The LG Gram 17 (17Z90Q, 2022) builds on the fantastic 2021 version; a 17-inch laptop that we enlisted on our coveted best laptops leaderboard. With the new Gram 17, LG manages to pack newer and more powerful components into the same thin and lightweight package as last year’s model.
The processor is now a much faster 12th Gen i7 1260P processor paired with speedy LPDDR5 memory. The storage subsystem has also been upgraded 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 unwieldy to carry around on a daily commute, but it’s exactly the opposite. At just under 3 pounds (2.98 pounds to be exact), this Gram is very light and thin despite its size, making it a perfect candidate for lugging around in a backpack all day.
This is a laptop designed for pro-creatives and artists, meaning you’ll be doing very little in terms of serious gaming. If you ever find yourself wanting a powerful laptop for your productivity tasks, the Gram is one of the best laptops you can find out there with a bigger-than-life 17-inch screen minus the weight.
LG Gram 17 Specs
- Model: 17Z90Q
- Display: 17-inch WQXGA (2,560 x 1,600 pixels) IPS LCD
- CPU: Intel Core i7-1260P
- GPU: Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics
- RAM: 16 GB LPDDR5
- Storage: 1 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 crafting a machine that looks too big but weighs too little when you hold it. LG uses the same minimalist design language as other high-end Asian manufacturers like Fujistu and Dynabook, a subdued approach that should appeal to its main target audience, digital nomads and business travelers.
Not only did LG engineers produce a lightweight machine, but they also ensured that it is super-durable, adhering to the strict MIL-STD-810g requirements. The bezels surrounding the screen are incredibly thin on all sides. That’s quite impressive when you consider that LG managed to fit a full HD webcam with IR capabilities and dual microphones on the top one.
The Gram 17 (2022) features a 17-inch screen in a fairly thin magnesium alloy chassis 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 svelte. Still, the Gram 17 comes as thin and lightweight as compared 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 pack a nice screen and a comfortable full-sized keyboard and stellar speakers into an ultraportable 17-inch body. The matte black paint on our review unit makes it look great too, with muted elegance that looks equally well in the office, classroom, or coffee shop. Keep in mind though, that the black Gram 17 picks fingerprints easily, but that’s not a dealbreaker at all.
Ports
Port selection is decent on the Gram 17Z90Q, making this a more versatile laptop than many smaller, more limited ultraportables. Along the left edge, there’s DMI out, a headphone jack, and two Thunderbolt 4/USB-C ports, one of which is to be used for charging via the included adapter.
Along the right side has two. Additional USB-A ports, which are great if you’ll be using older accessories. There’s also a Kensington lock port and a microSD card reader, making this Gram a boon for those looking for a big-screen machine capable of grabbing files off a DSLR memory card or connecting to an external display for a presentation without many issues.
Keyboard and Touchpad
The backlit keyboard is a little uninspiring, but it’s still adequate for daily use. To make the Gram 17 this paper-thin, LG had to make a few compromises; in that regard, key travel is shallower than say, most business laptops where space and weight are not a priority.
The result is a keyboard that’s noisier and harsher which some touch typists might prefer because it provides similar audio feedback to mechanical keyboards. The power button doubles as a fingerprint reader and it also comes with a dedicated keypad.
The trackpad is good, with enough room to execute gestures and offer a nice, satisfying click each time it’s pressed down to select something. I just wish it was a tad larger, but it’s still roomy enough for all but the largest hands.
Display
The 17-inch WQXGA (2,560 x 1,600 pixels) display on the LG 17Z90Q looks beautiful and is surrounded by thin bezels that make the screen look much bigger than it is. It isn’t a touchscreen, but its colors look accurate and it gets very bright, so you won’t have problems using this Gram on the go. LG quotes this display’s brightness at 350 nits, that’s decent for an ultraportable, but it doesn’t compare with the likes of the Dell XPS 17 (504 nits), the MacBook Air M2 (489 nits), or even the Dell XPS 15 OLED (382 nits).
Elsewhere, its color reproduction is very decent, achieving 172.1% of the sRGB color gamut and 122.3% of the DCI-P3 color gamut (100% is most accurate) with a Delta-E score of 0.25 (closer to 0 is better). Compared, the Gram 17 packs more colors than either the Dell XPS 17 (120% sRGB/85.1% DCI-P3) or the Alienware m17 R5 (107.5% sRGB/76.2% DCI-P3), two of the recently released 17-inch 4K laptops.
