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LG Gram 14Z90N Laptop Review: Lightweight at the Cost of Performance

Under 1 kg. Larger than a Dell XPS 13 but at least 200 grams lighter, the 14-inch LG Gram 14Z90N is one of the lightest subnotebooks you can find with a U-class Core i7 CPU. Expect some steep compromises along the way in regards to performance.

Announced late last year, the 2020 LG Gram 14Z90N directly succeeds the 2019 Gram 14Z980 by refreshing the chassis design while updating the processor options. The Gram family prioritizes weight above all else and so it consists of some of the lightest Ultrabooks you can find from the 13.3-inch Gram 13Z980 all the way up to 17.3-inch Gram 17Z990. Thus, you'd be hard-pressed to find another Core U-class 14-inch Ultrabook as light as our Gram 14Z90N.

LG has only a few configurable options for the Gram 14Z90N as all SKUs come with a glossy FHD display and a Core i7-1065G7 Ice Lake-U CPU at the time of writing. RAM and SSD capacities may be different depending on the retailer. The 14-inch system competes directly with other Ultrabooks and subnotebooks like the Lenovo IdeaPad S940, Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 13.5, Asus ZenBook 14, or the smaller Dell XPS 13 and HP Spectre 13.

More LG reviews:

LG Gram 14Z90N (Gram Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-1065G7 4 x 1.3 - 3.9 GHz, Ice Lake-U
Graphics adapter
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), Core: 300 MHz, Memory: 1200 MHz, DDR4, 26.20.100.7463
Memory
8 GB 
, DDR4-1866, 22-22-22-52, Single-Channel
Display
14.00 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 157 PPI, LG Philips LP140WF7-SPG1, IPS, LGD05B1, glossy: yes, 60 Hz
Mainboard
Intel 495 (Ice Lake-U PCH-LP Premium)
Storage
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ, 256 GB 
Soundcard
Intel Ice Lake-U/Y PCH-LP cAVS
Connections
3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 Thunderbolt, 1 HDMI, 1 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm combo, Card Reader: MicroSD reader, 1 Fingerprint Reader, Brightness Sensor
Networking
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201 (a/b/g/h/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/ax = Wi-Fi 6/), Bluetooth 5.1
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 18 x 323 x 211 ( = 0.71 x 12.72 x 8.31 in)
Battery
72 Wh Lithium-Polymer, 4-cell
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: 720p
Primary Camera: 0.9 MPix
Additional features
Speakers: 1.5 W x 2, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, LG Control Cneter, Update Center, Power Manager, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
994 g ( = 35.06 oz / 2.19 pounds), Power Supply: 227 g ( = 8.01 oz / 0.5 pounds)
Price
1600 USD
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Rating
Date
Model
Weight
Height
Size
Resolution
Best Price
85.3 %
05/2020
LG Gram 14Z90N
i7-1065G7, Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU)
994 g18 mm14.00"1920x1080
81.2 %
04/2020
LG Gram 14T90N
i7-10510U, UHD Graphics 620
1.2 kg18 mm14.00"1920x1080
88.9 %
03/2020
Dell XPS 13 9300 Core i7-1065G7
i7-1065G7, Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU)
1.2 kg14.8 mm13.40"1920x1200
85 %
06/2019
Lenovo IdeaPad S940-14IWL
i7-8565U, UHD Graphics 620
1.2 kg12 mm14.00"3840x2160
81.2 %
02/2020
Asus ZenBook 14 UM431DA-AM020T
R7 3700U, Vega 10
1.4 kg16 mm14.00"1920x1080
82 %
03/2020
Lenovo ThinkBook 14-IML-20RV006TGE
i5-10210U, UHD Graphics 620
1.6 kg17.9 mm14.00"1920x1080

Case

The Gram 14Z90N uses similar lightweight metal chassis materials as the outgoing Gram 14Z980 for almost the same look and feel. The matte texture is very different from your typical magnesium-aluminum Ultrabook or carbon fiber ThinkPad as surfaces are slightly roughened on the Gram to hide fingerprints much better than you'd expect.

The biggest change from the Gram 14Z980 is to the hinges as LG has switched over to a bar hinge. One of our complaints about last year's Gram 14Z980 was its weak hinges, but it appears that LG has addressed this directly; the hinges feel stiffer this time around for stronger first impressions especially when the display is opened to wider angles.

Chassis rigidity remains a disadvantage of the Gram series. Since the Gram 14Z90N is so light, it's more susceptible to warping and creaking and this is especially true of the display. This isn't to say that the chassis is weak or poorly built, but it definitely doesn't feel as sound or unyielding as say the Dell XPS 13, HP Spectre 13, Asus ZenBook S13, or the Razer Blade Stealth.

True to its name, the defining feature of the Gram 14Z90N is its weight of just under 1 kg to be several hundred grams lighter than most other Ultrabooks. Even the latest Dell XPS 13 weighs noticeably more despite it offering a smaller 13.3-inch screen. LG has made the system slightly thinner than last year's Gram 14Z980 without changing the footprint of the system.

Similar MIL-STD-810G metal body as last year's model but with some adjustments
Similar MIL-STD-810G metal body as last year's model but with some adjustments
Lid opened to maximum angle (~160 degrees)
Lid opened to maximum angle (~160 degrees)
The hinges have been completely redesigned from the older Gram 14Z980
The hinges have been completely redesigned from the older Gram 14Z980
Hinges are now stiffer and they feel stronger than before
Hinges are now stiffer and they feel stronger than before
Chassis is very lightweight at under 1 kg
Chassis is very lightweight at under 1 kg
Matte surfaces are slightly roughened. Fingerprints are more difficult to see when compared to most other Ultrabooks
Matte surfaces are slightly roughened. Fingerprints are more difficult to see when compared to most other Ultrabooks
325 mm / 12.8 inch 211 mm / 8.31 inch 18 mm / 0.709 inch 1.2 kg2.54 lbs323 mm / 12.7 inch 211 mm / 8.31 inch 18 mm / 0.709 inch 994 g2.19 lbs324 mm / 12.8 inch 212 mm / 8.35 inch 16 mm / 0.63 inch 1.4 kg3.06 lbs322.6 mm / 12.7 inch 210.8 mm / 8.3 inch 15.2 mm / 0.598 inch 994 g2.19 lbs320 mm / 12.6 inch 199 mm / 7.83 inch 12 mm / 0.4724 inch 1.2 kg2.72 lbs296 mm / 11.7 inch 199 mm / 7.83 inch 14.8 mm / 0.583 inch 1.2 kg2.62 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

Port options are nearly identical to the last generation Gram 14Z980 but with some key differences. Firstly, the two USB Type-A ports are now 3.1 instead of 3.0. Secondly, the single USB Type-C port now supports Thunderbolt 3 for a wider variety of compatible monitors and docking stations. And lastly, port positioning has changed slightly. It's great seeing so many options here especially since most other Ultrabooks have been leaning towards USB Type-C with nothing else.

Front: No connectivity
Front: No connectivity
Right: MicroSD reader, 3.5 mm combo audio, USB 3.1 Type-A, Kensington Lock
Right: MicroSD reader, 3.5 mm combo audio, USB 3.1 Type-A, Kensington Lock
Rear: No connectivity
Rear: No connectivity
Left: AC adapter, USB 3.1 Type-A, HDMI, USB Type-C + Thunderbolt 3
Left: AC adapter, USB 3.1 Type-A, HDMI, USB Type-C + Thunderbolt 3

SD Card Reader

LG hasn't touched or upgraded the spring-loaded MicroSD reader at all. Moving 1 GB worth if images from our UHS-II card to desktop still takes about 13 seconds compared to almost half that on the XPS 13 card reader.

Fully inserted MicroSD card protrudes slightly for easier ejecting
Fully inserted MicroSD card protrudes slightly for easier ejecting
SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Dell XPS 13 9300 Core i7-1065G7
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II)
146.3 MB/s +83%
LG Gram 14Z90N
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II)
80 MB/s
LG Gram 14T90N
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II)
73.1 MB/s -9%
LG Gram 14Z980-U.AAW5U1
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB)
72.7 MB/s -9%
Asus ZenBook 14 UM431DA-AM020T
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
26.4 MB/s -67%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Dell XPS 13 9300 Core i7-1065G7
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II)
187.3 MB/s +113%
LG Gram 14Z90N
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II)
88 MB/s
LG Gram 14Z980-U.AAW5U1
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB)
85.9 MB/s -2%
LG Gram 14T90N
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64 GB UHS-II)
81.6 MB/s -7%
Asus ZenBook 14 UM431DA-AM020T
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
37.1 MB/s -58%

Communication

A non-removable Intel AX201 comes standard for Wi-Fi 6 compatibility as opposed to the slower Intel 8265 on the older Gram 14Z980. We experienced no issues when connected to our Netgear RAX200 test router.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401IV
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
1645 (1401min - 1773max) MBit/s +36%
Acer Aspire 5 A514-52
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1563 (1461min - 1779max) MBit/s +29%
LG Gram 14Z90N
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1213 (1070min - 1354max) MBit/s
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650s
906 MBit/s -25%
LG Gram 14Z980-U.AAW5U1
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
505 MBit/s -58%
iperf3 receive AX12
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650s
1460 MBit/s +5%
LG Gram 14Z90N
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1397 (1247min - 1509max) MBit/s
Acer Aspire 5 A514-52
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
1282 (1203min - 1358max) MBit/s -8%
Asus Zephyrus G14 GA401IV
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200
1242 (1133min - 1283max) MBit/s -11%
LG Gram 14Z980-U.AAW5U1
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
655 MBit/s -53%
080160240320400480560640720800880960104011201200128013601440Tooltip
LG Gram 14Z90N; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø1397 (1247-1509)
LG Gram 14Z90N; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø1213 (1070-1354)

Webcam

ColorChecker
6.7 ∆E
6.7 ∆E
11.1 ∆E
8.8 ∆E
14.3 ∆E
7.5 ∆E
5.2 ∆E
11.9 ∆E
11.1 ∆E
9.4 ∆E
6.3 ∆E
5.4 ∆E
10.7 ∆E
5.1 ∆E
10.8 ∆E
7 ∆E
12.5 ∆E
7.7 ∆E
5.8 ∆E
3.3 ∆E
4.3 ∆E
5.1 ∆E
4.2 ∆E
6.9 ∆E
ColorChecker LG Gram 14Z90N: 7.83 ∆E min: 3.34 - max: 14.3 ∆E

Maintenance

Much like on previous Gram systems, the bottom panel of the Gram 14Z90N is difficult to remove even with the proper tools. All screws are hidden underneath covers and the tight rubber footing to make end-user upgrades a pain. According to a disassembly guide here, however, users will have the same upgrade options as on the Gram 14T90N convertible since both systems share similar components. Note that 8 GB of single-channel RAM comes soldered with the ability to support up to 24 GB via an open SODIMM slot.

Users have access to two M.2 bays and a single SODIMM slot (Image source: https://www.mobile01.com/)
Users have access to two M.2 bays and a single SODIMM slot (Image source: https://www.mobile01.com/)

Accessories and Warranty

LG throws in a handy USB to RJ-45 adapter in the retail box. The usual one-year limited manufacturer warranty applies.

Input Devices

Keyboard

LG hasn't changed the keyboard layout or key sizes at all when compared to the Gram 14Z980. Key feedback, however, feels firmer and more satisfying here than on the Gram 14Z90N. Clatter is subsequently louder, but that's a fair trade-off especially since the Gram series caters well to on-the-go typists. All letters and symbols are lit when the white backlight is activated.

The small Arrow keys continue to be one of the worst aspects of the keyboard as they're far too spongy and uncomfortable to use.

Touchpad

The clickpad remains identical in size to the one on its predecessor (10.5 x 7 cm). Unlike most other clickpads, however, the surface here is completely smooth and not roughened at all. The finger tends to stick and jump when gliding at slow to slow-medium speeds as a result.

Meanwhile, the integrated click keys have an audible click when pressed even though feedback is on the soft side. It's a decent clickpad after growing accustomed to its plasticky surface and somewhat spongy key feedback.

Same layout as last year's model. The Power button doubles as a fingerprint reader
Same layout as last year's model. The Power button doubles as a fingerprint reader
Touchpad cursor control tends to stick or jump when gliding a finger at slow speeds
Touchpad cursor control tends to stick or jump when gliding a finger at slow speeds
Firmer key feedback than most other Ultrabooks
Firmer key feedback than most other Ultrabooks
Small Arrow keys are still cramped and spongy
Small Arrow keys are still cramped and spongy

Display

Unlike most other laptop manufacturers who have to source their panels from elsewhere, LG has the advantage of using their own in-house panels. Our Gram 14Z90N uses the same LP140WF7-SPG1 IPS panel as found on last year's Gram 14Z980 and so both models share very similar display characteristics including contrast ratio, response times, gamut, and brightness. This time, however, the panel appears to be better calibrated out of the box than before as shown by the table below.

All SKUs come with glossy displays for sharper texts and images. Though "only" 1080p, the screen could almost pass as a 4K display because of how sharp onscreen content looks.

