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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize a larger screen and higher performance for general tasks, the LG Gram 17 is a good choice, as it offers a 17-inch display and higher general performance. It is also slightly lighter, which improves its portability despite its larger size. On the other hand, if you're looking for better battery life and affordability, the LG Ultra 16 is the better option, offering longer battery life in a slightly smaller and heavier 16-inch model at a lower price. Both laptops have similar build quality and are not suitable for intensive gaming, but they can handle most other tasks quite well. 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 LG Gram 17
- Very good for general use
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Good overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Good keyboard
Advantages of the LG Ultra 16
- Excellent battery life
Key differences
General Use
8.5
7.7
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
353.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
270.0 nits
11.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
17.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
7.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.9/10
The LG Gram 17 is very good for general use, while the LG Ultra 16 is good.
The LG Gram 17 is better for general use due to its stronger Intel i7 CPU, more RAM for multitasking, a larger and higher-resolution screen for enhanced visuals, and its lightweight build improves portability, albeit with a slightly lower battery life than the Ultra. On the other hand, the LG Ultra 16 offers adequate performance for general use thanks to its AMD Ryzen 7 CPU, a decent amount of RAM, and a high-quality screen, while excelling in battery life and silent operation, but it falls short in screen size and resolution.
Engineering and Design
8.0
7.0
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The LG Gram 17 is very good for engineering and design, while the LG Ultra 16 is good.
The LG Gram 17 is suited for engineering and design due to its powerful Intel CPU, ample RAM, and high-quality, large screen with excellent color coverage, while the LG Ultra 16, with its capable AMD CPU and graphics, also supports engineering tasks but has a smaller, lower resolution screen with less color accuracy. Considering portability, both ultrabooks are lightweight, but the Ultra 16 is slightly lighter and has a longer battery life, whereas the Gram 17 offers a larger display which may be preferable for design work but with a tradeoff in total weight and battery duration.
Content Creation
8.4
7.7
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The LG Gram 17 is very good for content creation, while the LG Ultra 16 is good.
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
8.2
7.5
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
The LG Gram 17 is very good for software development, while the LG Ultra 16 is good.
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
7.4
6.2
17.0in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
353.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
270.0 nits
The LG Gram 17 has a better screen than the LG Ultra 16 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The LG Gram 17 offers a higher resolution and brighter display that benefits general use and engineering/design, making text sharper and images more detailed. Its wider color gamut ensures more accurate colors for professional design tasks. However, its lower refresh rate reduces the smoothness necessary for optimal gaming and 3D experiences, where the LG Ultra 16, despite fair screen quality, might still fall short due to similar limitations in refresh rate and moderate resolution.
Battery
11.0 Hours
17.0 Hours
The LG Gram 17 has 11 hours of battery life. The LG Ultra 16 has 17 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.
Cost
$2,100
$1,000
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The LG Gram 17 has a price of $2,100 and the LG Ultra 16 costs $1,000.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
6.5
6.2
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
10.0/10
The LG Gram 17 and LG Ultra 16 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Portability
Good
Good
17.0in
SIZE
16.0in
2.9 lbs
WEIGHT
3.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The LG Gram 17 and LG Ultra 16 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.0
6.5
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers LG Gram 17 to have good build quality, while the LG Ultra 16 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the LG Gram 17 and the LG Ultra 16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| LG Gram 17 | LG Ultra 16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$2,100 | $1,000 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2022 | March 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.9'' x 10.2'' x 0.7'' | 14'' x 9.8'' x 0.64'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.98 lbs | 3.63 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.91" | 14.02" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.19" | 9.78" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1260P | AMD Ryzen 7 7730U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 2048 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 11 Hours | 17 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 80 Wh | 72 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 1920 x 1200 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 353 nits | 270 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8/10 | 7.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8.8/10 | 10/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 7/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
LG Gram 17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | August 2022
"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."
LG Ultra 16
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sebastian Jentsch | October 2022
"Unlike the gram, the Ultra PC isn't designed to be as lightweight as possible. The 16-inch laptop is a whole 400 g (0.88 lb) heavier than its 16-inch gram counterpart partly because its chassis is not made of magnesium. Other than that, the Ultra PC seems like a copy of the gram – but with longer battery life, lower noise levels, and a clean, delicate look."
Get a great deal on the LG Gram 17 or the LG Ultra 16
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.
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