The MacBook Air (2020) offers macOS, great build quality, and silent operation due to its fanless design, making it well-suited for general use and tasks that don't require intensive graphics processing. On the other hand, the LG Gram 16, with Windows 11, more RAM, and a slightly more powerful processor, is better for more demanding engineering software and multitasking. While both laptops have similar battery life and 16:10 displays, the Gram 16's larger screen may be preferable for productivity. The MacBook Air is lighter and ranked slightly higher in portability, but if extensive typing is anticipated, you might find the Gram's keyboard more comfortable despite its larger size. If price is a concern, the MacBook Air is typically less expensive. Give Feedback
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Advantages of the Apple MacBook Air (2020)
Best in class overall build quality
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the LG Gram 16
The LG Gram 16 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Air (2020).
Key differences
Screen Quality
7.5/10
7.3/10
13.3in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
395.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
347.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Air and the LG Gram 16 have similar screen quality.
The Apple MacBook Air and the LG Gram 16 both provide high resolution and brightness, along with quality panel types, making them well-suited for general use with clear, vivid displays. For engineering and design tasks, they offer wide color gamuts, ensuring accurate color reproduction which is essential for detailed and color-sensitive work. However, for 3D applications, both laptops fall short as they lack high refresh rates that are crucial for smooth rendering and animation, potentially limiting their effectiveness for gaming or advanced 3D modeling.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has best in class build quality, while the LG Gram 16 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,000
$1,450
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) has a price of $1,000 and the LG Gram 16 costs $1,450.
The LG Gram 16 and Apple MacBook Air (2020) are both good for general use.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) provides exceptional portability and build quality, along with a high-quality screen and silent operation suited for general use, while the LG Gram 16 offers a larger screen and more RAM which is beneficial for multitasking, also with good portability and silent operation, making it another strong candidate for everyday tasks. Both laptops have comparable battery life and screen resolution, but the LG's keyboard includes a number pad and it has an advantage in CPU power with its Intel processor over the Air's M1, which could be a deciding factor depending on the user's need for more processing power.
Gaming and AI
6.2/10
6.4/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
10.0/10
The LG Gram 16 and Apple MacBook Air (2020) are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) is fair for 3D tasks due to its integrated M1 GPU which is less powerful than dedicated gaming graphics cards, and it runs on MacOS which limits game compatibility compared to Windows; the screen's standard 60Hz refresh rate also doesn't lend itself to high-end gaming experiences. Meanwhile, the LG Gram 16 has a fairly capable Iris Xe integrated GPU and a Windows operating system which supports a wider variety of games, but it also has a standard refresh rate of 60Hz which, while sufficient for many games, is not ideal for fast-paced or competitive gaming that benefits from higher refresh rates.
Engineering and Design
7.3/10
7.5/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
3.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The LG Gram 16 and Apple MacBook Air (2020) are both good for engineering and design.
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) with its M1 processor and 8 GB RAM provides excellent build quality and silent operation, which can be crucial for engineering and design tasks, whereas the LG Gram 16 offers a potent Intel i7 processor with 16 GB of RAM and a larger screen for more extensive workspace, making it also suitable for such demanding tasks. Both laptops boast high-quality IPS screens with excellent color accuracy; however, the LG Gram has the advantage of a larger screen and more memory, while the MacBook Air has the benefit of a well-integrated ecosystem that may appeal to users of other Apple products.
Content Creation
7.8/10
7.8/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The LG Gram 16 and Apple MacBook Air (2020) are both good for content creation.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
7.7/10
7.9/10
6.0/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The LG Gram 16 and Apple MacBook Air (2020) are both good for software development.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Battery
15.0 Hours
15.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Air has 15 hours of battery life. The LG Gram 16 has 15 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Very Good
Very Good
13.3in
SIZE
16.0in
2.8 lbs
WEIGHT
2.6 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Air (2020) and LG Gram 16 both have very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Give feedback
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How the Apple MacBook Air (2020) and the LG Gram 16 compare to other laptops
"The Apple MacBook Air M2 Entry is a very good, but too expensive daily MacBook. The new MacBook Air M2 is undoubtedly once again a very good mobile companion, but we are still a little bit disappointed on a very high level, which is definitely connected with the increased price point. The new chassis is extremely slim and the front edge is no problem during typing, but the bezels are pretty wide for a modern device and in addition with the vertical space required for the notch, the new Air has larger footprint than some Windows rivals."
"The LG Gram 16 is a lightweight device with stability issues. The LG Gram 16Z90Q with a Core i7-1260P is made with portability in mind and places less of a focus on users with high demands on performance. The compact and light chassis is particularly practical when you are on the go. The device is not only comfortably small and lightweight, it also boasts a great battery life. When connected to mains, on the other hand, the 16-inch device is rather disappointing. The standard cooling mode causes extreme volatility in terms of CPU, SSD and iGPU performance. The meager stability of the chassis may also put off some potential buyers."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Air (2020) or the LG Gram 16
About Apple
Apple, an American technology company, is one of the world’s largest company in terms of market capitalization. Their MacBook laptops feature a slim, minimalistic design, class-leading battery life, and premium display and speaker quality. In 2020 Apple switched from using Intel processors to their own silicon chips which have excellent performance and efficiency. The macOS operating system is the second most widely used OS, after Windows.
About LG
LG is a South Korean conglomerate company. While LG is mainly known for various products outside of technology, LG also develops laptops. Within the laptop industry, they are known for their thin-and-light Gram series, as well as their value-oriented Ultra series. LG laptops offer very thin and light laptops with phenomenal battery life, and are often on sale.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.