Glossy panel with no matte or 4K UHD options
Glossy panel with no matte or 4K UHD options
Unlike most other Ultrabooks, the LG uses no Gorilla Glass in order to keep weight down. Thus, the lid is not very rigid
Unlike most other Ultrabooks, the LG uses no Gorilla Glass in order to keep weight down. Thus, the lid is not very rigid
Slight backlight bleeding along the bottom edge and top corners
Slight backlight bleeding along the bottom edge and top corners
Crisp subpixel array for sharp images
Crisp subpixel array for sharp images
301.4
cd/m²
301.7
cd/m²
305
cd/m²
299.4
cd/m²
316.8
cd/m²
296.8
cd/m²
281.2
cd/m²
299
cd/m²
281.2
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
LG Philips LP140WF7-SPG1 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 316.8 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 298.1 cd/m² Minimum: 22.56 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 89 %
Center on Battery: 316.8 cd/m²
Contrast: 960:1 (Black: 0.33 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 1.74 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 1.37
ΔE Greyscale 2.7 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
95.4% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
61.3% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
66.1% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
95.5% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
65% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.23
LG Gram 14Z90N
LG Philips LP140WF7-SPG1, IPS, 14.00, 1920x1080
LG Gram 14T90N
LG Philips LP140WFA-SPY1, IPS, 14.00, 1920x1080
LG Gram 14Z980-U.AAW5U1
LG Philips LP140WF7-SPG1, IPS, 14.00, 1920x1080
Dell XPS 13 9300 Core i7-1065G7
Sharp LQ134N1, IPS, 13.40, 1920x1200
Lenovo IdeaPad S940-14IWL
B140ZAN01.3, IPS, 14.00, 3840x2160
Asus ZenBook 14 UM431DA-AM020T
CEC PA LM140LF-3L03, IPS, 14.00, 1920x1080
Display
0%
-0%
3%
21%
1%
Display P3 Coverage
65
65
0%
64.7
0%
66.3
2%
87.5
35%
66.7
3%
sRGB Coverage
95.5
95.7
0%
94.3
-1%
97.3
2%
99.7
4%
92.3
-3%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
66.1
66.7
1%
66
0%
68.5
4%
81.1
23%
67.5
2%
Response Times
-24%
3%
-20%
-27%
11%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
40.4 ?(20.8, 19.6)
54 ?(28.8, 25.2)
-34%
36.8 ?(19.6, 17.2)
9%
50 ?(22, 28)
-24%
57.2 ?(30, 27.2)
-42%
36 ?(19, 17)
11%
Response Time Black / White *
28.8 ?(18, 10.8)
32.8 ?(19.6, 13.2)
-14%
30 ?(18.4, 11.6)
-4%
33.2 ?(16, 17.2)
-15%
32 ?(17.2, 14.8)
-11%
26 ?(15, 11)
10%
PWM Frequency
2500 ?(25)
44 ?(20)
Screen
-10%
-26%
2%
-26%
-72%
Brightness middle
316.8
322.2
2%
333.8
5%
607.6
92%
594.5
88%
253
-20%
Brightness
298
301
1%
307
3%
595
100%
536
80%
245
-18%
Brightness Distribution
89
86
-3%
83
-7%
96
8%
83
-7%
78
-12%
Black Level *
0.33
0.25
24%
0.4
-21%
0.4
-21%
0.43
-30%
0.225
32%
Contrast
960
1289
34%
835
-13%
1519
58%
1383
44%
1124
17%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
1.74
3.62
-108%
3.54
-103%
3.23
-86%
4.87
-180%
8.89
-411%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
5.41
6.9
-28%
5.8
-7%
8.67
-60%
7.9
-46%
4.56
16%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
1.37
1.22
11%
2.36
-72%
1.01
26%
2.83
-107%
4.9
-258%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
2.7
3.9
-44%
4.7
-74%
5.5
-104%
6.7
-148%
6.33
-134%
Gamma
2.23 99%
2.43 91%
2.14 103%
2.12 104%
2.091 105%
2.52 87%
CCT
6655 98%
6344 102%
6261 104%
6413 101%
6891 94%
6745 96%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
61.3
61.3
0%
61.2
0%
63
3%
72
17%
60
-2%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
95.4
95.6
0%
94.7
-1%
97.5
2%
100
5%
91
-5%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-11% / -10%
-8% / -18%
-5% / -1%
-11% / -17%
-20% / -48%

* ... smaller is better

Color space is the same as last year's model at approximately 95 percent and 61 percent of sRGB and AdobeRGB, respectively, which is comparable to most high-end subnotebooks currently available. In fact, no Gram laptop we've tested thus far offer anything greater. Users will have to look at 15.6-inch laptops from other OEMs like the Asus ZenBook Pro 15 or Dell XPS 15 for wider coverage of AdobeRGB.

vs. sRGB
vs. sRGB
vs. AdobeRGB
vs. AdobeRGB

Gram laptops are generally well calibrated and the Gram 14Z90N is no exception. Measurements with our X-Rite colorimeter show excellent grayscale and colors with average DeltaE values of just 2.7 and 1.74, respectively. Calibrating the panel even further ourselves would improve both just marginally. If we are to nitpick, the color blue appears to be less accurate than the other tested colors.

Grayscale before calibration
Grayscale before calibration
Saturation Sweeps before calibration
Saturation Sweeps before calibration
ColorChecker before calibration
ColorChecker before calibration
Grayscale after calibration
Grayscale after calibration
Saturation Sweeps after calibration
Saturation Sweeps after calibration
ColorChecker after calibration
ColorChecker after calibration

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
28.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 18 ms rise
↘ 10.8 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. » 72 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
40.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 20.8 ms rise
↘ 19.6 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. » 58 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
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 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

Display brightness hasn't changed from the last generation model which is a shame because the panel is almost half as bright as some subnotebooks like the MacBook Pro 13, XPS 13, or the Lenovo IdeaPad S940. The mandatory glossy display further exacerbates the need for a brighter backlight to improve outdoor visibility and reduce glare. Viewing angles are otherwise excellent with only minimal shifts in colors and contrast.

Outdoors on a bright overcast day
Outdoors on a bright overcast day
Outdoors under shade
Outdoors under shade
Outdoors on a bright overcast day
Outdoors on a bright overcast day
Wide IPS viewing angles
Wide IPS viewing angles

Performance

Much like every other Gram laptop thus far, the Gram 14 comes with an Intel U-class CPU and no dedicated GeForce option in order to keep weight as low as possible. It would have been nice to see AMD Ryzen U options especially since these LG laptops are very pricey to begin with.

 

Processor

CPU performance is disappointing at approximately 18 to 31 percent slower than the average Core i7-1065G7 in our database. In fact, results are so disappointing that even the much older 8th gen Core i5-8250U is able to offer comparable CPU performance to our 10th gen Core i7 part. The weak performance is explored further in our Stress Test section below.

Running CineBench R15 Multi-Thread in a loop shows a performance drop of about 10 percent overtime from an already low initial score of 495 points.

See our dedicated page on the Core i7-1065G7 for more technical information and benchmark comparisons.

