Low weight, even at the expense of raw performance: That seems to be the premise of the LG Gram 14 (14Z90N). And that also seems to work, because outside of Europe the Korean company is quite successful with the very light notebook. The surprising debut in the EU is also the opportunity for the group to start with the first notebook in Germany. But can the device weighing only 1 kg convince?
As long as we accept some compromises, we can answer this question with yes. As a 14-inch device, the LG Gram is compact enough for travel, has an excellent keyboard and weighs almost nothing in a backpack or case. There are also a pleasingly large number of connections that are often omitted in today’s times – see Dell XPS 15 or Surface Laptop 3. In contrast to the new introduction of the Japanese Vaio brand LG also does not set ridiculously high prices. The grief costs about 1,150 euros and is next to Dell XPS 13, Macbook Air and Surface Laptop 3.
- In the first part of the test, we look at the chassis and some disadvantages of the lightweight design.
- The second part shows how long the notebook can last and also looks at the performance.
- The third part describes the upgradeability and modularity of the notebook.
- Finally, we draw a conclusion.
Job market
After unpacking, we notice how thin the Gram’s housing material really is. The display lid and palm rest can be pressed in with relatively little effort. Some colleagues initially thought that LG used plastic here. In fact, it is a very thin magnesium chassis. The display hinge also locks the panel a little too easily so that it can be quickly adjusted in the case of small stutters. So we notice that as much material as possible is saved in the case in order to reach the self-imposed limit of one kilogram.
| component | description |
|---|---|
| processor | Intel Core i5-1035G7 (4C / 8T / 10 watts) |
| Graphics unit | Intel Iris Plus Graphics (integrated) |
| random access memory | 8 GB DDR4 (soldered) + free SODIMM slot |
| Mass storage | 256 GB NVMe Samsung PM981 (M.2) + free M.2 slot |
| Display | 14-inch IPS Full HD (16: 9 glossy) |
| connections | 2x USB-A (3.2 Gen1), 1x USB-C (Thunderbolt 3), 1x HDMI 2.0a, 1x micro SD card reader, 1x 3.5 mm jack |
| network | Intel AX201 (soldered) for Wi-Fi 6 |
| Weight | 972 grams |
| Dimensions | 32.34 x 20.98 x 1.68 cm |
LG Gram 14Z90N – key data
–
There is no shortage of connections for the device. We find two USB-A sockets (3.2 Gen1), USB-C (Thunderbolt 3) with power delivery, HDMI 2.0 in full size and a micro SD card reader. That is enough ports to do without adapters for business trips, which also underlines the argument of portability. We welcome that some manufacturers like LG do not do without USB-A, which we still consider to be an important interface. The decision to propose a power supply is somewhat strange
After unpacking, we notice how thin the Gram’s housing material really is. The display lid and palm rest can be pressed in with relatively little effort. Some colleagues initially thought that LG used plastic here. In fact, it is a very thin magnesium chassis. The display hinge also locks the panel a little too easily so that it can be quickly adjusted in the case of small stutters. So we notice that as much material as possible is saved in the case in order to reach the self-imposed limit of one kilogram.
There is no shortage of connections for the device. We find two USB-A sockets (3.2 Gen1), USB-C (Thunderbolt 3) with power delivery, HDMI 2.0 in full size and a micro SD card reader. That is enough ports to do without adapters for business trips, which also underlines the argument of portability. We welcome that some manufacturers like LG do not do without USB-A, which we still consider to be an important interface. However, the decision to include a power supply with a proprietary round plug instead of a USB-C adapter is somewhat strange. We can also charge the notebook with exactly these power supplies.
Slightly fragile
LG Gram 14Z90N (Image: Martin Wolf / Golem.de)
The weight of the grief is actually a positive surprise. It weighs 972 grams on our scales. Just that Fujitsu Lifebook U937 could keep up here so far. However, that is also smaller. At 32.34 x 20.98 x 1.68 cm, the LG notebook is generally somewhat larger and thicker than initially thought. After all, the company not only advertises it as light, but also as compact. In comparison to other devices, however, we recognize that a lot of space could have been saved here.
This becomes particularly clear when we look at the comparatively wide display edges. A 16:10 screen could easily have fit in here – a trend that LG may take up with the next generation. A 16: 9 panel with a 14-inch diagonal and a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels is currently being used. The display is not anti-reflective and can therefore be annoying when there is direct light.
The display is only bright on average. (Image: Oliver Nickel / Golem.de)
The brightness of the IPS panel is a maximum of 292 cd / m² and is therefore rather good on average. The color space coverage is 102.7 percent of the SRGB space and only 72.8 percent of the DCI-P3 spectrum. The argument of better color representation, which is often used for reflective displays, does not apply here. At least the color deviation Delta E is good at around 1.43.
The LG notebook is a real endurance runner.
Please activate Javascript.
Or use that Golem pure offer
and read Golem.de
- without advertisement
- with javascript turned off
- with RSS full text feed
LG gram 14 inch business notebook – Particularly light Intel Core i5 laptop (8GB DDR4 RAM, 256 GB SSD, Full-HD IPS display, Windows 10 Home) – dark gray
–
–
–
–
