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MagyarLG Ultra PC 16 (2022) AMD review: This is not a gram.
LG's gram laptops are lightweight, quiet and ultraportable. They are available with a 14-, 16- or 17-inch screen (no more 15-inch models) and carry a premium price tag. Not everyone can afford or is willing to buy a laptop costing more than 1,500 Euro (US$1,480).
What about a pared-back LG gram then? Well, it is called the Ultra PC – a laptop that weighs slightly more than the gram (1.6 kg instead 1.19 kg) and comes with an AMD CPU. So is the 16-inch device necessarily the inferior option? We don't think this is the case for everyone after having checked out the LG Ultra PC 16" configured with a Ryzen 3 5300U, 8 GB of RAM and 512 GB of SSD storage. Priced slightly below 900 Euro (US$887), our review unit is the smallest and cheapest model in the line-up.
More LG laptop reviews:
Comparison with possible competitors
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 83.8 % | 10/2022 | LG Ultra-PC 16 16U70Q-G.AR36G R3 5300U, Vega 6 | 1.6 kg | 16.3 mm | 16.00" | 1280x1200 | |
| 86.4 % | 10/2021 | Acer Swift 3 SF316-51 i7-11370H, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 1.7 kg | 15.9 mm | 16.10" | 1920x1080 | |
| 86.3 % | 06/2021 | LG Gram 16 (2021) i7-1165G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 1.2 kg | 16.8 mm | 16.00" | 2560x1600 | |
| 84.7 % | 07/2022 | Dell Inspiron 15 5515-H8P8F R7 5700U, Vega 8 | 1.6 kg | 18 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 | |
| 83.5 % | 08/2021 | Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 R5 5500U, Vega 7 | 1.7 kg | 19.1 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 | |
| 82.2 % | 04/2022 | Honor MagicBook 16 2022 R5 5600H, Vega 7 | 1.8 kg | 18.2 mm | 16.10" | 1920x1080 |
Case - Ultra PC is 400 g heavier
So in what ways are the gram and Ultra PC different? And why does the Ultra PC weigh significantly more even though the two devices look very similar on the outside? The Ultra PC's body is made of plastic instead of magnesium. The device also uses a standard 72 Wh battery instead of a lighter one with higher energy density. Therefore, the batteries in the two laptops have identical dimensions but different weight.
The stiff magnesium on the gram is able to cope with having just rudimentary internal reinforcements. But this also means the chassis has some flex. The Ultra PC is sturdier by comparison. Its plastic base requires strong vertical and horizontal reinforcements. As a result, both the display and the base section on our review unit have less flex than their counterparts on the gram. Twisting the display slightly will cause noticeable backlight bleeding at the lower edge of the screen. Backlight bleeding even occurs to some extent when the display is being moved.
The display hinges are also attached differently on the two devices. The Ultra PC has a visible hinge in the middle, whilst the gram features a hidden hinge that disappears behind the laptop's body. The screens on both laptops can tilt back as far as 140 degrees. Although it is possible to open up the lid slightly with one hand, you'll have to hold the base to move it back further.
The Ultra PC weighs exactly 1,600 g (3.53 lb) – 400 g (0.88 lb) more than the gram 16. As previously mentioned, this is due to the laptop's standard battery and plastic body. On the outside, the Ultra PC is marginally larger than the gram in width, depth and height. But keep in mind we are talking about differences of less than one millimetre here.
As demonstrated by the Acer Swift 3 SF316-51, some of the competitors can be quite slim as well. The Acer laptop is just 15.9 mm (0.63") thick but weighs 100 g (0.22 lb) more. At 1.6 kg (3.53 lb), the Dell Inspiron 15 5515 weighs the same as the Ultra PC. However, it is visibly thicker at 18 mm (0.71") instead of 16.3 mm (0.64"). In short: when it comes to weight and thinness, the Ultra PC is able to compete with other device in the same price range.
Features - Windows laptop with fast Wi-Fi
LG has equipped the 16-inch device with two USB-A ports (USB 3.1 Gen2) and one USB-C port (PD, DisplayPort 15 watts). You can power the laptop via the USB-C port (tested with 45- and 65-watt chargers). To avoid taking up the port for charging, the manufacturer has included a 65-watt power adapter with a tiny barrel plug.
The laptop can be connected to up to two external displays (via HDMI and DisplayPort). Unlike the Intel-based gram 16, the Ultra PC doesn't support Thunderbolt 4, meaning that it is compatible with USB-C 3.1 docking stations at most. Power can be delivered to the laptop via a docking station, provided that it supports 65-watt power pass-through. The ports on the left and right are located towards the back of the laptop, allowing the areas beside the palm rest to be kept free of cables.
SD card reader
The SD card reader has rather average performance. It is able to transfer photos at around 75 MB/s, which is very similar to the performance level seen on the Intel-based gram 16. Many laptops in this price range have an SD card reader with a slower connection, such as the Lenovo and Dell in our comparison.
| SD Card Reader | |
| average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB) | |
| LG Ultra-PC 16 16U70Q-G.AR36G | |
| Average of class Office (8 - 82.7, n=48, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5515-H8P8F (AV Pro SD microSD 128 GB V60) | |
| maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB) | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB) | |
| LG Ultra-PC 16 16U70Q-G.AR36G | |
| Average of class Office (25 - 90.5, n=42, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5515-H8P8F (AV Pro SD microSD 128 GB V60) | |
Connectivity
The Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200 module in the Ultra PC supports the 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax standards and offers Bluetooth 5.1 functionality. Under optimal conditions (no other Wi-Fi devices in the immediate surroundings, short distance between the laptop and the server), the module produced results that are lower than the speeds in the specifications. However, with upload and download speeds of 1,300 and 1,500 Mbits/s respectively, the Ultra PC doesn't have to shy away from the competition at all. The Wi-Fi module is connected to two antennas that run along the bezel.
