LG Gram 17 (2023) review: a reliable 17-inch laptop with surprisingly light design

Published On: September 23, 2023

If you’re looking for a productivity-focused laptop with a big screen, you will possibly stumble upon LG’s Gram-series notebooks. The last few iterations of the LG Gram notebooks have been pushing the limits by offering a 17-inch display without substantially increasing the weight. The 2023 edition of LG Gram 17 promises the same, that is, by keeping portability and usability in mind.

That’s why the new LG Gram 17 (2023) does not experiment with the build, and looks almost identical to the 2022 edition. That does not mean the latest iteration looks bad by any metric. Plus, the weight has been capped at 1.35 kg again, making it more portable than some well-known 15-inch laptops from competitors, including HP and ASUS. Underneath, there are moderate upgrades in the processing and audio departments. In that case, is the new LG Gram 2023 at Rs 1,42,990 (MRP Rs 1,83,000) worth considering? Let’s find out.

Table of Contents

Display and design

Truth be told, a laptop with a giant screen is not everyone’s cup of tea. But if your work involves using spreadsheets or documents (lots of them), or working with a bunch of applications open together at the same time, wide displays can be ideal. I also prefer laptops with wide screens to run multiple tabs for work. Even for movie-viewing or editing purposes, big screens can improve the viewing experience by a good margin.

In that regard, working on the 17-inch display of the LG Gram 17 (2023) can be a breeze. Notably, carrying the laptop wasn’t an issue as long as the backpack could fit a 17-inch notebook.

The display specifications remain the same as its predecessor. The 17-inch IPS non-touch-enabled display on the LG Gram 17 (2023) offers a WQXGA (2,560×1,600) resolution and a 99 percent colour gamut on the DCI-P3 scale. The native refresh rate maxes out at 60Hz. The bezels around the display are also slim, allowing a 16:10 aspect, which is my favourite for watching movies and shows. There’s an anti-glare coating, which works efficiently even with bright lights over the head.

I also watched a couple of movies to test the colours and contrast on the LG Gram 17 (2023). Watching Dark Knight, which can demand high brightness for low-light shots, and Grand Budapest Hotel for balanced colours wasn’t an issue. I compared the results with the Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360 (review), which produces excellent colours thanks to the AMOLED panel. In my comparison, the Samsung Galaxy laptop offered marginally better results in terms of colour, contrast, and brightness, though the LG laptop wasn’t too behind.

Design-wise, there’s not much room for nitpicking. I received the black unit, but LG is also offering a white option. The former (which I used) attracts lots of fingerprint smudges, though the white model would be more challenging to keep clean. LG notes the chassis is made of magnesium alloy, but it feels like plastic, which also explains the light design of the LG Gram 17 (2023). For it’s worth, there’s a MIL-STD-810H certification for durability.

Interestingly, the LG Gram 17 (2023) is also among the rarest Windows laptops with barely any stickers on the body. The keyboard deck has a single Intel EVO certification sticker, while the lid has a “Gram” inscription in silver. If you’re a fan of a minimalist design, the LG Gram 17 (2023) won’t disappoint.

Keyboard, trackpad, and ports

The massive design of the LG Gram 17 (2023) also allows a full-sized keyboard (including a dedicated numpad) with good spacing. The keys offer mushy feedback — great for those, including myself, who spend hours typing. The keyboard offers two brightness levels, but I prefer brighter LEDs. The keyboard deck has a slight flex, though it does not hamper the typing experience.

I also prefer the size and centre alignment of the trackpad on the LG Gram 17 (2023). It’s a thoughtful decision by LG to avoid accidental touches while typing, given the size of the trackpad. However, I am not the biggest fan of its clickety trackpad and the feedback is also a tad firm. The LG Gram 17 (2023) offers a good mix of modern and traditional ports (two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4 standard, two USB-A 3.2 ports, an HDMI port, an SD card slot, and a mic/audio combo). There’s also Wi-Fi 6 support.

Software

Windows OS for PCs have come a long way and the experience continues to get fine-tuned with the integration of AI-powered Bing Chat. I like Windows 11 primarily for Snap Layout, which evenly spreads out tabs (say browser and the Notepad app) with the click of a single button. Moreover, Windows Phone Link lets you connect your iPhone to the computer with limited functionalities.

LG also offers some native apps with LG Gram 17 (2023). I found the LG Smart Assistant useful for managing display settings and switching between performance modes. The UI of the app is also simple to understand and use. However, I didn’t find any native apps to manage LG’s “smart” products (even wireless earbuds), unlike Samsung, which offers a suite of apps to manage phone and smart-home devices.

Performance

As mentioned, the only evident changes on the new LG Gram 17 (2023) are under the hood.

The latest edition draws power from the 13th-Gen Intel i7-1360P processor with EVO. The EVO certification assures important checkmarks for thin and lightweight laptops, including LG Gram 17 (2023). Memory configuration includes 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 512GB of NVMe Gen 4 storage — a standard combo, though there’s no harm in expecting more storage, especially at this price point.

While the LG Gram 17 (2023) performed decently in our benchmarks (see images below), the day-to-day performance was equally reliable. In my usage, the LG Gram 17 (2023) ran smoothly with minor stutters. The fans were also reasonably quiet despite using the notebook in high-performance mode. I often run 20 Chrome tabs simultaneously, but the LG Gram 17 (2023) managed to handle the pressure without any evident heating issues. Of course, the max cooling will get to work as you push the limit with some gaming and editing.

Since it is a productivity-focused laptop, gaming is not its biggest strength. I played Age of Empires 4, which managed to run stutter-free on moderate settings. Playing demanding titles, like Apex Legends or even FIFA 2023 requires more juice.

Another change on the latest LG Gram 17 (2023) is in the sound department. There are two new 2W speakers with Dolby Atmos support. I didn’t find issues with the loudness, but the clarity and bass remain sub-standard, as with most Windows laptops. In that case, Apple remains the MVP in the best sound department on any PC (or tablet).

The webcam on the LG Gram 17 (2023) is average. Under controlled environments, the mic and camera during a video call work fine at best. That’s because you will notice a lot of noise in the video.

Battery

The LG Gram 17 (2023) retains the 80Wh battery with the same 65W adapter as the previous model. In the PC Mark battery test, the laptop impressively lasted over 14 hours (with flight mode and 50 percent brightness and volume). In my brief usage, the laptop also lasted for six hours per charge, which included running multiple Chrome tabs (including YouTube music and videos), folders, and desktop apps (WhatsApp, Notepad, and so on). Mind you, the laptop was on boost mode for the rest of the time.

However, charging with the bundled charger is slow. The laptop attains 50 percent battery in an hour, while the full charging can exceed two hours.

Verdict

The LG Gram 17 (2023) is not the most powerful or feature-packed laptop, but it fully delivers its promise of providing a great viewing experience on a big screen without compromising portability. However, there are a few things to nitpick (read: improve). For instance, there’s no webcam shutter, the alloy body feels more like plastic, and the giant screen wobbles. But the biggest concern is the Rs 1,42,990 (MRP Rs 1,83,000) sticker price. By spending a little extra, one could get the more feature-packed Samsung Galaxy Book3 Pro or Samsung Galaxy Book3 Pro 360 with a 16-inch display.

If your priority strictly remains a super-lightweight laptop with a 17-inch display, the LG Gram 17 (2023) remains a top choice. It truly sits in a class of its own as its direct competitor, Dell XPS 17, costs over Rs 3 lakh.