LG's Gram Ultrabook Gains 8th Gen Intel Core Processors And 22.5-Hour Runtime

LG might not be a name you think of when considering a premium thin and light laptop—the company is perhaps best known for its smartphones and televisions, and has been making noise in the latter category with its 4K OLED TVs. That may change, however, once you spy the company's latest Gram laptops. Boasting full metal alloy bodies and new 8th Generation Core i7 and Core i5 processor options from Intel, the Gram looks poised to throw its weight around in the high-end laptop category.

More than just a good looking laptop, LG says its Gram models are durable too, passing seven stringent US military MIL-STD 810G tests for resistance to impact, pressure, and temperature. This is partially the result of switching to nano carbon magnesium in the construction. The same type of alloy of often used in the aerospace industry on applications where strength and light weight are required.


"The result is an increase in durability by 20 percent compared to traditional magnesium products," LG says.

There are sizes available, including a 15.6-inch (model 15Z950) weighing 1,095 grams, a 14-inch model (14Z980) weighing 995 grams, and a 13.3-inch model (13Z980) weighing 965 grams. LG says the 14-inch model is the same size as a conventional 13-inch laptop, but with a wider display and a minimized bezel. It's the same approach we have seen from other OEMs, where it is fast becoming common to shoehorn a 14-inch display into a 13-inch form factor.


All three models feature Full HD 1080p displays on an IPS panel with touch support. They also have Thunderbolt 3 connectivity, allowing users to output 4K content to an exterior display if needed.

Of course, the big upgrade here is the bump to Intel's 8th Generation Core i5/i7 processors. These are built on a refined manufacturing process and bring quad-core computing (with Hyper Threading) to the table, along with superior battery life. To help with the latter, LG shoved a 72Wh battery into these new models. LG claims users can squeeze up to 22.5 hours of battery life out of the 13.3-inch model, 21.5 hours out of the 14-inch model, and 19 hours out of the 15.6-inch model. Those figures are based on 2014 MobileMark.


The amount of RAM and storage varies by SKU. That said, LG points out that unlike some competitors that reduce size and weight by minimizing the interior space, its Gram laptops offer users a second SSD drive slot for additional internal storage.

Some of these models are available online. Doing a quick search, it looks like pricing ranges from around $999 for the 13.3-inch model up to $1,700 for a decked out 15.6-inch model with a Core i7-8550U processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD.