Other ports and connections include two USB 3.0 ports (Type-A), a microSD card slot, HDMI output and a USB-C Thunderbolt 3. While many laptops in its class are moving to USB-C ports for charging, the Gram 17 comes with a power adapter that uses an old pin-type connector. However, you can still charge this laptop through its USB-C port. I used a Tylt battery pack while testing to keep the Gram topped off while on the go.
LG used the Gram 15's keyboard for the Gram 17, which is both good and bad.
Sarah Tew/CNETLG used the same keyboard on this 17-inch model as on its 15.6-inch Gram. It's decent, but if you hammer hard when typing as I do, it doesn't make for the most comfortable experience. Plus, while most of the keys are reasonably large, the Enter and Backspace are just a little too small which led me to occasionally miss them. Not a deal-breaker, but something you might have to adjust to. On the upside, it does have two levels of backlighting available.
The Windows precision touchpad is smooth and responsive. However, it takes a second for the palm check to kick in, so if you brush the pad with your palm while typing you'll likely move the cursor a bit before it stops.
Big battery life despite the big screen
The Gram 17 features a newer eighth-gen Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD and integrated Intel UHD Graphics 620. Typically with this size laptop you get some sort of discrete graphics, but that's not the case here. If you're expecting a performance powerhouse simply because of its screen size, you'll be disappointed. The components are geared for average home, office and school tasks like word processing, web browsing and email. However, it does have enough processing muscle to push through more demanding work, assuming it's not overly graphics intensive.
Where the Gram is a real winner is battery life. It clocked in at 12 hours, 12 minutes on our streaming video test. Most 17-inch laptops are built for high performance, so a battery life like the LG's is unheard of at this size. Heck, more than 12 hours of battery life is unusual for laptops of any size.
Long-lasting.
Sarah Tew/CNETThe most travel-friendly 17-inch laptop ever
As was the case with the 15.6-inch Gram 15, if you want a large screen, long battery life and the lightest travel weight possible, the Gram 17 is the answer. It is nothing short of amazing that LG can keep the body so light while maintaining performance and battery life. LG must agree, too, given its $1,700 price. It has a couple of shortcomings like the keyboard and speakers, but otherwise, LG's made another solid big screen ultraportable laptop, even if it doesn't necessarily feel "solid."
Geekbench 4 (multi-core)
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Longer bars indicate better performanceCinebench R15 CPU (multi-core)
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Longer bars indicate better performanceVideo playback battery drain test (Streaming)
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Longer bars indicate better performance (in minutes)System configurations
| LG Gram 17 | Microsoft Windows 10 Home (64-bit); 1.8GHz Intel Core i7-8565U; 16GB DDR4 SDRAM 2,400MHz; 128MB (dedicated) Intel HD Graphics 620; 512GB SSD |
|---|---|
| LG Gram 14 | Microsoft Windows 10 Home (64-bit); 1.8GHz Intel Core i7-8565U; 16GB DDR4 SDRAM 2,400MHz; 128MB (dedicated) Intel HD Graphics 620; 512GB SSD |
| Samsung Notebook 9 Pro | Microsoft Windows 10 Home (64-bit); 1.8GHz Intel Core i7-8565U; 8GB DDR4 SDRAM 2,133MHz; 128MB (dedicated) Intel HD Graphics 620; 256GB SSD |
| Lenovo Yoga C930 | Microsoft Windows 10 Home (64-bit); 1.8GHz Intel Core i7-8550U; 12GB DDR4 SDRAM 2,133MHz; 128MB (dedicated) Intel HD Graphics 620; 256GB SSD |
| Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, 2018) | Apple MacOS Mojave 10.14; 1.6GHz Intel Core i5-8210Y; 8GB DDR3 SDRAM 2,133MHz; 1,536MB Intel UHD Graphics 617; 256GB SSD |
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