ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The LG Gram 17 (2025) is on sale now for $1,199.
- You will not discover a thinner, lighter 17-inch laptop computer on the market, and Intel’s Lunar Lake CPU is a giant improve from final yr’s.
- The touchscreen is wobbly, the black matte end attracts fingerprints, and I want it had a haptic trackpad.
extra shopping for decisions
Observe ZDNET: Add us as a most popular supply on Google.
So that you like a giant display screen, 17-inch laptop computer, however you wish to carry it round with out breaking your again? I acquired you. LG’s Gram 17 lives as much as its title because the lightest, thinnest 17-inch laptop computer you’ve got doubtless laid your eyes on.
We have gone hands-on with a number of fashions from LG’s Gram sequence over the previous few years, resembling 2024’s Gram Professional 17 and the Gram Professional 16 2-in-1. Fortunately, the brand new Gram 17 has some enhancements over final yr’s mannequin, and truthfully, the variations between the bottom mannequin and the Professional aren’t as distinguished as you may count on.
Additionally: I examined the world’s smallest 1TB SSD drive, and it is greatest draw back should not shock you
The Gram 17 is an exceedingly gentle laptop computer for its dimension, measuring simply 0.74 inches skinny and weighing 3.2 kilos. For reference, that is lighter than many 16, 14, and even some 13-inch laptops, and it does not sacrifice {hardware} to get there.
Finest laptop computer offers of the week
Offers are chosen by the CNET Group commerce workforce, and could also be unrelated to this text.
The Gram 17 is provided with an Intel Core Extremely 7 “Lunar Lake” processor, 32GB of RAM, and a terabyte of storage, placing it consistent with different aggressive mid-to-upper-tier laptops in the identical value vary.
The place it stands out from the gang, nevertheless, is its kind. The record-holding lightness leads to a laptop computer that is straightforward to hold round, particularly if you’re a hybrid employee who commutes to the workplace. I took this laptop computer with me in all places for over every week and barely seen it in my bag.
Additionally: RAM costs are ridiculous in 2026 – this is how my PC shopping for recommendation is altering this yr
Additional, the 17-inch touchscreen show is every thing you’d count on from a WQXGA (2560×1600) IPS: it is shiny, crisp, and mitigates glare very effectively. I am not an enormous touchscreen particular person (I virtually at all times favor a mouse), however the sheer dimension of the display screen on this laptop computer invitations the person to work together with it in a method that is barely totally different than different laptops, and I discovered myself utilizing it extra usually than anticipated.
That mentioned, the very skinny display screen is somewhat wobbly and flexes forwards and backwards with every press, which can peeve some customers.
The opposite bodily parts of the laptop computer are modern and well-designed. The total-size keyboard is somewhat customary, with comparatively flat keys that are not fairly as premium as a few of the different laptops I’ve examined not too long ago, like HP’s Elitebook X G1a, but it surely’s practical.
Additionally: The best way to clear your Home windows 11 PC cache (and why it makes such a giant distinction)
Equally, the touchpad is massive and responsive, though I’ve to say that I want there have been a haptic choice. Additionally, the laptop computer’s general dimension leads to a wrist relaxation space that’s fairly expansive. Typing on the Gram 17 means your total hand, and — relying on the scale of your arms — mid forearms will probably be resting on the laptop computer. Additionally, you will want correct desk area, with the underside half of the clamshell measuring 15 inches in size and 10 inches deep.
LG continues to supply its Gram sequence with a black matte end that’s, sadly, a little bit of a fingerprint magnet. Relying on what sort of lighting you are in, the laptop computer’s floor can present smudges and prints, and in the event you care about that type of factor, it is likely to be a bit distracting.
So far as different {hardware} on board goes, I/O is strong, with an HDMI port, two USB-Cs (each with energy supply and help for Thunderbolt 4 and DisplayPort), two USB-As, a headphone jack, and a Kensington lock slot. The audio system aren’t significantly good, sounding on the shallow facet (influenced by the gadget’s ultrathin kind, little doubt) however about what you’d count on from a mid-tier laptop computer.
The true energy behind this laptop computer is inside, nevertheless. The addition of the Intel Core Extremely 7 (Sequence 2) “Lunar Lake” processor upgrades it to a really aggressive gadget somewhat than simply an engineering showboat.
As with different laptops with Intel’s “Lunar Lake” sequence of processors, such because the Asus Zenbook S14, battery drain slows to a trickle when it is idle, permitting for multi-day use with out worrying in regards to the charger.
Centered, sustained use, nevertheless, leads to the sort of battery drain you’d count on, with a couple of full eight-hour day’s value of labor on one cost, skewing on the longer finish — as much as 10 hours, relying on how onerous you push it. That is to say, the battery life on this is excellent, particularly contemplating it is powering a 17-inch show.
Additionally: Among the finest-looking Home windows laptops I’ve examined recently is not made by Dell or Lenovo
So, how does the Gram 17 differ from the Professional? First, the Professional has extra horsepower, with a 16-core Intel Core Extremely 7, versus the identical chip however with eight cores on the bottom mannequin. The Professional additionally has a much bigger 90Wh battery in comparison with the bottom mannequin’s 77Wh, which means it could keep unplugged longer.
Regardless of the ability, the Gram Professional 17 can be barely thinner and lighter, as you are paying for a extra premium design. However facet by facet, the 2 laptops look practically equivalent.
Neither 17-inch model comes with an OLED show (you may should go all the way down to the Gram Professional 16 for that), however the Professional does have a 144Hz refresh charge, in contrast to the bottom mannequin, which caps out at 60Hz.
Apart from that, with the identical I/O choice, colour, and design scheme, the distinction right here is comparatively delicate, regardless of a $380 value leap to the Professional model with 16GB of RAM. Conversely, the Gram 17 base mannequin with 32GB of RAM is cheaper, beginning at $1,699.
For that cause, I like to recommend the LG Gram 17 over the Professional model except you are completely intent on pushing the shape issue so far as it could go by way of battery life and energy.
Talking of battery life, I did a little bit of gaming on this laptop computer, and after a handful of updates, it carried out effectively, however the battery life does take successful. I additionally acquired a couple of graphical glitches (tearing, polygons) over the course of testing it, however the Intel Arc GPU holds its personal, particularly for titles that are not significantly demanding.
Additionally: HP’s EliteBook X G2i might be the ultraportable enterprise laptop computer I have been ready for
The “Lunar Lake” Intel chip leads to a cool-running laptop computer. Even with the followers cranking, it by no means actually heats as much as uncomfortable temperatures, particularly contemplating how scorching I bear in mind final yr’s Gram Professional 16 getting.
Lastly, I am going to point out the Gram’s on-device AI, “Gram Chat”, which is LG’s proprietary AI-driven assistant that’s supposed to assist the person discover options to frequent points like finding information or troubleshooting. I’ll say that for very fundamental requests, it really works, but it surely does not perceive conversational prompts, a lot much less extra obscure ones.
On-device AI is one thing that totally different producers are attempting, however as most customers will admit, outcomes are combined, not less than for now. LG’s Gram Chat could also be helpful for some, however I did not discover myself going again after my first few makes an attempt yielded uninspiring outcomes.
ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation
LG’s Gram 17 is an extremely skinny and light-weight laptop computer, and the addition of the Intel Core Extremely 7 “Lunar Lake” processor completes the image with a direct enchancment in methods shoppers will care about.
The common value of $1,700 is on the excessive finish, however proper now it is on sale for $1,199 — an entire $500. Not unhealthy for what is actually a press release of engineering.
