LG Gram 13Z980-G
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Reviews for the LG Gram 13Z980-G
Source: Ofertaman ES→EN Archive.org version
Positive: Compact size; light weight; excellent autonomy; high mobility; good price.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 07/28/2018
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Model: The world will never run out of the need to have ultra-lightweight laptops to satisfy one’s daily requirements of travelling further and longer each day. And especially for one that looks as sleek as the new LG Gram 13Z980-G. While LG doesn’t have a lot of laptops and notebooks under their brand, the laptops from their Gram lineup are actually aimed at the community whose first requirement is for a ‘light’ laptop. All of LG’s notebooks from this series weigh under one kilogram. This 13.3” laptop measures at 15.5 x 306 x 212 mm and weighs only 965 grams. Its light weight gives the LG Gram 13Z980-G a considerable advantage over most of the bulky laptops in the market. It should be on the shortlist for someone who is looking for a laptop that is light and easy to carry around. Even though the LG Gram 13Z980-G may look like it was designed with business users in mind, it is not without its own fancy features. The laptop's keyboard comes with a backlight with two different brightness levels to adapt to the current working environment. This is especially useful for users who may need to work in a darkened room. The laptop also comes with a fingerprint scanner for security and users can use it to start, unlock or wake the laptop from sleep mode.
The LG Gram 13Z980-G is equipped with the latest Intel Core i5-8250U. This 4-core processor has 6 MB of cache and a clock speed of 1.6 GHz, and with Intel’s Turbo Boost technology, the processor can achieve a maximum speed of 3.4 GHz. This eighth-generation i5 will prove to be relatively fast and efficient, though it might run a little slow for more demanding programs. Even though it is expected, especially on thin laptops like the LG Gram 13Z980-G, it is still a little disappointing to see that the laptop doesn’t come with at least a dedicated entry-level graphics card. The LG Gram 13Z980-G comes equipped with an integrated Intel UHD Graphics 620. Users who like to play occasional games will be delighted to know that they can still play some casual indie games with this laptop. As for ports and connectivity, there really isn’t anything new or exciting with the LG Gram 13Z980-G, except for the Miracast wireless connection that it comes with. This will be great for those who prefer to cast their screen to a bigger screen. Other than that, the laptop also comes with three USB 3.0 ports (including one that is Type-C and doubles as a DisplayPort), one HDMI output, one Gigabit Ethernet port, dual-band WiFi and Bluetooth 4.1 combo adapter, and an audio jack. The thinness and the lightness of the LG Gram 13Z980-G are its most significant selling points. Add in the latest eighth-generation i5 CPU and an 8 GB RAM, this laptop is a no-brainer for those who require or prefer ease-of-mobility with their laptop.
Hands-on article by Jagadisa Rajarathnam
Series:
LG introduced its Gram laptop to the world four years ago with the intention to produce notebook as featherweight as possible. With the same noble intention of making it as light as possible, LG has brought forward its 2020 Gram lineup into the market. The extremely light weight of the laptops is due to the fact that the laptops are built with a specially designed, innovative magnesium-alloy frame. Apart from the light weight, this new series has also retained its Gram’s hallmark feature by retaining the svelte form factor. However, this new 2020 series has gone through quite a number of upgrades to cater for the high price tag.
The new Gram series has been introduced with four models which ranges from 14 inches to 17 inches display size along with a 2-in-1 system embedded within it. This opens the possibility for users to choose the best model which caters the individual’s preference and personal interest. As far as the battery capability is concerned, it should be noted that the 14 inches model has retained a similar battery size as the Gram series predecessor which is 72Watt-hour battery. While the 15 inches and 17 inches model cater an 80Watt-hour battery, the 14 inches model is believed to be able to operate at its best with the smaller battery due to its smaller display size. As for the 80 Watt-hour battery, LG claimed that it can provide 17 to 18.5 hours battery life after full charging. However, the real experience with the battery longevity still needs some testing in real-time with real user experience.
Despite the varying battery sizes, all four models of the Gram 2020 laptops have been enhanced with a ‘Mega Cooling’ thermal management system. This is known to be able to improvise the entire user experience and the overall performance of the models. The 17 inches model is incorporated with 16GB of RAM while the other models comes in with 8GB of RAM. The 17 inches model do have some variation due to its bigger display size. Even with the display resolution, the 17 inches sports a 2560 x 1600 display while the other models carry 1920 x 1080 display. This will obviously cater for different viewing quality and user’s viewing pleasure as well. But again, the experience itself is entirely subjective depending on the taste and interest of the individual involved.
In addition to the ones mentioned above, the Gram 2020 lineups also feature Wi-Fi 6 and Thunderbolt 3 port. While some might not consider the inclusion of Thunderbolt 3 a must, those who are gamers at heart would definitely rejoice with this addition in the laptop built. The reason being is that Thunderbolt 3 allows the connection to a more powerful external GPU which is worthwhile when it comes to gaming needs for some users. So, the Gram 2020 series can cater for both personal and professional use as well.
Intel UHD Graphics 620: Integrated GPU (GT2, 24 EUs) found on some Kaby-Lake-Refresh CPU models (15 W ULV series). Technically identical to the previous Kaby-Lake GPU called HD Graphics 620.
Modern games should be playable with these graphics cards at low settings and resolutions. Casual gamers may be happy with these cards.
» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List.
i5-8250U: Kaby-Lake-Refresh based low power quad-core processor. The four cores are clocked between 1.6 and 3.4 GHz (Turbo Boost) and support HyperThreading. The integrated GPU is clocked between 300 and 1,100 MHz. The SoC is manufactured in a 14nm+ FinFET process. » Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.
13.30":
There are hardly any tablets in this display size range anymore. For subnotebooks, on the other hand, it is the standard format.
The advantage of subnotebooks is that the entire laptop can be small and therefore easily portable. The smaller display also has the advantage of requiring less power, which further improves battery life and thus mobility. The disadvantage is that reading texts is more strenuous on the eyes. High resolutions are more likely to be found in standard laptops.
» To find out how fine a display is, see our DPI List.LG:
LG Electronics Inc. is a subsidiary of LG Group. It is a South Korean company and was founded as Goldstar Co, Ltd, in 1958. The group offers products in the fields of information technology, consumer electronics and mobile communications, and home appliances. LG Electronics is the world's third largest home appliance manufacturer. As a notebook manufacturer, LG only became known to a wider audience in the German-speaking market in 2005. After a few years, LG largely withdrew from the laptop sector. The product range includes OLED, LED/LCD and plasma TVs, home theater systems, Blu-ray players as well as audio and video players.
» Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.