Is the LG Gram 17 the Best Light Laptop?

“Ultra-lightweight” and “17-inch laptop” have rarely been said in the same sentence. Until now, that is — because that’s precisely what the LG Gram 17 brings to the table. The LG Gram 17 as we know it today first surfaced in 2020. The 2021 $1,849.99 model boasts a longer battery life and improved performance.

So, is the LG Gram 17 the best light laptop on the market currently? In its size class, it certainly has to be up there. That’s partly because there’s not much else available that’s both so big and so light. Accordingly, here’s a closer look at precisely what’s on offer from LG’s impressive Gram 17.

Fully appreciating what LG has achieved with its Gram 17 laptop requires delving into the figures. Despite being larger than Apple’s flagship 16-inch MacBook Pro, the Gram 17 weighs over 1.3 lbs less, making it around 30 percent lighter overall. The comparable MacBook Pro from Apple also costs over $500 more, making the slightly larger but significantly lighter LG Gram 17 look like something of a bargain.

And it’s not because the Gram 17 is down on power, either. Both have matching processors and the same amount of RAM. The cheaper Windows-powered notebook also gets a huge 1TB SSD compared to the 512GB SSD offered by Apple. Upgrading to a comparable hard drive would see the 16-inch MacBook Pro workout to $2,799, at which point it becomes an almost $1,000 more expensive proposition.

The LG Gram 17’s feather-light weight becomes even more remarkable when compared against other Windows-based 17-inch laptops. For example:

As you can see, nothing else in this size class comes close to matching the Gram 17 from LG as far as weight-saving goes.

So, we’ve established that the LG Gram 17 is lighter and cheaper than the closest alternative available from Apple. We’ve also seen how 17-inch Windows laptops from MSI, Asus, Dell, HP, and more all weigh anywhere from 1.6 to 3.6 times as much as the ultra-lightweight proposition from LG.

At the same time, there’s plenty more to love about the 17-inch Gram as well. For instance, its keyboard is beautiful to type on, with excellent tactility and plenty of travel in each of the keys. It’s almost hard to fathom, given that it’s part of a laptop that weighs so little.

The battery in the 2021 model is also a triumph, easily lasting for up to 12 hours under everyday use. The LG Gram 17 should be applauded for its quiet operation, with the notebook’s fans barely noticeable, even when running at full speed.

In terms of spec, there’s no need to worry about this laptop compromising here either. That’s because the current model gets the latest-generation Intel Core i7 processor and 16GB of RAM, together touted to be significantly faster than what was offered previously.

Of course, no laptop is perfect, and the LG Gram 17 is no exception. Despite all of the positives, it has continued to receive criticism on several fronts. Furthermore, even with an alloy-clad body, it’s impossible to argue with suggestions that it looks and feels slightly more like a laptop with plastic outer construction.

LG’s ultra-lightweight 17-inch laptop has also been criticized for having a peculiar keyboard layout, which is a shame considering how well it actually performs. The large trackpad also has an annoying habit of getting in the way and causing unwanted inputs, mainly when typing.

Elsewhere, it further lacks a touchscreen, although that’s hardly surprising given how hard LG has worked to save any unnecessary weight.

Squeezing so much into such a slim, lightweight package means LG has to compromise elsewhere. In this case, the manufacturer has worked hard to address earlier concerns following feedback from customers. Despite this, a few issues persist, chiefly in the shape of the aforementioned keyboard layout and doubts over the device’s appearance.

However, the LG Gram 17 largely remains in a class of its own. With that, it’s arguably among the very, very best 17-inch lightweight laptops that money can buy. Taking the obvious lack of choice out of the equation, it’s also an excellent laptop overall.

Irrespective of size, is it the best light laptop? Strictly speaking, probably not. More compact lightweight laptops, like Apple’s 13-inch MacBook Air, will undoubtedly continue to dominate this market, and understandably so. Yet, where something significantly larger is required, the LG Gram 17 stands head and shoulders above the rest for almost all of the right reasons.

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