CineBench R15
CineBench R15
CineBench R20
CineBench R20
04590135180225270315360405450495540585630675720765810Tooltip
LG Gram 14Z90N Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø453 (446.17-494.8)
LG Gram 14T90N UHD Graphics 620, i7-10510U, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø462 (454.02-529.49)
LG Gram 14Z980-U.AAW5U1 UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK Hynix SC313 HFS256G39TNF; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø480 (467.78-544.81)
Dell XPS 13 9300 Core i7-1065G7 Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Intel SSDPEMKF512G8 NVMe SSD; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø636 (559.86-812.55)
Asus ZenBook 14 UM431DA-AM020T Vega 10, R7 3700U, SK hynix BC501 HFM512GDHTNG-8310A; CPU Multi 64Bit: Ø512 (499.03-642.87)
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 -mmt1 | 7z b 4
Geekbench 5.5: Single-Core | Multi-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
Cinebench R20 / CPU (Multi Core)
Dell XPS 13 9300 Core i7-1065G7
Intel Core i7-1065G7
1883 Points +74%
Asus ZenBook 15 UX534FT-DB77
Intel Core i7-8565U
1645 Points +52%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Core i5-1035G1
1533 Points +42%
Average Intel Core i7-1065G7
  (1081 - 2024, n=31)
1510 Points +40%
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
1507 Points +39%
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
1507 Points +39%
Lenovo IdeaPad S540-14API
AMD Ryzen 7 3700U
1506 Points +39%
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
Intel Core i5-8265U
1350 Points +25%
MSI Modern 14 A10RB
Intel Core i7-10710U
1181 Points +9%
Dell Latitude 13 3390
Intel Core i5-8250U
1117 Points +3%
LG Gram 14T90N
Intel Core i7-10510U
1097 Points +1%
LG Gram 14Z90N
Intel Core i7-1065G7
1081 Points
Cinebench R20 / CPU (Single Core)
Dell XPS 13 9300 Core i7-1065G7
Intel Core i7-1065G7
458 Points +28%
Asus ZenBook 15 UX534FT-DB77
Intel Core i7-8565U
444 Points +24%
Average Intel Core i7-1065G7
  (358 - 474, n=31)
438 Points +22%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Core i5-1035G1
425 Points +19%
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
Intel Core i5-8265U
399 Points +11%
LG Gram 14T90N
Intel Core i7-10510U
380 Points +6%
Lenovo IdeaPad S540-14API
AMD Ryzen 7 3700U
366 Points +2%
LG Gram 14Z90N
Intel Core i7-1065G7
358 Points
Dell Latitude 13 3390
Intel Core i5-8250U
351 Points -2%
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
322 Points -10%
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
322 Points -10%
Cinebench R15 / CPU Multi 64Bit
Dell XPS 13 9300 Core i7-1065G7
Intel Core i7-1065G7
750 Points +52%
Asus ZenBook 15 UX534FT-DB77
Intel Core i7-8565U
683 Points +38%
Lenovo IdeaPad S540-14API
AMD Ryzen 7 3700U
675 (643.4min - 674.64max) Points +36%
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
674 (644.06min - 673.71max) Points +36%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Core i5-1035G1
667 Points +35%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Core i5-1035G1
659 Points +33%
Average Intel Core i7-1065G7
  (288 - 836, n=36)
648 Points +31%
Asus ZenBook 14 UM431DA-AM020T
AMD Ryzen 7 3700U
642 Points +30%
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
Intel Core i5-8265U
622 Points +26%
Dell Latitude 13 3390
Intel Core i5-8250U
564 Points +14%
LG Gram 14T90N
Intel Core i7-10510U
530 (445.08min - 507.45max) Points +7%
MSI Modern 14 A10RB
Intel Core i7-10710U
513 (528.77min - 559.75max) Points +4%
LG Gram 14Z90N
Intel Core i7-1065G7
495 (446.17min - 494.8max) Points
Cinebench R15 / CPU Single 64Bit
Asus ZenBook 15 UX534FT-DB77
Intel Core i7-8565U
181 Points +9%
Dell XPS 13 9300 Core i7-1065G7
Intel Core i7-1065G7
180 Points +8%
Average Intel Core i7-1065G7
  (141 - 190, n=35)
174.2 Points +5%
MSI Modern 14 A10RB
Intel Core i7-10710U
170 Points +2%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Core i5-1035G1
166 Points 0%
LG Gram 14Z90N
Intel Core i7-1065G7
166 Points
LG Gram 14T90N
Intel Core i7-10510U
162 Points -2%
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
Intel Core i5-8265U
152 Points -8%
Lenovo IdeaPad S540-14API
AMD Ryzen 7 3700U
146 Points -12%
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
144 Points -13%
Dell Latitude 13 3390
Intel Core i5-8250U
143 Points -14%
Asus ZenBook 14 UM431DA-AM020T
AMD Ryzen 7 3700U
133 Points -20%
Blender / v2.79 BMW27 CPU
LG Gram 14Z90N
Intel Core i7-1065G7
1023 Seconds *
LG Gram 14T90N
Intel Core i7-10510U
990 Seconds * +3%
Dell Latitude 13 3390
Intel Core i5-8250U
942 Seconds * +8%
MSI Modern 14 A10RB
Intel Core i7-10710U
892 Seconds * +13%
Average Intel Core i7-1065G7
  (675 - 1650, n=23)
882 Seconds * +14%
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
Intel Core i5-8265U
815 Seconds * +20%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Core i5-1035G1
766 Seconds * +25%
Lenovo IdeaPad S540-14API
AMD Ryzen 7 3700U
703 Seconds * +31%
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
694 Seconds * +32%
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
694 Seconds * +32%
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 -mmt1
MSI Modern 14 A10RB
Intel Core i7-10710U
4608 MIPS +11%
LG Gram 14T90N
Intel Core i7-10510U
4530 MIPS +9%
Average Intel Core i7-1065G7
  (3289 - 4589, n=24)
4284 MIPS +3%
LG Gram 14Z90N
Intel Core i7-1065G7
4166 MIPS
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Core i5-1035G1
4087 MIPS -2%
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
Intel Core i5-8265U
4029 MIPS -3%
Dell Latitude 13 3390
Intel Core i5-8250U
3726 MIPS -11%
Lenovo IdeaPad S540-14API
AMD Ryzen 7 3700U
3638 MIPS -13%
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
3553 MIPS -15%
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
3553 MIPS -15%
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Core i5-1035G1
18535 MIPS +38%
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
Intel Core i5-8265U
17467 MIPS +30%
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
17035 MIPS +27%
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
17035 MIPS +27%
Average Intel Core i7-1065G7
  (10406 - 22898, n=24)
17024 MIPS +27%
Lenovo IdeaPad S540-14API
AMD Ryzen 7 3700U
16931 MIPS +26%
MSI Modern 14 A10RB
Intel Core i7-10710U
16713 MIPS +24%
LG Gram 14T90N
Intel Core i7-10510U
15128 MIPS +13%
Dell Latitude 13 3390
Intel Core i5-8250U
15003 MIPS +12%
LG Gram 14Z90N
Intel Core i7-1065G7
13432 MIPS
Geekbench 5.5 / Single-Core
Average Intel Core i7-1065G7
  (948 - 1348, n=18)
1274 Points +34%
LG Gram 14T90N
Intel Core i7-10510U
1253 Points +32%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Core i5-1035G1
1229 Points +30%
LG Gram 14Z90N
Intel Core i7-1065G7
948 Points
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
902 Points -5%
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
902 Points -5%
Geekbench 5.5 / Multi-Core
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Core i5-1035G1
4372 Points +77%
Average Intel Core i7-1065G7
  (2464 - 4855, n=18)
4215 Points +71%
LG Gram 14T90N
Intel Core i7-10510U
3628 Points +47%
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
3234 Points +31%
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
3234 Points +31%
LG Gram 14Z90N
Intel Core i7-1065G7
2464 Points
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 / 4k Preset
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
Intel Core i5-8265U
4.6 fps +25%
Average Intel Core i7-1065G7
  (2.2 - 6.38, n=22)
4.58 fps +25%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Core i5-1035G1
4.27 fps +16%
MSI Modern 14 A10RB
Intel Core i7-10710U
4.2 fps +14%
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
4.04 fps +10%
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
4.04 fps +10%
Lenovo IdeaPad S540-14API
AMD Ryzen 7 3700U
3.9 fps +6%
Dell Latitude 13 3390
Intel Core i5-8250U
3.89 fps +6%
LG Gram 14T90N
Intel Core i7-10510U
3.8 fps +4%
LG Gram 14Z90N
Intel Core i7-1065G7
3.67 fps
LibreOffice / 20 Documents To PDF
LG Gram 14Z90N
Intel Core i7-1065G7
61.5 s *
LG Gram 14T90N
Intel Core i7-10510U
61 s * +1%
Average Intel Core i7-1065G7
  (46.9 - 85.3, n=19)
60.3 s * +2%
R Benchmark 2.5 / Overall mean
LG Gram 14Z90N
Intel Core i7-1065G7
0.761 sec *
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
0.734 sec * +4%
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
0.734 sec * +4%
Dell XPS 13 9300 i5 FHD
Intel Core i5-1035G1
0.722 sec * +5%
Average Intel Core i7-1065G7
  (0.661 - 0.798, n=18)
0.708 sec * +7%
LG Gram 14T90N
Intel Core i7-10510U
0.689 sec * +9%