Performance
The 12th Gen Intel Core i7-1260P processor used here is a capable chip, especially in single thread performance, matching the AMD Ryzen 9 5900H found in the Beelink GTR5, a mini-PC that we reviewed a few months ago. That means the Gram 17 will deliver better 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 spectacular considering its form factor, it easily matches heavy-hitters like the XMG Pro 17, a mobile workstation machine that packs a far power-hungry Intel Core i7-10870H CPU.
- 17" WQXGA IPS Display With DCI-P3 99%. A screen that can make your visions come to life...
- Intel Evo Platform Powered by 12th Gen Intel Core i7 Processor and Iris Xe Graphics. A...
- 16GB RAM. 16GB of memory to a substantial clock speed of 5200 Mhz, we’re making it...
LG pairs the Core i7 CPU with 16GB LPDDR5 memory and a 1TB NVMe SSD that makes the Gram 17 a very fast laptop. And, even with an integrated GPU, it will not be as fast as the Alienware X15 R2 with a dedicated RTX 3070 Ti but should be enough for casual gaming or playing AAA-rated games at low resolutions/medium settings. The Samsung SSD is a speedy one as well, hitting over 6.3GBps and nearly 5GBps sustained read/write speeds.
The LG Gram 17 is a thrill to use; fast, lightweight, and fairly quiet, and the bright screen with a 1200:1 contrast ratio and DCI-P3 99% color gamut is a treat for creatives looking for accurate color reproduction. While that screen doesn’t match specialists’ displays, it should give a close enough match for most use cases.
Audio is handled by a Realtek chip and is supported by DTS:X Ultra technology via a bundled app. The down-firing speakers deliver decent audio, but they lack a dedicated subwoofer like that on the Apple MacBook Pro M2, so they don’t get overly loud but are still enough to fill a mid-sized room.
Battery Life
The LG Gram packs a decent-sized battery inside its wide chassis. Its 80 Whr battery is larger than what you’d find on most competing notebooks, and while the Evo platform helps keep power demands low, the 17-inch display does consume a relatively high amount of power.
The Gram 17 lass over 12 and half hours (12:32) on a full charge over continuous surfing the web via Wi-Fi with the display set to 150 nits of brightness. This is great performance, and the Gram 17 should last you a full day at work or college without the need to plug it in to charge it up.
Should you buy the LG Gram 17 (2022)?
The LG Gram 17Z90Q is a rare big-screen laptop with a beautiful 17-inch display, is lightweight and offers great battery light, and is designed to be carried all day.
While its display doesn’t get as bright as the more expensive Dell XPS 17 (2022) or the Alienware m17 R5 gaming laptop with a dedicated GPU, that’s not what the Gram 17 is built to do. In designing the Gram 17, LG envisioned a laptop that will give you a lot of screens to work on, with lots of power to keep the screen running all day, without extra pounds to weigh you down on your daily commute. And in my experience, it delivers.
Sure, we just wish the sound quality was any better and the matte black chassis is a real fingerprint magnet, but these are limitations you can deal with or even ignore, they don’t affect core performance at all.
If all you need is a capable, 17-inch Windows laptop that can run all day and weighs just under 3 pounds, the LG Gram 17 (17Z90Q, 2022) is a perfect choice for you.
The Review
LG Gram 17 17Z90Q
The LG Gram 17 17Z90Q (2022) is a spectacular productivity laptop, boasting an impressively sharp large screen, fantastic battery life, and overall great performance with an incredibly thin and light design.
Recommended Configuration
LG gram (2022) 17Z90Q Ultra Lightweight Laptop, 17" (2560 x 1600) IPS Display, Intel Evo 12th Gen i7 1260P Processor, 16GB LPDDR5, 1TB NVMe SSD, FHD Webcam, WiFi 6E, Thunderbolt 4, Windows 11, Black
PROS
- Feather-light and thin for a 17-incher
- WQXGA screen resolution
- Outstanding battery life
CONS
- Not a touchscreen
- Average audio performance
Review Breakdown
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EDITORS RATING
Last update on 2024-11-14 at 22:18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
