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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The LG Gram 17 offers a larger screen and a lighter build which makes it highly portable for a 17-inch laptop, suited for people needing a bigger display without sacrificing mobility. It also has superior battery life. However, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, while heavier and with a smaller display, has a higher refresh rate screen which is touch-enabled, making it beneficial for interactive tasks and creative work. It also possesses a more powerful GPU suitable for 3D work, machine learning, and gaming. Both have similar price points, so your choice should be based on whether portability and screen size or interactive features and graphics performance take priority for your needs. 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
- Very good battery life
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
8.5
7.4
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
353.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
491.0 nits
11.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The LG Gram 17 is very good for general use, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is good.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Engineering and Design
8.0
7.3
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.9/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The LG Gram 17 is very good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is good.
The LG Gram 17 is equipped with a high amount of RAM and a solid CPU, making it ideal for demanding engineering and design tasks, plus its larger screen offers superior screen quality which is crucial for detailed work. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, while having a powerful dedicated GPU which is better for tasks that require graphic processing like 3D rendering, also features a flexible display hinge which can be advantageous for design work where touch input and a tablet mode are beneficial.
Content Creation
8.4
7.4
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The LG Gram 17 is very good for content creation, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 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
7.3
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
32.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
7.5/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The LG Gram 17 is very good for software development, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 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
8.0
17.0in
SIZE
14.4in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
353.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
491.0 nits
The LG Gram 17 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio for software development, and content creation, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has a better screen for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The LG Gram 17 offers a large, high-resolution display with strong brightness, making text and images crisp and easy to read for general use, while its wide color gamut supports detailed and accurate color representation needed in engineering and design. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio also provides high resolution and brightness, along with a high-quality panel that ensures excellent color accuracy and coverage for both general tasks and professional design work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, both laptops lack high refresh rates, which are crucial for smooth motion and a responsive experience, therefore, they aren't ideal for those specific activities.
Battery
11.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The LG Gram 17 has 11 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has 8 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
7.0
8.5
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has very good 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.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
6.5
6.6
3.8/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and LG Gram 17 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The LG Gram 17, with a more powerful GPU and a higher screen refresh rate, offers smoother and richer gaming and 3D experiences. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, while having a decent CPU and screen quality, lacks the superior graphics performance and refresh rates that are crucial for optimal gaming and 3D tasks.
Portability
Good
Good
17.0in
SIZE
14.4in
2.9 lbs
WEIGHT
4.0 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The LG Gram 17 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,699
$1,700
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The LG Gram 17 has a price of $1,699 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio costs $1,700.
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How the LG Gram 17 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| LG Gram 17 | Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,699 | $1,700 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2022 | September 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.9'' x 10.2'' x 0.7'' | 12.7'' x 9'' x 0.75'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.98 lbs | 4 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.91" | 12.72" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 10.19" | 8.98" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1260P | Intel i7-11370H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 32 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 2048 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 11 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 80 Wh | 58 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 17" | 14.4" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 2400 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 353 nits | 491 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7/10 | 8.5/10 | |
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 | 6.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7.5/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
Shopping
LG Gram 17
See more
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."
Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
See more
Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Tom Brant | October 2021
"There’s no doubt that the Surface Laptop Studio is groundbreaking. We’ve come to expect such things from the Surface lineup, so it’s always nice to see a product that exceeds our expectations. The pull-forward laptop-screen concept has been tried before, but never in a device that’s so stylish and packed with innovative features like a haptic touchpad and robust digital stylus support."
Get a great deal on the LG Gram 17 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
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.
About Microsoft
Microsoft is an American technology corporation. Microsoft is best known for their Windows operating system and Surface laptop series. The Surface Laptop is their standard notebook offering, while their Surface Go, Surface Pro, and Surface Studio are their 2-in-1/tablet offerings in order of increasing capability. Although Microsoft charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a well integrated and packaged device since Microsoft develops the Windows operating system.
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