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
495 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
42.8 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
97.8 %
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
166 Points
Help

System Performance

PCMark 10 scores are consistently below the average Core i7-1065G7 laptop in our database by a few percentage points likely due to the system's combination of slow processor performance and single-channel RAM. Results are still ever-so-slight better than the LG Gram 14T90N with the Comet Lake-U CPU since the Iris Plus G7 GPU is much faster than the UHD Graphics 620.

PCMark 10
PCMark 10
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 10
Score
Average Intel Core i7-1065G7, Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU)
  (3878 - 4679, n=20)
4356 Points +3%
LG Gram 14Z90N
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
4231 Points
LG Gram 14T90N
UHD Graphics 620, i7-10510U, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ
4167 Points -2%
Dell XPS 13 9300 Core i7-1065G7
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Intel SSDPEMKF512G8 NVMe SSD
4154 Points -2%
Lenovo IdeaPad S940-14IWL
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8565U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
3870 Points -9%
Asus ZenBook 14 UM431DA-AM020T
Vega 10, R7 3700U, SK hynix BC501 HFM512GDHTNG-8310A
3851 Points -9%
LG Gram 14Z980-U.AAW5U1
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK Hynix SC313 HFS256G39TNF
3463 Points -18%
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
3445 Points -19%
Essentials
LG Gram 14T90N
UHD Graphics 620, i7-10510U, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ
9253 Points +4%
Average Intel Core i7-1065G7, Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU)
  (8302 - 9902, n=20)
9123 Points +3%
LG Gram 14Z90N
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
8866 Points
Dell XPS 13 9300 Core i7-1065G7
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Intel SSDPEMKF512G8 NVMe SSD
8763 Points -1%
Lenovo IdeaPad S940-14IWL
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8565U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
8390 Points -5%
Asus ZenBook 14 UM431DA-AM020T
Vega 10, R7 3700U, SK hynix BC501 HFM512GDHTNG-8310A
7685 Points -13%
LG Gram 14Z980-U.AAW5U1
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK Hynix SC313 HFS256G39TNF
7132 Points -20%
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
7083 Points -20%
Productivity
LG Gram 14T90N
UHD Graphics 620, i7-10510U, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ
7280 Points +3%
LG Gram 14Z90N
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
7057 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad S940-14IWL
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8565U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
6674 Points -5%
Average Intel Core i7-1065G7, Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU)
  (5462 - 7379, n=20)
6555 Points -7%
Asus ZenBook 14 UM431DA-AM020T
Vega 10, R7 3700U, SK hynix BC501 HFM512GDHTNG-8310A
5823 Points -17%
Dell XPS 13 9300 Core i7-1065G7
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Intel SSDPEMKF512G8 NVMe SSD
5759 Points -18%
LG Gram 14Z980-U.AAW5U1
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK Hynix SC313 HFS256G39TNF
5749 Points -19%
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
5727 Points -19%
Digital Content Creation
Dell XPS 13 9300 Core i7-1065G7
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Intel SSDPEMKF512G8 NVMe SSD
3856 Points +17%
Average Intel Core i7-1065G7, Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU)
  (3260 - 4424, n=20)
3773 Points +15%
Asus ZenBook 14 UM431DA-AM020T
Vega 10, R7 3700U, SK hynix BC501 HFM512GDHTNG-8310A
3466 Points +6%
LG Gram 14Z90N
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
3285 Points
LG Gram 14T90N
UHD Graphics 620, i7-10510U, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ
2916 Points -11%
Lenovo IdeaPad S940-14IWL
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8565U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
2810 Points -14%
LG Gram 14Z980-U.AAW5U1
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK Hynix SC313 HFS256G39TNF
2751 Points -16%
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
2735 Points -17%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Dell XPS 13 9300 Core i7-1065G7
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Intel SSDPEMKF512G8 NVMe SSD
3825 Points +12%
Average Intel Core i7-1065G7, Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU)
  (3305 - 4275, n=17)
3734 Points +10%
LG Gram 14T90N
UHD Graphics 620, i7-10510U, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ
3646 Points +7%
Asus ZenBook 14 UM431DA-AM020T
Vega 10, R7 3700U, SK hynix BC501 HFM512GDHTNG-8310A
3604 Points +6%
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
3478 Points +2%
LG Gram 14Z90N
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
3402 Points
LG Gram 14Z980-U.AAW5U1
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK Hynix SC313 HFS256G39TNF
3218 Points -5%
Lenovo IdeaPad S940-14IWL
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8565U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
3147 Points -7%
Work Score Accelerated v2
LG Gram 14T90N
UHD Graphics 620, i7-10510U, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ
5153 Points 0%
LG Gram 14Z90N
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
5141 Points
Dell XPS 13 9300 Core i7-1065G7
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Intel SSDPEMKF512G8 NVMe SSD
5039 Points -2%
Asus ZenBook 14 UM431DA-AM020T
Vega 10, R7 3700U, SK hynix BC501 HFM512GDHTNG-8310A
4842 Points -6%
LG Gram 14Z980-U.AAW5U1
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK Hynix SC313 HFS256G39TNF
4520 Points -12%
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
4339 Points -16%
Average Intel Core i7-1065G7, Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU)
  (2460 - 5291, n=17)
4309 Points -16%
Lenovo IdeaPad S940-14IWL
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8565U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
4209 Points -18%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3402 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
5141 points
PCMark 10 Score
4231 points
Help

DPC Latency

LatencyMon shows DPC latency issues when opening five browser tabs on Notebookcheck.net. 4K UHD playback on our YouTube test video is otherwise smooth with no dropped frames.

DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95
LG Gram 14Z90N
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
2562 μs *

* ... smaller is better

Storage Devices

Our system comes equipped with a 256 GB Samsung PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ NVMe SSD with the option to install a second M.2 drive. Unfortunately, we cannot confirm if the second slot supports NVMe or if it's SATA only. Higher capacities are available from LG up to 512 GB.

Running DiskSpd Read in a loop 50 times shows increasing performance over time likely due to automatic caching. Thus, users won't need to worry about reaching any thermal limitations of the SSD in real-world day-to-day loads.

More SSD and HDD benchmarks can be found on our table here.

CDM 5.5
CDM 5.5
AS SSD
AS SSD
LG Gram 14Z90N
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
LG Gram 14T90N
Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ
LG Gram 14Z980-U.AAW5U1
SK Hynix SC313 HFS256G39TNF
Dell XPS 13 9300 Core i7-1065G7
Intel SSDPEMKF512G8 NVMe SSD
Lenovo IdeaPad S940-14IWL
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
AS SSD
20%
-56%
-25%
19%
Seq Read
1744
1829
5%
476.1
-73%
1956
12%
2625
51%
Seq Write
1450
2048
41%
487.4
-66%
1227
-15%
1360
-6%
4K Read
57.4
54.2
-6%
30.57
-47%
63
10%
47.71
-17%
4K Write
140.9
120.5
-14%
66.1
-53%
156.6
11%
115.5
-18%
4K-64 Read
907
1512
67%
352.9
-61%
475.6
-48%
1492
64%
4K-64 Write
1372
1573
15%
263.1
-81%
539
-61%
1154
-16%
Access Time Read *
0.059
0.046
22%
0.092
-56%
0.042
29%
0.045
24%
Access Time Write *
0.081
0.091
-12%
0.055
32%
0.105
-30%
0.032
60%
Score Read
1138
1749
54%
431
-62%
734
-36%
1802
58%
Score Write
1658
1899
15%
378
-77%
818
-51%
1406
-15%
Score Total
3380
4560
35%
1040
-69%
1915
-43%
4069
20%
Copy ISO MB/s
1520
1891
24%
514
-66%
1022
-33%
Copy Program MB/s
539
569
6%
259.3
-52%
302.8
-44%
Copy Game MB/s
1070
1425
33%
521
-51%
491.4
-54%
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
11%
-67%
0%
-8%
Write 4K
183.6
181.4
-1%
74.7
-59%
186.8
2%
105.3
-43%
Read 4K
48.51
52.5
8%
14.89
-69%
71.4
47%
40.9
-16%
Write Seq
1520
1592
5%
502
-67%
1203
-21%
1914
26%
Read Seq
1914
1617
-16%
498.6
-74%
2600
36%
2224
16%
Write 4K Q32T1
529
556
5%
214.3
-59%
514
-3%
419.3
-21%
Read 4K Q32T1
560
539
-4%
225.5
-60%
570
2%
288.1
-49%
Write Seq Q32T1
1540
2955
92%
505
-67%
786
-49%
1954
27%
Read Seq Q32T1
3408
3270
-4%
560
-84%
2947
-14%
3382
-1%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
16% / 17%
-62% / -60%
-13% / -16%
6% / 8%

* ... smaller is better

Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 3408 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 1540 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 560 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 529 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 1914 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 1520 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 48.51 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 183.6 MB/s

Disk Throttling: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8

No graph data

GPU Performance

Much like the disappointing CPU performance, the integrated Iris Plus G7 GPU also performs well below average. 3DMark scores are approximately 28 to 50 percent slower than the average Iris Plus G7 in our database. Even so, raw performance is still much better than the generations old UHD Graphics 620 as found on all other LG Gram laptops thus far. 3D gaming isn't recommended unless if you are satisfied with the lowest settings and resolutions possible.

See our dedicated page on the Iris Plus G7 for more technical information and benchmark comparisons.

3DMark 11
3DMark 11
Cloud Gate
Cloud Gate
Time Spy
Time Spy
Fire Strike
Fire Strike
3DMark
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Dell XPS 13 9300 Core i7-1065G7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7
824 Points +55%
HP 14-dk0008ng
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 3700U
779 Points +46%
Average Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU)
  (526 - 851, n=23)
744 Points +40%
LG Gram 14Z90N
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7
533 Points
LG Gram 14T90N
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-10510U
375 Points -30%
Lenovo ThinkBook 14-IML-20RV006TGE
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U
348 Points -35%
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 3500U
18850 Points +168%
HP 14-dk0008ng
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 3700U
18378 Points +161%
Dell XPS 13 9300 Core i7-1065G7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7
17803 Points +153%
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8250U
16553 Points +135%
Asus ZenBook 14 UM431DA-AM020T
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 3700U
16048 Points +128%
Average Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU)
  (7024 - 18881, n=24)
15496 Points +120%
LG Gram 14Z980-U.AAW5U1
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U
9643 Points +37%
Lenovo IdeaPad S940-14IWL
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-8565U
9347 Points +33%
Lenovo ThinkBook 14-IML-20RV006TGE
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U
7963 Points +13%
LG Gram 14T90N
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-10510U
7067 Points 0%
LG Gram 14Z90N
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7
7045 Points
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Dell XPS 13 9300 Core i7-1065G7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7
2950 Points +98%
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8250U
2740 Points +84%
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 3500U
2598 Points +75%
Average Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU)
  (1418 - 3156, n=27)
2594 Points +74%
HP 14-dk0008ng
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 3700U
2581 Points +74%
Asus ZenBook 14 UM431DA-AM020T
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 3700U
2272 Points +53%
LG Gram 14Z90N
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7
1487 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad S940-14IWL
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-8565U
1245 Points -16%
LG Gram 14Z980-U.AAW5U1
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U
1194 Points -20%
LG Gram 14T90N
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-10510U
1155 Points -22%
Lenovo ThinkBook 14-IML-20RV006TGE
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U
968 Points -35%
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance GPU
Dell XPS 13 9300 Core i7-1065G7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7
4508 Points +43%
HP 14-dk0008ng
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 3700U
4056 Points +29%
Average Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU)
  (2112 - 4630, n=28)
3996 Points +27%
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 3500U
3908 Points +24%
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8250U
3483 Points +11%
Asus ZenBook 14 UM431DA-AM020T
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 3700U
3389 Points +8%
LG Gram 14Z90N
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7
3150 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad S940-14IWL
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-8565U
1787 Points -43%
LG Gram 14Z980-U.AAW5U1
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U
1757 Points -44%
LG Gram 14T90N
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-10510U
1738 Points -45%
Lenovo ThinkBook 14-IML-20RV006TGE
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U
1680 Points -47%
1280x720 Performance Combined
Dell XPS 13 9300 Core i7-1065G7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7
4086 Points +160%
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8250U
3538 Points +125%
Average Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU)
  (1319 - 4163, n=28)
3189 Points +103%
Huawei MateBook D 14-53010TVS
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 3500U
2801 Points +78%
HP 14-dk0008ng
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 3700U
2698 Points +72%
Asus ZenBook 14 UM431DA-AM020T
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 3700U
2447 Points +56%
Lenovo IdeaPad S940-14IWL
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-8565U
1679 Points +7%
LG Gram 14T90N
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i7-10510U
1579 Points +1%
LG Gram 14Z90N
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7
1571 Points
LG Gram 14Z980-U.AAW5U1
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U
1548 Points -1%
Lenovo ThinkBook 14-IML-20RV006TGE
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-10210U
1175 Points -25%
3DMark 11 Performance
3050 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
6971 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
1363 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
602 points
Help
051015202530Tooltip
LG Gram 14Z90N Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ: Ø31.1 (14-34)
low med. high ultra
The Witcher 3 (2015) 32.5
Dota 2 Reborn (2015) 56.3 32.6 19 17.7
X-Plane 11.11 (2018) 22.8 11.7 11.9