Webcam
The webcam (0.9 MP) has a maximum resolution of 1,280 x 720. It lacks colour accuracy, as shown by the high average Delta E of 21. Laptop cameras are not great most of the time, but the Acer Swift 3 SF316-51 shows that it is at least possible to do better by having a webcam with a Delta E of 10. Ideally, Delta E should be below 3.
Accessories
Besides the usual documents (warranty information, quick start guide), the laptop only comes with a 65-watt power adapter.
Maintenance & software
You can access the internals after removing the bottom cover. There is a screw underneath each of the five rubber feet (glued on). Another three screws are hidden by small covers (glued on). The covers can be removed using a flat-head screwdriver and the feet using a plastic spudger. Once the screws have been removed, the bottom cover can be easily lifted up from laptop.
Software
Warranty
In Germany, LG provides a two-year warranty on the 16-inch device with the option to extend the warranty to three years for around 50 Euro (US$50). In the US, the warranty period is one year. Warranty conditions may vary from country to country.
Input devices - not optimal for people who type a lot
Numeric pad, small arrow keys and black keys – the keyboard on the Ultra PC is almost identical to the one on the gram 16. Well, just almost. The gram has a backlight for its keyboard, but the Ultra PC doesn't. Consequently, the font on the keys is also different. The font on our review unit is printed on, whereas the letters and numbers on the gram's keyboard is translucent due to the backlight.
Keyboard
The flat, smooth keys on the chiclet keyboard have a short travel and very distinct actuation point. We like the crisp resistance that the keys provide. During typing, the keyboard exhibits some flex, particularly in the middle and the right side, extending all the way to the numeric pad. This hinders fast typing and makes the keyboard feel less premium because you can't simply press down firmly on the key. All in all, LG has delivered a keyboard that is adequate for everyday use, but we can't recommend it to people who type a lot.
Touchpad
The smooth surface of the clickpad (13.2 x 8.2 cm, or 5.2 x 3.2") allows fingers to slide across with ease. The corners of the clickpad also respond to inputs. It has a significant click depth (in the lower half), a distinct actuation point and a moderately loud click.
Display – IPS panel with clouding
LG uses its own panel (LG Display LP160WU1-SPH1) on the Ultra PC. For professional users and outdoor enthusiasts alike, it is great news that the laptop comes with a matt display rather than a glossy one, just like on the gram 16. Whilst the Ultra PC shares the same 16:10 aspect ratio as the gram 16, the screen resolution has been reduced to 1,920 x 1,200 from the gram's 2,560 x 1,600.
As usual, the AMD CPU works with Radeon Software. Vari-Bright adjusts the display brightness based on what is on the screen and is enabled by default. But we disabled it when we were testing the display and the battery life. The Ultra PC doesn't have an ambient light sensor. The display's peak brightness is somewhat below average at 269 cd/m². The contrast of 1,128:1 puts the panel on the same level as the competition. Nevertheless, it has lower contrast than the LG.Philips panel on the gram 16.
The display has a modest response time of roughly 28 to 38 ms. But, then again, the laptop was not designed for gaming. Only a few 16-inch devices can perform better in this regard. One example is the Honor MagicBook 16 2022, whose display has a response time of 10 to 17 ms. One positive thing is that we didn't detect any PWM flicker on the screen.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 85 %
Center on Battery: 299 cd/m²
Contrast: 1128:1 (Black: 0.265 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.57 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 5.02
ΔE Greyscale 3.8 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
37% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
55% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
36% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.6
| LG Ultra-PC 16 16U70Q-G.AR36G LG Display LP160WU1-SPH1, IPS, 1280x1200, 16.00 | Acer Swift 3 SF316-51 Chi Mei CMN160B, IPS, 1920x1080, 16.10 | LG Gram 16 (2021) LG Philips LP160WQ1-SPA1, IPS, 2560x1600, 16.00 | Dell Inspiron 15 5515-H8P8F BOE NV15N4V, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60 | Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 Lenovo LEN156FHD, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60 | Honor MagicBook 16 2022 NV161FHM-NH0, IPS, 1920x1080, 16.10 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 84% | 124% | 1% | 5% | 85% | |
| Display P3 Coverage | 36 | 66.6 85% | 95.8 166% | 36.58 2% | 68.4 90% | |
| sRGB Coverage | 55 | 99.5 81% | 99.8 81% | 54.37 -1% | 59 7% | 98.9 80% |
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 37 | 68.5 85% | 83.8 126% | 37.79 2% | 38 3% | 68.6 85% |
| Response Times | 23% | 7% | -14% | 30% | 60% | |
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 38 ? | 32 ? 16% | 44 ? -16% | 44 ? -16% | 29 ? 24% | 16.8 ? 56% |
| Response Time Black / White * | 28 ? | 20 ? 29% | 20 ? 29% | 31 ? -11% | 18 ? 36% | 10.4 ? 63% |
| PWM Frequency | 2500 ? | 1250 ? | ||||
| Screen | 34% | 2% | -8% | -43% | 19% | |
| Brightness middle | 299 | 304 2% | 331 11% | 251 -16% | 376 26% | 342 14% |
| Brightness | 270 | 284 5% | 309 14% | 241 -11% | 341 26% | 329 22% |
| Brightness Distribution | 85 | 88 4% | 88 4% | 87 2% | 78 -8% | 92 8% |
| Black Level * | 0.265 | 0.165 38% | 0.22 17% | 0.23 13% | 0.66 -149% | 0.29 -9% |
| Contrast | 1128 | 1842 63% | 1505 33% | 1091 -3% | 570 -49% | 1179 5% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 4.57 | 1.44 68% | 4.64 -2% | 5.14 -12% | 6.4 -40% | 3.2 30% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 8.92 | 3.62 59% | 9.82 -10% | 18.41 -106% | 20.45 -129% | 5.5 38% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 5.02 | 3.16 37% | 0.9 82% | |||
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 3.8 | 2.6 32% | 6.9 -82% | 1.08 72% | 4.59 -21% | 4.5 -18% |
| Gamma | 2.6 85% | 2.41 91% | 2.34 94% | 2.43 91% | 2.26 97% | 2.22 99% |
| CCT | 6142 106% | 6527 100% | 7904 82% | 6534 99% | 6819 95% | 7610 85% |
| Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 68.5 | 75.1 | 37.79 | 38 | ||
| Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 99.5 | 100 | 54.37 | 59 | ||
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | 47% /
44% | 44% /
29% | -7% /
-7% | -3% /
-23% | 55% /
39% |
* ... smaller is better
The IPS panel has a pretty lacklustre colour coverage. It is not even close to fully covering the relatively small sRGB color space (55%). Whilst not all of the competitors are better, three of them outperform the Ultra PC in colour coverage: the Acer Swift 3 SF316-51, Honor MagicBook 16 2022 and LG gram 16.
