I Finally Found A Portable Windows Laptop That Could Replace My Macbook Air

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ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

The LG Gram 17 (2025) is disposable now for $1,699.
You won't find a thinner, lighter 17-inch laptop retired there, and nan Intel "Lunar Lake" processor is simply a large upgrade from past year's model.
The touchscreen is wobbly, nan achromatic matte decorativeness attracts fingerprints, and I wish it had a haptic trackpad.

At Best Buy, nan 2025 LG Gram 17 is connected waste for $1,750 ($250 off).

So you for illustration a large screen, 17-inch laptop, but you want to transportation it astir without breaking your back? I sewage you. LG's Gram 17 lives up to its sanction arsenic nan lightest, thinnest 17-inch laptop you've apt laid your eyes on.

We've gone hands-on pinch aggregate models from LG's Gram bid complete nan past fewer years, specified arsenic 2024's Gram Pro 17 and nan Gram Pro 16 2-in-1. Luckily, nan caller Gram 17 has immoderate improvements complete past year's model, and honestly, nan differences betwixt nan guidelines exemplary and nan Pro aren't arsenic salient arsenic you mightiness expect.

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The Gram 17 is an exceedingly ray laptop for its size, measuring conscionable 0.74 inches bladed and weighing 3.2 pounds. For reference, this is lighter than galore 16, 14, aliases moreover immoderate 13-inch laptops, and it doesn't sacrifice hardware to get there.

The Gram 17 is equipped pinch an Intel Core Ultra 7 "Lunar Lake" processor, 32GB of RAM, and a terabyte of storage, putting it successful statement pinch different competitory mid-to-upper-tier laptops successful nan aforesaid value range.

Where it stands retired from nan crowd, however, is its form. The record-holding lightness results successful a laptop that's easy to transportation around, particularly if you are a hybrid worker who commutes to nan office. I took this laptop pinch maine everyplace for complete a week and hardly noticed it successful my bag.

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Further, nan 17-inch touchscreen show is everything you'd expect from a WQXGA (2560x1600) IPS: it's bright, crisp, and mitigates glare very well. I'm not a immense touchscreen personification (I almost ever for illustration a mouse), but nan sheer size of nan surface connected this laptop invites nan personification to interact pinch it successful a measurement that's somewhat different than different laptops, and I recovered myself utilizing it much often than expected.

That said, nan very bladed surface is alternatively wobbly and flexes backmost and distant pinch each press, which will peeve immoderate users.

The different beingness components of nan laptop are sleek and well-designed. The full-size keyboard is alternatively standard, pinch comparatively level keys that aren't rather arsenic premium arsenic immoderate of nan different laptops I've tested recently, for illustration HP's Elitebook X G1a, but it's functional.

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Similarly, nan touchpad is ample and responsive, though I person to opportunity that I wish location were a haptic option. Also, nan laptop's wide size results successful a wrist remainder area that is rather expansive. Typing connected nan Gram 17 intends your full hand, and -- depending connected nan size of your arms -- mid forearms will beryllium resting connected nan laptop. You will besides request due table space, pinch nan bottommost half of nan clamshell measuring 15 inches successful magnitude and 10 inches deep.

LG continues to nutrient its Gram bid pinch a achromatic matte decorativeness that is, unfortunately, a spot of a fingerprint magnet. Depending connected what benignant of lighting you're in, nan laptop's aboveground tin show smudges and prints, and if you attraction astir that benignant of thing, it mightiness beryllium a spot distracting.

As acold arsenic different hardware connected committee goes, I/O is robust, pinch an HDMI port, 2 USB-Cs (both pinch powerfulness transportation and support for Thunderbolt 4 and DisplayPort), 2 USB-As, a headphone jack, and a Kensington fastener slot. The speakers aren't peculiarly good, sounding connected nan shallow broadside (influenced by nan device's ultrathin form, nary doubt) but astir what you'd expect from a mid-tier laptop.

The existent powerfulness down this laptop is internal, however. The summation of nan Intel Core Ultra 7 (Series 2) "Lunar Lake" processor upgrades it to a genuinely competitory instrumentality alternatively than conscionable an engineering showboat.

As pinch different laptops pinch Intel's "Lunar Lake" bid of processors, specified arsenic nan Asus Zenbook S14, artillery drain slows to a trickle erstwhile it's idle, allowing for multi-day usage without worrying astir nan charger.

Focused, sustained use, however, results successful nan benignant of artillery drain you'd expect, pinch astir a afloat eight-hour day's worthy of activity connected 1 charge, skewing connected nan longer extremity -- up to 10 hours, depending connected really difficult you push it. That's to say, nan artillery life connected this is very good, particularly considering it's powering a 17-inch display.

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So, really does nan Gram 17 disagree from nan Pro? First, nan Pro has much horsepower, pinch a 16-core Intel Core Ultra 7, arsenic opposed to nan aforesaid spot but pinch 8 cores connected nan guidelines model. The Pro besides has a bigger 90Wh artillery compared to nan guidelines model's 77Wh, meaning it tin enactment unplugged longer.

Despite nan power, nan Gram Pro 17 is besides somewhat thinner and lighter, arsenic you're paying for a much premium design. But broadside by side, nan 2 laptops look astir identical.

Neither 17-inch type comes pinch an OLED show (you'll person to spell down to nan Gram Pro 16 for that), but nan Pro does person a 144Hz refresh rate, dissimilar nan guidelines model, which caps retired astatine 60Hz.

Other than that, pinch nan aforesaid I/O selection, color, and creation scheme, nan quality present is comparatively subtle, contempt a $380 value jump to nan Pro type pinch 16GB of RAM. Conversely, nan Gram 17 guidelines exemplary pinch 32GB of RAM is cheaper, starting astatine $1,699.

For that reason, I urge nan LG Gram 17 complete nan Pro type unless you're perfectly intent connected pushing nan shape facet arsenic acold arsenic it tin spell successful position of artillery life and power.

Speaking of artillery life, I did a spot of gaming connected this laptop, and aft a fistful of updates, it performed well, but nan artillery life does return a hit. I besides sewage a fewer graphical glitches (tearing, polygons) complete nan people of testing it, but nan Intel Arc GPU holds its own, particularly for titles that aren't peculiarly demanding.

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The "Lunar Lake" Intel spot results successful a cool-running laptop. Even pinch nan fans cranking, it ne'er really heats up to uncomfortable temperatures, particularly considering really basking I retrieve last year's Gram Pro 16 getting.

Lastly, I'll mention nan Gram's on-device AI, "Gram Chat", which is LG's proprietary AI-driven adjunct that is expected to thief nan personification find solutions to communal issues for illustration locating files aliases troubleshooting. I will opportunity that for very basal requests, it works, but it doesn't understand conversational prompts, overmuch little much vague ones.

On-device AI is thing that different manufacturers are trying, but arsenic astir users will admit, results are mixed, astatine slightest for now. LG's Gram Chat whitethorn beryllium useful for some, but I didn't find myself going backmost aft my first fewer attempts yielded uninspiring results.

ZDNET's buying advice

LG's Gram 17 is an incredibly bladed and ray laptop, and nan summation of nan Intel Core Ultra 7 "Lunar Lake" processor completes nan image pinch a nonstop betterment successful ways consumers will attraction about.

The $1,700 value constituent is connected nan precocious end, but this laptop is an engineering statement. You will not find a thinner, lighter, 17-inch laptop retired there. The LG Gram Pro 17 will costs astir $400 more, but it offers a much powerful processor, a bigger battery, and a much premium build. Just for clarity, that intends it is complete nan $2,000 mark. For astir users, however, nan guidelines exemplary Gram 17 is simply a coagulated prime for consumers who emotion a large show and awesome shape factor.

The caller US tariffs connected imports from countries for illustration China, Vietnam, and India purpose to boost home manufacturing but are apt to thrust up prices connected user electronics. Products for illustration smartphones, laptops, and TVs whitethorn go much costly arsenic companies rethink world proviso chains and measurement nan costs of shifting production.

CNET: Tariff Pricing Tracker: We're Watching 11 Products You Might Need to Buy

Laptops and PCs are besides deed difficult by nan caller US tariffs, pinch import duties perchance expanding prices by up to 35%. Many awesome brands still trust connected Chinese and Vietnamese factories for assembly, meaning consumers could soon salary importantly much for everything from fund Chromebooks to high-end gaming rigs.

These tariffs whitethorn accelerate efforts to move accumulation to regions for illustration Mexico aliases India, but shoppers tin expect higher costs and less discounts successful nan short term.

Looking for nan adjacent champion product? Get master reviews and editor favorites with ZDNET Recommends.