Emissions

System Noise

At just 29.5 dB(A) maximum against a silent background of 28.6 dB(A), the Gram 14Z90N is one of the quietest laptops we've tested with a U-class Core i7 CPU. The system is essentially inaudible in typical office or home environments unless if you place an ear on the keyboard keys. Fan noise would not go up any higher even when running Prime95 to stress the CPU at the highest power profile setting. In comparison, Asus ZenBook 14 with the Ryzen 7 3700U would reach 39 dB(A) when stressed. The very low fan noise of the LG is likely tied to the below-average processor performance noted above.

Our system exhibits no electronic noise or coil whine.

LG Gram 14Z90N
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
LG Gram 14T90N
UHD Graphics 620, i7-10510U, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ
LG Gram 14Z980-U.AAW5U1
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SK Hynix SC313 HFS256G39TNF
Dell XPS 13 9300 Core i7-1065G7
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i7-1065G7, Intel SSDPEMKF512G8 NVMe SSD
Lenovo IdeaPad S940-14IWL
UHD Graphics 620, i7-8565U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
Asus ZenBook 14 UM431DA-AM020T
Vega 10, R7 3700U, SK hynix BC501 HFM512GDHTNG-8310A
Noise
-10%
-5%
-6%
-6%
-9%
off / environment *
28.6
29
-1%
28.2
1%
28.3
1%
28.3
1%
29.8
-4%
Idle Minimum *
28.6
30
-5%
28.4
1%
28.3
1%
28.3
1%
28
2%
Idle Average *
29.2
30
-3%
28.4
3%
28.3
3%
28.3
3%
28
4%
Idle Maximum *
29.2
30
-3%
28.4
3%
28.3
3%
31.3
-7%
28
4%
Load Average *
29.2
35.2
-21%
35.7
-22%
32.5
-11%
34.3
-17%
36.8
-26%
Load Maximum *
29.5
37
-25%
34.2
-16%
39.3
-33%
34.3
-16%
39
-32%
Witcher 3 ultra *
39.3

* ... smaller is better

Noise Level

Idle
28.6 / 29.2 / 29.2 dB(A)
Load
29.2 / 29.5 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   BK Precision 732A (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 28.6 dB(A)

Temperature

Surface temperatures are flat on both sides of the laptop when idling. When under extreme processing loads, hot spots can become as warm as 40 C which is still cooler than on most other subnotebooks like the Huawei MateBook D 14 or Lenovo IdeaPad S940 where surfaces can reach up to 45 C when under similar conditions. The palm rests, clickpad, and most of the keyboard remain relatively cool for comfortable use no matter the onscreen load.

Rear exhaust
Rear exhaust
AC adapter after running Prime95 and FurMark for over an hour
AC adapter after running Prime95 and FurMark for over an hour
Max. Load
 32.2 °C
90 F
41 °C
106 F
34.6 °C
94 F
 
 37 °C
99 F
38.6 °C
101 F
29 °C
84 F
 
 27.2 °C
81 F
26.8 °C
80 F
26.4 °C
80 F
 
Maximum: 41 °C = 106 F
Average: 32.5 °C = 91 F
35 °C
95 F
40.2 °C
104 F
31.8 °C
89 F
29 °C
84 F
30.2 °C
86 F
30.2 °C
86 F
27.2 °C
81 F
28.6 °C
83 F
29 °C
84 F
Maximum: 40.2 °C = 104 F
Average: 31.2 °C = 88 F
Power Supply (max.)  40.2 °C = 104 F | Room Temperature 22.6 °C = 73 F | Fluke 62 Mini IR Thermometer
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 32.5 °C / 91 F, compared to the average of 30.7 °C / 87 F for the devices in the class Subnotebook.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 41 °C / 106 F, compared to the average of 35.9 °C / 97 F, ranging from 21.4 to 59 °C for the class Subnotebook.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 40.2 °C / 104 F, compared to the average of 39.4 °C / 103 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 27.4 °C / 81 F, compared to the device average of 30.7 °C / 87 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 27.8 °C / 82 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.3 °C / 82.9 F (+0.5 °C / 0.9 F).
System idle (top)
System idle (top)
System idle (bottom)
System idle (bottom)
Prime95+FurMark stress (top)
Prime95+FurMark stress (top)
Prime95+FurMark stress (bottom)
Prime95+FurMark stress (bottom)

Stress Test

We stress the laptop with synthetic loads to identify for any potential throttling or stability issues. When running Prime95, the CPU would boost up to 3.5 GHz for just the first couple of seconds before hitting a core temperature of 90 C. Clock rates would then quickly fall and stabilize at 2 GHz for the next two minutes. Eventually, however, both clock rates and temperature would cycle between 1.6 GHz to 2.0 GHz and 78 C to 82 C, respectively. When considering that the base clock rate of the Core i7-1065G7 is 1.3 GHz, the Gram 14 is only able to sustain a Turbo Boost of +300 to +700 MHz. In comparison, the same CPU in the XPS 13 9300 would cycle between a much higher range of 1.8 GHz to 3.3 GHz for significantly faster processor performance on average.

Running on battery power will limit performance even when set to the High Performance power profile. A 3DMark 11 test on batteries would return Physics and Graphics scores of 4672 and 2675 points, respectively, compared to 5744 and 3150 points when on mains.