Right out of the box, the LG Display panel has decent colour reproduction, but fails to hit the target value (Delta E below 3) with a colour difference of around 4.6. The panel doesn't have any blue tint. Calibration did improve the colour accuracy, but only for the greyscale: Delta E decreased from 3.8 to 0.4. On the other hand, the Delta E for colours became worse, increasing from 4.6 to 5.0. We took all the measurements using Portrait Displays' Calman colour calibration software.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 28 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 16 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 12 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 67 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.5 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 38 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 19 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 19 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 49 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.8 ms). | ||
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM not detected |  | ||
In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 17933 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. | |||
Thanks to the matt finish, it is possible to read the display outdoors. However, the mediocre peak brightness is counterproductive for outdoor use. The following photos were taken at max screen brightness (Vari-Bright off).
The IPS panel has a wide viewing angle and can be easily viewed from any position.
Performance - space for another SSD
Our review model can't be found on LG's website. The unit has been configured based on a retailer's specifications in order to hit a very low price point – currently about 840 to 880 Euro (US$840 to US$880). For that price, you are getting a quad-core AMD Ryzen 3 5300U processor (eight threads and clock speeds of 2.60 to 3.80 GHz) as well as a pared-back amount of RAM (only 8 GB). The rest of the specifications are identical to the Core i5 model, including a 512 GB SSD. You should carefully consider whether the Ryzen 3 model is right for you, as the RAM is soldered and non-upgradeable.
The Ultra PC is also available with either an octa-core Ryzen 7 5825U (2.0 GHz, boost speeds of up to 4.5 GHz, 16 MB of L3 cache) or a hexa-core Ryzen 5 5625U (2.3 GHz, boost speeds of up to 4.3 GHz, 16 MB of L3 cache). Both variants come with 16 GB of dual-channel RAM by default, and their prices start at 960 Euro (US$960).
Test conditions
Unlike the Intel-based gram, the Ultra PC does not ship with LG Control Center. Only the LG Update & Recovery app is pre-installed on the system. This means you only have built-in Windows tools and the Radeon Software at your disposal for managing system performance and the GPU respectively. We left the Radeon Software in its default settings. Therefore, the power-saving FPS limiter wasn't enabled. We also disabled AMD Vari-Bright and all Windows power-saving modes and selected the "Best performance" option. During battery life test, the power plan was set to "Balanced".
Processor
The AMD Ryzen 3 5300U with eight threads was tested using the Cinebench loop. The Ultra PC managed to fare better than the LG gram 16 (2021), but only in multi-core tests. All other laptops with a Ryzen 5 or 7 pulled far ahead of the Ultra PC, performing 60% to 100% better. Nevertheless, the Ryzen 3 had a respectable showing – under sustained load, there was only a small performance dip of 8% over time. The processor was able to run at 26-27 watts for the first few seconds before quickly dropping down to 20 watts (see the power usage graph for the first Cinebench run). After running the benchmark in a loop for a while, the Ryzen 3 settled down at roughly 18 watts, with CPU temperatures rising to around 90°C (194°F).
Under sustained load without any interruptions (such as the R15 loop), the Ryzen 3 responded by reducing its clock speed to slightly above 3.0 GHz, causing the APU's power consumption to remain at a stable 17 watts. This figure is far from the 30-watt PL2 (short burst) and 25-watt PL1 (sustained) that this chip is capable of. It appears that LG has lowered the limits to reduce chassis temperatures and minimise noise. This is great for the laptop's emissions, as we will see later, but (slightly) affects how much performance we can get from the CPU.
