king of portables come the end of 2019 – and my CES 2019 hands-on time only has me more convinced.
Related: Best Laptops 2019
LG Gram 17 – price and release date
The LG Gram 17 range will start from $1699 and, according to a listing I spotted on Amazon’s US site, will ship to the UK around the 5th March-10th April. LG’s not yet announced UK pricing or release dates.
At the time of writing, $1699 roughly converts to $1300, which is a little above what you can expect to pay for an LG Gram 14 or LG Gram 15 right now.
LG Gram 17 – Design
Let’s get straight to the unique selling point of the LG Gram 17 – it’s light. Incredibly light. Even knowing this beforehand, I was still gobsmacked after picking the thing up. At 1340g, this is the first 17-inch laptop I’ve ever been able to pick up with one hand and not have to worry about breaking my wrist.
If you commute to work with your laptop daily, then the LG Gram 17’s lightness looks to be a huge boon. It’s no exaggeration to say you’ll likely forget the thing is still in your rucksack. And while the 15-inch Gram might be an even better tonic for your sore back, the bonus of the 17-inch 2560×1600 IPS display you get with the Gram 17 means you can really ramp up the experience of your Netflix marathons and YouTube banquets.
The LG Gram isn’t just light, it’s also amazingly small. At 18mm thin and 361mm wide, this is one of the most compact 17-inch laptops you’ll find at PC World. While most manufacturers have been deterred from producing 17-inch lifestyle laptops because few people want a massive lump of a portable, the LG Gram 17 solves this issue and looks to become the best option for those who want a big screen for their travels.
Elsewhere the LG Gram 17 claims the same quality design as its smaller siblings. The backlit chiclet keyboard is pleasingly comfortable to type on, the Metal Alloy shell is built to a MIL-STD-810 standard to survive the bumps and scrapes of the great outdoors and, not to be understated, offers a wealth of ports including USB, Thunderbolt 3, HDMI, MicroSD and headphone jack.
Add a smattering of extra features on top, such as Fingerprint ID and an HD webcam, and the LG Gram 17 is looks to offer the full ultrabook package.
Related: LG Gram 15 review
LG Gram 17 – Specifications
The LG Gram 17 showcases an impressive spec sheet. The Intel Core i7-8565U processor should pace through most tasks easily, and while the Intel UHD Graphics 620 graphics card won’t provide enough muscle for complex video editing, it should handle simple Photoshop jobs.
| LG Gram 17 | |
| Dimensions | 381 x 267 x 17.78mm |
| Weight | 1340g |
| Display | 17-inch, 2560×1600, LCD IPS |
| Processor | Intel Core i7-8565U |
| RAM | 16GB DDR4 |
| Storage | 512GB |
| Graphics | Intel UHD Graphics 620 |
| Ports | HDMI, USB 3.1 Type-C, USB 3.1 x3, MicroSD, headphone jack, Ethernet |
Since I was only able to use the LG Gram 17 at a CES 2019 product showcase, I wasn’t able to boot up any benchmarking software or give the device any challenging tasks, so I won’t get a proper idea about performance until the review unit arrives at our office.
However, since the LG Gram 15 performed admirably, I’m optimistic that the LG Gram 17 will be a high performer and an excellent option for those who want to blast through essays and spreadsheets.
Related: Best Ultrabook 2019
Initial Impressions
With people craving ultra-portable devices these days, the 17-inch lifestyle laptop has recently been left on the scrap heap. LG has a serious chance of changing this by offering a super-powered portable that weighs an astonishing 1340g.
From my experience with the LG Gram 15 and my brief time with the Gram 17, I’m expecting this to be a top-class product and will be extremely surprised to see any 17-inch laptop come close to offering the same quality back-relieving experience.
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