The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) offers significantly higher performance with its M1 Pro chip, especially for engineering and 3D/machine learning tasks, and it has a stellar battery life. Its Mini LED screen is vibrant with high brightness and color accuracy, suitable for creative professionals. However, it's heavier and less portable compared to the LG Gram 17, which is known for its light weight. The LG Gram offers a larger screen and a competitive price point while still delivering good general performance for everyday tasks and ample storage. If price and portability are your main concerns, the LG Gram 17 is a compelling choice; if you need top-tier performance for demanding applications and prefer a brighter, more color-accurate screen, consider investing in the MacBook Pro. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021)
Excellent for general use
Good for gaming and AI
Excellent overall display quality
Best in class overall build quality
Best in class battery life
Best in class speakers
Best in class keyboard
Advantages of the LG Gram 17
The LG Gram 17 has no clear advantages over the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021).
Key differences
Engineering and Design
8.7/10
8.0/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
5.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and LG Gram 17 are both very good for engineering and design, though the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is somewhat better.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) excels in engineering and design with its capable Apple M1 Pro chip offering high CPU and GPU performance, and its exceptional Mini LED screen that provides superior brightness, contrast, and color representation, making it an ideal option for tasks requiring high color accuracy and graphical processing. In contrast, the LG Gram 17, while still powerful with an Intel Core processor and ample RAM, focuses on portability and has a high-resolution IPS display that is less vivid than the MacBook's but makes up for it with its remarkably light design, making it a practical choice for users who need to move around often with their laptop.
Software Development
8.9/10
8.2/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
9.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and LG Gram 17 are both very good for software development, though the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is somewhat better.
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.
Screen Quality
9.4/10
7.4/10
16.2in
SIZE
17.0in
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
497.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
353.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the LG Gram 17 for general use, AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The MacBook Pro 16's display is heralded for general use and engineering due to its high resolution, superior brightness, and wide color gamut coverage, providing accurate colors and sharp images. However, its standard refresh rate limits its appeal for 3D applications which benefit from faster screen updates. The LG Gram 17, while offering a spacious high-resolution screen with good brightness for general tasks and engineering, it falls behind in refresh rate, making it less ideal for gaming and 3D work where fluid motion is key.
Battery
17.5 Hours
11.0 Hours
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 hours of battery life. The LG Gram 17 has 11 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.
Build Quality
10.0/10
7.0/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has best in class build quality, while the LG Gram 17 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,949
$1,699
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has a price of $1,949 and the LG Gram 17 costs $1,699.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) to be excellent for general use, while the LG Gram 17 is very good.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) offers high performance with its Apple M1 Pro chip and exceptional screen quality with its Mini LED display, making it ideal for demanding tasks and media consumption, but this comes with a heavier build affecting its portability.
Gaming and AI
7.0/10
6.5/10
5.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) to be good for gaming and AI, while the LG Gram 17 is only fair.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is geared towards 3D rendering and professional use, thanks to its powerful GPU and high screen refresh rate, making for smoother visuals during design work, but bear in mind many games are incompatible with its macOS.
Content Creation
8.8/10
8.4/10
7.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
3456 x 2234
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
32.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
Mini LED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and LG Gram 17 are both very 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.
Portability
Good
Good
16.2in
SIZE
17.0in
4.7 lbs
WEIGHT
2.9 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The LG Gram 17 and Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and the LG Gram 17 compare to other laptops
"The Apple MacBook Pro 16 2023: M2 Max challenges GeForce RTX 3080 Ti. The new MacBook Pro 16 2023 with the M2 Max SoC is the most powerful laptop Apple has on sale right now. While we do not get the expected performance and efficiency improvements from completely new 3 nm chips, which we expected ahead of the launch, the 2023 model is still a solid update. The CPU of the M2 Max can be up to 20 % faster than the old model and we also see an advantage of 25-30 % for the GPU with 38 cores. However, both components also consume more power, so the efficiency did not change that much under maximum load."
"The LG Gram 17 is a light office laptop with a large display and great battery life. The newest incarnation of the Gram 17 can be classified as a model update. LG uses the predecessor's compact, light magnesium case along with an identical port configuration (including 2x Thunderbolt 4) and keyboard. Changes can be found in the hardware. With the Gram 17 (2022), LG offers a light (approx. 1,350 g), mobile work device - and finally with a matte display."
Get a great deal on the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) or the LG Gram 17
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.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
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.
Craig Russell
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.