Cinebench R15 Multi Sustained Load
Cinebench R23: Multi Core | Single Core
Cinebench R20: CPU (Multi Core) | CPU (Single Core)
Cinebench R15: CPU Multi 64Bit | CPU Single 64Bit
Blender: v2.79 BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 | 7z b 4 -mmt1
Geekbench 5.5: Multi-Core | Single-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
| CPU Performance Rating | |
| Honor MagicBook 16 2022 | |
| Average of class Office | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF316-51 | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5515-H8P8F | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 3 5300U | |
| LG Ultra-PC 16 16U70Q-G.AR36G -2! | |
| Cinebench R23 / Multi Core | |
| Honor MagicBook 16 2022 | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5515-H8P8F | |
| Average of class Office (1056 - 15743, n=121, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF316-51 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 3 5300U (4772 - 5522, n=3) | |
| LG Ultra-PC 16 16U70Q-G.AR36G | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| Cinebench R23 / Single Core | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF316-51 | |
| Average of class Office (529 - 1995, n=120, last 2 years) | |
| Honor MagicBook 16 2022 | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5515-H8P8F | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 3 5300U (1102 - 1129, n=3) | |
| LG Ultra-PC 16 16U70Q-G.AR36G | |
| Cinebench R20 / CPU (Multi Core) | |
| Honor MagicBook 16 2022 | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5515-H8P8F | |
| Average of class Office (356 - 5904, n=119, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF316-51 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 3 5300U (1883 - 2138, n=4) | |
| LG Ultra-PC 16 16U70Q-G.AR36G | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| Cinebench R20 / CPU (Single Core) | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF316-51 | |
| Average of class Office (181.3 - 764, n=119, last 2 years) | |
| Honor MagicBook 16 2022 | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5515-H8P8F | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 3 5300U (431 - 441, n=4) | |
| LG Ultra-PC 16 16U70Q-G.AR36G | |
| Cinebench R15 / CPU Multi 64Bit | |
| Honor MagicBook 16 2022 | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5515-H8P8F | |
| Average of class Office (160.8 - 2642, n=119, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF316-51 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 3 5300U (832 - 915, n=3) | |
| LG Ultra-PC 16 16U70Q-G.AR36G | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| Cinebench R15 / CPU Single 64Bit | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF316-51 | |
| Honor MagicBook 16 2022 | |
| Average of class Office (82.6 - 284, n=117, last 2 years) | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5515-H8P8F | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 3 5300U (166 - 170, n=3) | |
| LG Ultra-PC 16 16U70Q-G.AR36G | |
| Blender / v2.79 BMW27 CPU | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| LG Ultra-PC 16 16U70Q-G.AR36G | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 3 5300U (524 - 617, n=3) | |
| Average of class Office (214 - 2844, n=120, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF316-51 | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5515-H8P8F | |
| Honor MagicBook 16 2022 | |
| 7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 | |
| Honor MagicBook 16 2022 | |
| Average of class Office (4226 - 62349, n=120, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5515-H8P8F | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF316-51 | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 3 5300U (19170 - 24366, n=3) | |
| LG Ultra-PC 16 16U70Q-G.AR36G | |
| 7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 -mmt1 | |
| Honor MagicBook 16 2022 | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF316-51 | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| Average of class Office (2233 - 6687, n=120, last 2 years) | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5515-H8P8F | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 3 5300U (3755 - 4198, n=3) | |
| LG Ultra-PC 16 16U70Q-G.AR36G | |
| Geekbench 5.5 / Multi-Core | |
| Average of class Office (1018 - 11980, n=121, last 2 years) | |
| Honor MagicBook 16 2022 | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF316-51 | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5515-H8P8F | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 3 5300U (3730 - 4191, n=3) | |
| Geekbench 5.5 / Single-Core | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF316-51 | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| Average of class Office (510 - 1974, n=121, last 2 years) | |
| Honor MagicBook 16 2022 | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5515-H8P8F | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 3 5300U (1040 - 1080, n=3) | |
| HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 / 4k Preset | |
| Honor MagicBook 16 2022 | |
| Average of class Office (1.55 - 17.4, n=119, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF316-51 | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5515-H8P8F | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 3 5300U (5.87 - 6.74, n=3) | |
| LG Ultra-PC 16 16U70Q-G.AR36G | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| LibreOffice / 20 Documents To PDF | |
| LG Ultra-PC 16 16U70Q-G.AR36G | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 3 5300U (63.4 - 77.1, n=3) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5515-H8P8F | |
| Average of class Office (31.3 - 117.5, n=119, last 2 years) | |
| Honor MagicBook 16 2022 | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF316-51 | |
| R Benchmark 2.5 / Overall mean | |
| LG Ultra-PC 16 16U70Q-G.AR36G | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 3 5300U (0.654 - 0.664, n=3) | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5515-H8P8F | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| Average of class Office (0.4244 - 1.397, n=118, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF316-51 | |
| Honor MagicBook 16 2022 | |
* ... smaller is better
AIDA64: FP32 Ray-Trace | FPU Julia | CPU SHA3 | CPU Queen | FPU SinJulia | FPU Mandel | CPU AES | CPU ZLib | FP64 Ray-Trace | CPU PhotoWorxx
| Performance Rating | |
| Honor MagicBook 16 2022 | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5515-H8P8F | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 | |
| Average of class Office | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 3 5300U | |
| LG Ultra-PC 16 16U70Q-G.AR36G -1! | |
| AIDA64 / FP32 Ray-Trace | |
| Honor MagicBook 16 2022 | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5515-H8P8F | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 | |
| Average of class Office (763 - 24250, n=119, last 2 years) | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 3 5300U (3612 - 7053, n=3) | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| LG Ultra-PC 16 16U70Q-G.AR36G | |
| AIDA64 / FPU Julia | |
| Honor MagicBook 16 2022 | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5515-H8P8F | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 | |
| Average of class Office (4027 - 102228, n=119, last 2 years) | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 3 5300U (33606 - 37829, n=3) | |
| LG Ultra-PC 16 16U70Q-G.AR36G | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| AIDA64 / CPU SHA3 | |
| Honor MagicBook 16 2022 | |
| Average of class Office (279 - 4442, n=118, last 2 years) | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5515-H8P8F | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 3 5300U (1244 - 1248, n=2) | |
| AIDA64 / CPU Queen | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5515-H8P8F | |
| Honor MagicBook 16 2022 | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 | |
| Average of class Office (8031 - 113016, n=119, last 2 years) | |
| LG Ultra-PC 16 16U70Q-G.AR36G | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 3 5300U (51280 - 51454, n=3) | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| AIDA64 / FPU SinJulia | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5515-H8P8F | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 | |
| Honor MagicBook 16 2022 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 3 5300U (6686 - 6703, n=3) | |
| LG Ultra-PC 16 16U70Q-G.AR36G | |
| Average of class Office (404 - 14288, n=119, last 2 years) | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| AIDA64 / FPU Mandel | |
| Honor MagicBook 16 2022 | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5515-H8P8F | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 | |
| Average of class Office (2054 - 54365, n=119, last 2 years) | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 3 5300U (17564 - 20109, n=3) | |
| LG Ultra-PC 16 16U70Q-G.AR36G | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| AIDA64 / CPU AES | |
| Honor MagicBook 16 2022 | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5515-H8P8F | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 | |
| Average of class Office (5226 - 147611, n=119, last 2 years) | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 3 5300U (19307 - 34964, n=3) | |
| LG Ultra-PC 16 16U70Q-G.AR36G | |
| AIDA64 / CPU ZLib | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5515-H8P8F | |
| Honor MagicBook 16 2022 | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 | |
| Average of class Office (67.6 - 1018, n=119, last 2 years) | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 3 5300U (374 - 396, n=3) | |
| LG Ultra-PC 16 16U70Q-G.AR36G | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| AIDA64 / FP64 Ray-Trace | |
| Honor MagicBook 16 2022 | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5515-H8P8F | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 | |
| Average of class Office (432 - 12755, n=119, last 2 years) | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 3 5300U (3199 - 3768, n=3) | |
| LG Ultra-PC 16 16U70Q-G.AR36G | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| AIDA64 / CPU PhotoWorxx | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| Average of class Office (4814 - 48177, n=119, last 2 years) | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 3 5300U (16799 - 17037, n=3) | |
| LG Ultra-PC 16 16U70Q-G.AR36G | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 | |
| Honor MagicBook 16 2022 | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5515-H8P8F | |
System performance
According to PCMark 10, the application performance is rather lacklustre in all sub scores and is even below the two-year average amongst office laptops. The CPU is most comparable with the Ryzen 7 5700U in the Dell Inspiron, which is 11% better. In Crossmark, an alternative benchmark, there is hardly any difference between the 5300U and 5700U (+4-7%). That said, we know that the Dell Inspiron 15 5515 doesn't fully exploit the APU's potential; this was one of our criticisms of the device. Those who want great performance on a budget should take a look at devices with Ryzen H-series APUs, for instance the Honor MagicBook 16 2022 with Ryzen 5 5600H. That will give you the most bang for the buck – even in CPU benchmarks.
We can't make any broad statement on whether the Ryzen 7 variant of the Ultra PC will have better performance. It really depends on the capacity of its cooling solution and the specified power limits.
CrossMark: Overall | Productivity | Creativity | Responsiveness
| PCMark 10 / Score | |
| Honor MagicBook 16 2022 | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF316-51 | |
| Average of class Office (2325 - 7157, n=104, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5515-H8P8F | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 3 5300U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 6 (Ryzen 4000/5000) (4299 - 5006, n=3) | |
| LG Ultra-PC 16 16U70Q-G.AR36G | |
| PCMark 10 / Essentials | |
| Honor MagicBook 16 2022 | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF316-51 | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| Average of class Office (5095 - 20841, n=104, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5515-H8P8F | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 3 5300U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 6 (Ryzen 4000/5000) (7833 - 9015, n=3) | |
| LG Ultra-PC 16 16U70Q-G.AR36G | |
| PCMark 10 / Productivity | |
| Honor MagicBook 16 2022 | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5515-H8P8F | |
| Average of class Office (3041 - 10198, n=104, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF316-51 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 3 5300U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 6 (Ryzen 4000/5000) (6596 - 7852, n=3) | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| LG Ultra-PC 16 16U70Q-G.AR36G | |
| PCMark 10 / Digital Content Creation | |
| Honor MagicBook 16 2022 | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF316-51 | |
| Average of class Office (1912 - 9056, n=104, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5515-H8P8F | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 3 5300U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 6 (Ryzen 4000/5000) (4136 - 4811, n=3) | |
| LG Ultra-PC 16 16U70Q-G.AR36G | |
| CrossMark / Overall | |
| Honor MagicBook 16 2022 | |
| Average of class Office (348 - 1891, n=105, last 2 years) | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5515-H8P8F | |
| LG Ultra-PC 16 16U70Q-G.AR36G | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 3 5300U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 6 (Ryzen 4000/5000) (932 - 935, n=2) | |
| CrossMark / Productivity | |
| Honor MagicBook 16 2022 | |
| Average of class Office (393 - 1870, n=105, last 2 years) | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5515-H8P8F | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 3 5300U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 6 (Ryzen 4000/5000) (983 - 989, n=2) | |
| LG Ultra-PC 16 16U70Q-G.AR36G | |
| CrossMark / Creativity | |
| Honor MagicBook 16 2022 | |
| Average of class Office (340 - 1982, n=105, last 2 years) | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5515-H8P8F | |
| LG Ultra-PC 16 16U70Q-G.AR36G | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 3 5300U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 6 (Ryzen 4000/5000) (899 - 920, n=2) | |
| CrossMark / Responsiveness | |
| Honor MagicBook 16 2022 | |
| Average of class Office (258 - 2017, n=105, last 2 years) | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5515-H8P8F | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 3 5300U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 6 (Ryzen 4000/5000) (844 - 866, n=2) | |
| LG Ultra-PC 16 16U70Q-G.AR36G | |
| PCMark 10 Score | 4299 points | |
Help | ||
| AIDA64 / Memory Copy | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| Average of class Office (7158 - 84290, n=120, last 2 years) | |
| Honor MagicBook 16 2022 | |
| LG Ultra-PC 16 16U70Q-G.AR36G | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 3 5300U (30710 - 36092, n=3) | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5515-H8P8F | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Read | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| Honor MagicBook 16 2022 | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 | |
| Average of class Office (7325 - 75550, n=120, last 2 years) | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 3 5300U (34493 - 35443, n=3) | |
| LG Ultra-PC 16 16U70Q-G.AR36G | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5515-H8P8F | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Write | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| Average of class Office (7579 - 94965, n=120, last 2 years) | |
| LG Ultra-PC 16 16U70Q-G.AR36G | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 3 5300U (38052 - 40554, n=3) | |
| Honor MagicBook 16 2022 | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5515-H8P8F | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Latency | |
| LG Ultra-PC 16 16U70Q-G.AR36G | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 3 5300U (97.1 - 113.5, n=3) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5515-H8P8F | |
| Average of class Office (44.3 - 188.3, n=121, last 2 years) | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| Honor MagicBook 16 2022 | |
* ... smaller is better
DPC latency
In our standardised latency monitor test (web browsing, 4K video playback, Prime95 high-load), we observed issues with the laptop's DPC latency. Even though the highest interrupt to process was fairly moderate at 517 ms, we saw 50 dropped frames during playback of 4K YouTube videos. Latency Mon suspects that the problem could be related to Wi-Fi drivers or CPU-throttling settings in the BIOS. However, we could not find any negative indicators, even under advanced options (Ctrl+Alt+Shift+F7). Therefore, with its current driver configuration, the system doesn't seem to be suitable for real-time video and audio processing.
| DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95 | |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5515-H8P8F | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 | |
| Honor MagicBook 16 2022 | |
| LG Ultra-PC 16 16U70Q-G.AR36G | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF316-51 | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
* ... smaller is better
Mass storage
The Samsung SSD (PM991 MZVLQ512HBLU) has a capacity of 512 GB. There is also a larger 1 TB option for the Ryzen 7 model. Because the laptop doesn't come pre-installed with much software, approximately 420 GB of usable storage is available out of the box. The PM991 drive is one of the reasonably fast SSDs on the market. But it delivers below average performance in the Ultra PC. This, along with the small amount of RAM, is possibly the reason for the ho-hum results obtained in PCMark 10 and Crossmark. Under sustained load, the Samsung SSD experienced a minor drop in performance – this doesn't have to be the case, though, as demonstrated by the PM9A1 SSD in the Honor MagicBook 16.
* ... smaller is better
Sustained Load Read: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8
Graphics card
The Radeon RX Vega 6 is still based on the Ryzen 4000 series (Vega Renoir) and is made using a 7 nm process. It operates at a frequency of 0.4-1.5 GHz. In our tests, the GPU was able to outperform the RX Vega 8 in the Dell Inspiron 15 5515, thus confirming that the Dell isn't able to utilise much of the GPU's power. This, however, is not indicative of the typical performance of a Ryzen 7 5700U with Vega 8 graphics. The Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs took the top spot (+50/70%) in the relevant 3DMark tests.
| 3DMark 06 1024x768 Score | 17429 points | |
| 3DMark 11 Performance | 4334 points | |
| 3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score | 15310 points | |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Score | 2301 points | |
| 3DMark Time Spy Score | 972 points | |
Help | ||
Gaming performance
Our gaming tests also confirm the GPU's poor performance: the RX Vega 6 delivered unsurprising results, performing slightly worse than a Vega 7 and much poorer than an Iris Xe G7 96EUs. You won't be able to do much gaming on the iGPU of a Ryzen 3, even with dual-channel RAM. All of the games we tested could only run at borderline playable frame rates when resolutions and detail settings were turned all the way down. Performance-hungry new titles are even unplayable on the laptop. For instance, F1 2022 kept on crashing at medium settings due to insufficient RAM.
| Final Fantasy XV Benchmark - 1280x720 Lite Quality | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| Average of class Office (5.42 - 103.1, n=114, last 2 years) | |
| Honor MagicBook 16 2022 | |
| Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 6 (Ryzen 4000/5000) (15.6 - 32.2, n=9) | |
| LG Ultra-PC 16 16U70Q-G.AR36G | |
| Strange Brigade - 1920x1080 medium AA:medium AF:4 | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF316-51 | |
| Average of class Office (8.6 - 77.2, n=106, last 2 years) | |
| Honor MagicBook 16 2022 | |
| LG Ultra-PC 16 16U70Q-G.AR36G | |
| Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 6 (Ryzen 4000/5000) (17 - 30.3, n=6) | |
| F1 22 - 1920x1080 Low Preset AA:T AF:16x | |
| Average of class Office (13.6 - 107.4, n=40, last 2 years) | |
| LG Ultra-PC 16 16U70Q-G.AR36G | |
| Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 6 (Ryzen 4000/5000) (17.4 - 40.9, n=4) | |
Ultimately, the stable performance of the Vega 6 in the Witcher 3 Ultra loop doesn't really mean much – 8 to 9 FPS isn't going to make any gamers happy. That said, the Ultra PC doesn't need to satisfy gamers because they aren't going to purchase this configuration anyway due to the Ryzen 3's poor performance.
Witcher 3 FPS Chart
| low | med. | high | ultra | 4K | |
| GTA V (2015) | 94 | 83 | 21 | 8 | |
| The Witcher 3 (2015) | 48.6 | 31.1 | 14.5 | 8.6 | |
| Dota 2 Reborn (2015) | 134.4 | 119.5 | 70.9 | 66.1 | 29 |
| Final Fantasy XV Benchmark (2018) | 15.6 | ||||
| X-Plane 11.11 (2018) | 34.4 | 28.5 | 24.2 | ||
| Far Cry 5 (2018) | 36 | 20 | 17 | ||
| Strange Brigade (2018) | 63.8 | 25.7 | 21.2 | 18.1 | |
| F1 2021 (2021) | 67.9 | 28 | |||
| F1 22 (2022) | 40.9 | 0 () |
Emissions - Quiet Windows PC
Noise emissions
Whilst the Ultra PC isn't completely silent, the fan runs so quietly at idle (25.4 dB(A)) that we can only hear it with our ears pressed against the laptop. Even during our stress test, despite the fact that the fan was spinning very fast the entire time, the fan noise wasn't annoyingly loud at 36 dB(A) and, most crucially, stayed at a constant level. Our review unit didn't produce any other noises.
Noise Level
| Idle |
| 25 / 25 / 25.4 dB(A) |
| Load |
| 36.2 / 36.4 dB(A) |
 | ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min:  , med:  , max:  Earthworks M23R, Arta (15 cm distance) environment noise: 25 dB(A) | ||
| LG Ultra-PC 16 16U70Q-G.AR36G Vega 6, R3 5300U, Samsung PM991 MZVLQ512HBLU | Acer Swift 3 SF316-51 Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-11370H, Micron 2210 MTFDHBA512QFD | LG Gram 16 (2021) Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1165G7, SK Hynix PC601 1TB HFS001TD9TNG | Dell Inspiron 15 5515-H8P8F Vega 8, R7 5700U, Toshiba KBG40ZNS512G NVMe | Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 Vega 7, R5 5500U | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noise | -3% | 3% | -2% | -6% | |
| off / environment * | 25 | 26 -4% | 26 -4% | 25.4 -2% | 26 -4% |
| Idle Minimum * | 25 | 26 -4% | 26 -4% | 25.4 -2% | 26 -4% |
| Idle Average * | 25 | 26 -4% | 26 -4% | 25.4 -2% | 26 -4% |
| Idle Maximum * | 25.4 | 27.7 -9% | 26 -2% | 25.4 -0% | 26 -2% |
| Load Average * | 36.2 | 32.7 10% | 30.8 15% | 34 6% | 42.6 -18% |
| Load Maximum * | 36.4 | 39 -7% | 31.1 15% | 40 -10% | 37.4 -3% |
* ... smaller is better
Temperature
When not handling intensive tasks, the LG laptop only became slightly warmer than room temperature. Under load, surface temperatures reached 40-45°C（104-113°F). The highest temperatures were measured in the middle of the bottom cover close to the display hinge. This is unsurprising considering that the fan pushes hot air out of the device through the exhaust vents near the hinge. Not only is the laptop able to remain relatively cool under stress and sustained load, but you can always use it on your lap without issues or risk of burns.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 39.5 °C / 103 F, compared to the average of 34.2 °C / 94 F, ranging from 21.2 to 62.5 °C for the class Office.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 45 °C / 113 F, compared to the average of 36.7 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 26 °C / 79 F, compared to the device average of 29.5 °C / 85 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 29.3 °C / 84.7 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 27.7 °C / 81.9 F (-1.6 °C / -2.8 F).
| LG Ultra-PC 16 16U70Q-G.AR36G AMD Ryzen 3 5300U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 6 (Ryzen 4000/5000) | Acer Swift 3 SF316-51 Intel Core i7-11370H, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs | LG Gram 16 (2021) Intel Core i7-1165G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs | Dell Inspiron 15 5515-H8P8F AMD Ryzen 7 5700U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 4000/5000) | Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 AMD Ryzen 5 5500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 7 | Honor MagicBook 16 2022 AMD Ryzen 5 5600H, AMD Radeon RX Vega 7 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heat | -8% | -1% | -12% | 1% | 3% | |
| Maximum Upper Side * | 39.5 | 40 -1% | 46.9 -19% | 39.4 -0% | 40.5 -3% | 41.6 -5% |
| Maximum Bottom * | 45 | 47 -4% | 45.1 -0% | 45.4 -1% | 42 7% | 43.1 4% |
| Idle Upper Side * | 26.7 | 30.1 -13% | 26.4 1% | 33.2 -24% | 26.5 1% | 25.4 5% |
| Idle Bottom * | 28.2 | 31.6 -12% | 24.1 15% | 35.1 -24% | 29 -3% | 25.6 9% |
* ... smaller is better
Stress test
The LG Ultra PC 16 had a tough time during the stress test. The CPU clock speed settled down at 2,600 MHz after briefly hitting a peak of 3.1 GHz. The GPU ran at a modest 810 MHz, which is far from its maximum clock speed of 1,500 MHz. With this throttling of performance, temperatures remained at a constant 86°C (187°F).
In contrast, the CPU clock speeds were considerably higher during the Cinebench loop, briefly peaking at 3.8 GHz before stabilising at 3.2 GHz. In both cases, the overall CPU power usage spiked to 27 watts and stabilised at 17-18 watts.
| CPU Clock (GHz) | GPU Clock (MHz) | Average CPU Temperature (°C) | Average GPU Temperature (°C) | |
| System Idle | 2.6 | 400 | 45 | 41 |
| Prime95 Stress | 3.1 | 400 | 92 | 74 |
| Prime95 + FurMark Stress | 2.60 | 810 | 86 | 76 |
| Cinebench R15 Loop | 2.12 | 400 | 70 | 57 |
Speakers
The stereo speakers sound decent but lack bass. We recommend using a pair of headphones or external speakers for a better audio experience. The built-in dual-array microphone is mostly able to produce noise-free audio recordings. The person speaking into the microphone can be up to approximately 2 m (6.6 ft) away from the laptop. LG has pre-installed a full version of CyberLink AudioDirector, which can be used for editing and mixing music or audio recordings.
LG Ultra-PC 16 16U70Q-G.AR36G audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (79.7 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 29.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (13.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 1% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.4% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (19.1% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 31% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 62% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 22%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 40% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 53% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Acer Swift 3 SF316-51 audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (75.2 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 25.5% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (12.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.7% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.8% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (2.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (17.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 44% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 47% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 18%, worst was 45%
Compared to all devices tested
» 30% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 62% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
LG Gram 16 (2021) audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (76.1 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 18.8% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (12.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.2% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.5% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (3.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (14.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 8% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 88% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 22%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 15% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 81% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Power management - Highly efficient laptop
Power consumption
The Ultra PC's power usage is fairly low but typical for the hardware inside. At idle, we measured power consumption of no more than around 9 watts. Reducing some settings even brought the idle power usage down to roughly 4 watts.
The stress test (running Prime95 and FurMark concurrently for at least one hour) caused power usage to increase to 45 watts – but only temporarily. The following chart shows how the power consumption dropped below 40 watts after just a short period during the stress test due to significant CPU and GPU throttling. The system eventually stabilised at around 40 watts.
The power supply is rated at 65 watts. Alternatively, the Ultra PC can be charged using USB-C chargers, even ones with lower output (e.g. 45 watts). If you use a charger with a lower wattage, however, the system will notify you that it may not run at full performance.
| Off / Standby | 0.15 / 1.55 Watt |
| Idle | 3.7 / 6.8 / 8.6 Watt |
| Load |
30 / 45 Watt |
   
| |
| LG Ultra-PC 16 16U70Q-G.AR36G R3 5300U, Vega 6, Samsung PM991 MZVLQ512HBLU, IPS, 1280x1200, 16.00 | Acer Swift 3 SF316-51 i7-11370H, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, Micron 2210 MTFDHBA512QFD, IPS, 1920x1080, 16.10 | LG Gram 16 (2021) i7-1165G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, SK Hynix PC601 1TB HFS001TD9TNG, IPS, 2560x1600, 16.00 | Dell Inspiron 15 5515-H8P8F R7 5700U, Vega 8, Toshiba KBG40ZNS512G NVMe, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60 | Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 R5 5500U, Vega 7, , IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60 | Honor MagicBook 16 2022 R5 5600H, Vega 7, Samsung PM9A1 MZVL2512HCJQ, IPS, 1920x1080, 16.10 | Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 6 (Ryzen 4000/5000) | Average of class Office | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | -15% | -16% | -6% | -19% | -40% | -7% | -19% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 3.7 | 4.8 -30% | 3.8 -3% | 3.8 -3% | 3.7 -0% | 5.1 -38% | 3.98 ? -8% | 4.29 ? -16% |
| Idle Average * | 6.8 | 7.4 -9% | 9 -32% | 6.6 3% | 7.9 -16% | 8.7 -28% | 6.53 ? 4% | 7.33 ? -8% |
| Idle Maximum * | 8.6 | 9 -5% | 11.3 -31% | 8 7% | 9.3 -8% | 9.2 -7% | 8.65 ? -1% | 9.15 ? -6% |
| Load Average * | 30 | 34.9 -16% | 35.2 -17% | 33.4 -11% | 41 -37% | 50.7 -69% | 35 ? -17% | 41.1 ? -37% |
| Witcher 3 ultra * | 30.2 | 34.9 -16% | 33.6 -11% | 41 -36% | 45.9 -52% | |||
| Load Maximum * | 45 | 51.4 -14% | 43.5 3% | 54 -20% | 52.2 -16% | 66.5 -48% | 51.5 ? -14% | 58 ? -29% |
* ... smaller is better
Power Consumption Witcher 3 / Stress test
Power Consumption with External Monitor
Battery life
Thanks to its low power usage and large 72 Wh battery, the Ultra PC has excellent stamina and can effortlessly keep up with the LG gram 16 in terms of battery life. In our Wi-Fi test, our review unit lasted an entire 85 minutes longer than the Intel-based gram 16, which has a 80 Wh battery. We are talking about a device that can realistically run for 17 hours at a reduced screen brightness of 150 cd/m² (4 levels below max brightness).
The Ultra PC has higher multi-core performance than the gram with a Core i7. This is reflected in its power usage under load (i.e. running Battery Eater Classic): the Ultra PC fully drained its battery within 141 minutes, whilst the gram took 258 minutes to do the same.
At idle, the Ultra PC even managed to last an impressive 32 hours (at minimum brightness and with flight mode activated). Admittedly, this figure is probably not as important for everyday use, but none of the competitors could beat the laptop in this aspect.
| LG Ultra-PC 16 16U70Q-G.AR36G R3 5300U, Vega 6, 72 Wh | LG Gram 16 (2021) i7-1165G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, 80 Wh | Acer Swift 3 SF316-51 i7-11370H, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, 56 Wh | Dell Inspiron 15 5515-H8P8F R7 5700U, Vega 8, 54 Wh | Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 R5 5500U, Vega 7, 70 Wh | Honor MagicBook 16 2022 R5 5600H, Vega 7, 56 Wh | Average of class Office | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | 21% | -36% | -19% | -12% | -56% | -28% | |
| Reader / Idle | 1937 | 1713 -12% | 1205 -38% | 1436 ? -26% | |||
| WiFi v1.3 | 1026 | 943 -8% | 585 -43% | 627 -39% | 839 -18% | 491 -52% | 595 ? -42% |
| Load | 141 | 258 83% | 103 -27% | 144 2% | 134 -5% | 57 -60% | 117.9 ? -16% |
| H.264 | 1204 | 615 | 645 | 925 | 484 | 699 ? | |
| Witcher 3 ultra | 130 | 110 | 152 ? |
Pros
Cons
Verdict - More stamina than a gram
Is the LG Ultra PC 16 an alternative for those who can't afford or are not willing to pay for a real LG gram?
No. 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.
Instead of two Thunderbolt 4 ports with Power Delivery, the Ultra PC only has one USB-C port (likewise with Power Delivery). LG has included a 65-watt charger with a tiny barrel plug so that you can plug in the laptop without taking up the USB-C port.
Those looking for an extremely long battery life at an affordable price should definitely consider the LG Ultra PC 16. This is because none of its competitors can realistically last anywhere close to the 17 hours that the Ultra PC is capable of.
But not everything that glitters is gold. The 8 GB of RAM isn't expandable, and you really need to carefully consider whether that's enough for you. Although the severe backlight bleeding is only noticeable when the screen is black and when you are in a dark place, it gets worse every time the bezel is moved. Moreover, the keyboard exhibits flex, feels flimsy and is not something we would recommend to someone who types a lot.
8 GB of soldered RAM without any expansion options – this is something to keep in mind. We recommend getting a 16 GB model that costs just slightly more.
The Ultra PC is not here to replace the gram, but is (in terms of price) an alternative to other thin and light all-round business laptops such as the Acer Swift 3 SF316-51 and Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15ALC05. The Swift 3, in particular, stands out with its superior display, better keyboard and Thunderbolt port.
The likewise AMD-based IdeaPad 5 15ALC05 is a serious alternative when it comes to value for money. Whilst the 15.6-inch laptop isn't exactly exceptional, it is able to utilise the Ryzen 5 to full potential and offers an impressive 14 hours of battery life (during our Wi-Fi test at 150 cd/m²).
Price and availability
Our review model, which is equipped with a Ryzen 3, 8 GB of RAM and a 512 GB SSD, is available from Cyberport for 839 Euro (US$839) right now (only in Germany). In the US, you can get a model with a Ryzen 7, 16 GB of RAM and 1TB of storage directly from LG for US$1,100.
LG Ultra-PC 16 16U70Q-G.AR36G
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10/20/2022 v7
Sebastian Jentsch
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