System idle
System idle
Prime95+FurMark stress
Prime95+FurMark stress
Prime95 stress
Prime95 stress
Prime95 stress (after 10 minutes)
Prime95 stress (after 10 minutes)
CPU Clock (GHz) GPU Clock (MHz) Average CPU Temperature (°C)
System Idle -- -- 42
Prime95 Stress 1.6 - 2.0 -- 78 - 82
Prime95 + FurMark Stress 1.6 - 2.0 430 - 450 78 - 82

Speakers

Pink noise at maximum volume
Pink noise at maximum volume

The dual 1.5 W speakers are better than expected for such a lightweight system. Not only are they loud, but bass reproduction is also decent for the category. Higher volume settings will vibrate the palm rests just slightly but there will otherwise be no static or heavy imbalances.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2037.53537.52534.934.234.9313332.3334032.632.632.65032.431.832.46338.331.338.38030.629.830.61003129.63112539.328.939.316049.627.849.620055.126.555.125060.425.860.431562.625.762.640067.224.367.250071.623.771.663074.22374.280074.823.274.8100076.122.676.1125073.722.273.7160074.922.374.9200071.522.271.5250068.622.268.6315064.822.664.8400066.822.666.850006922.869630070.923.170.9800067.423.467.41000069.823.469.81250069.823.569.81600074.923.574.9SPL83.83583.8N60.22.460.2median 69median 23.4median 69Delta5.61.45.635.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseLG Gram 14Z90NApple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
LG Gram 14Z90N audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83.8 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 19.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.5% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 1.6% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (5.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (16.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 37% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 55% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 25% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 68% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 11.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (14.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (10.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 5% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 93% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 3% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 96% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Energy Management

Power Consumption

Power consumption is generally lower than other subnotebooks with the same Ice Lake CPU which is in line with the slower-than-average performance recorded above. When running the first benchmark scene of 3DMark 06, for example, consumption is only about 30 W compared to 33 W to 34 W on the Dell XPS 13 or HP Spectre x360 13, respectively, even though these alternatives have smaller 13.3-inch screens.

We're able to record a temporary maximum of 39.5 W from the small (~9.7 x 6 x 2.7 cm) 48 W AC adapter when running Prime95 and/or FurMark to show the very limited Turbo Boost potential of the system. Power consumption eventually cycles between 25 W and 30 W much like how the clock rates would cycle as noted in our Stress Test section above.

Power consumption when running 3DMark 06. Note that consumption is highest during the first 15 seconds or before falling and stabilizing at 29.3 W
Power consumption when running 3DMark 06. Note that consumption is highest during the first 15 seconds or before falling and stabilizing at 29.3 W
When running Witcher 3 on Ultra settings, consumption rangees between 23 W and 28 W instead of remaining stable at some fixed value
When running Witcher 3 on Ultra settings, consumption rangees between 23 W and 28 W instead of remaining stable at some fixed value
Prime95 initiated at the 10s mark. Note that consumption spikes to 39.5 W for only the first few seconds before dropping to 27 W for about two minutes. Consumption would then cycle between 25 W and 30 W
Prime95 initiated at the 10s mark. Note that consumption spikes to 39.5 W for only the first few seconds before dropping to 27 W for about two minutes. Consumption would then cycle between 25 W and 30 W
Prime95+FurMark initiated at 10s mark. Behavior mirrors our Stress Test clock rate observations above
Prime95+FurMark initiated at 10s mark. Behavior mirrors our Stress Test clock rate observations above
Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.2 / 1.04 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 2.6 / 5.9 / 8 Watt
Load midlight 29.8 / 39.5 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
LG Gram 14Z90N
i7-1065G7, Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
LG Gram 14T90N
i7-10510U, UHD Graphics 620, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
Dell XPS 13 9300 Core i7-1065G7
i7-1065G7, Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), Intel SSDPEMKF512G8 NVMe SSD, IPS, 1920x1200, 13.40
Lenovo IdeaPad S940-14IWL
i7-8565U, UHD Graphics 620, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ, IPS, 3840x2160, 14.00
Asus ZenBook 14 UM431DA-AM020T
R7 3700U, Vega 10, SK hynix BC501 HFM512GDHTNG-8310A, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
Huawei Matebook X Pro i5
i5-8250U, GeForce MX150, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP, IPS, 3000x2000, 13.90
Power Consumption
-4%
-21%
-60%
-27%
-49%
Idle Minimum *
2.6
2.9
-12%
4.2
-62%
5.2
-100%
3.6
-38%
3.5
-35%
Idle Average *
5.9
5.8
2%
6.9
-17%
10.2
-73%
7.2
-22%
8.9
-51%
Idle Maximum *
8
6.2
22%
7.5
6%
11.9
-49%
10.8
-35%
12.3
-54%
Load Average *
29.8
32.9
-10%
33.3
-12%
42.1
-41%
38
-28%
54.2
-82%
Witcher 3 ultra *
30.9
37.1
-20%
42.4
-37%
Load Maximum *
39.5
48.5
-23%
48.4
-23%
53.6
-36%
45.2
-14%
52.1
-32%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

LG likes to equip their Gram laptops with large 72 Wh batteries despite their small and lightweight designs. In comparison, the Lenovo IdeaPad S940 and Asus ZenBook 14 each come with only 52 WH and 47 Wh batteries, respectively. Runtimes are therefore impressively long for any Ultrabook at 14 hours of real-world WLAN use.

Charging, however, is very slow. A full charge from empty to full capacity takes about 3 hours compared to half that on most other Ultrabooks. Charging via USB Type-C is possible so long as the feature is enabled through the LG Control Center software.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
45h 35min
WiFi Websurfing
13h 58min
Load (maximum brightness)
3h 31min
LG Gram 14Z90N
i7-1065G7, Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), 72 Wh
LG Gram 14T90N
i7-10510U, UHD Graphics 620, 72 Wh
LG Gram 14Z980-U.AAW5U1
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, 72 Wh
Dell XPS 13 9300 Core i7-1065G7
i7-1065G7, Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), 52 Wh
Lenovo IdeaPad S940-14IWL
i7-8565U, UHD Graphics 620, 52 Wh
Asus ZenBook 14 UM431DA-AM020T
R7 3700U, Vega 10, 47 Wh
Battery Runtime
-22%
-19%
-9%
-65%
-51%
Reader / Idle
2735
1966
-28%
2238
-18%
506
-81%
1068
-61%
WiFi v1.3
838
751
-10%
720
-14%
763
-9%
299
-64%
404
-52%
Load
211
153
-27%
159
-25%
103
-51%
125
-41%

Pros

+ very long battery life; large battery for the screen size
+ comfortable keyboard; strong key feedback
+ well calibrated colors out of the box
+ supports USB Type-C charging
+ 2x M.2 bays, 1x SODIMM slot
+ integrated fingerprint reader
+ sharp 1080p display
+ very low fan noise
+ very lightweight

Cons

- display could be brighter for improved outdoor visibility
- Core i7-1065G7 CPU performs well below average
- lid is susceptible to warping and twisting
- no AMD or dedicated GPU options
- difficult end-user servicing
- slow charging
- no IR camera
- pricey

Verdict

In review: LG Gram 14Z90N-U.AAS6U1
In review: LG Gram 14Z90N-U.AAS6U1

The LG Gram 14Z90N addresses just a few of shortcomings on last year's Gram 14Z980 while ignoring the rest. The welcomed changes include Thunderbolt 3 support, a stronger hinge design, and seemingly stronger key feedback.

Unfortunately, key drawbacks remain such as the dismal processor performance, average display brightness, and the difficult serviceability. Users who may have been looking forward to owning a Core i7 Ice Lake-U CPU will only find a shell of what the processor is capable of when compared to machines with the exact same CPU like the Dell XPS 13 9300. We suspect that the manufacturer had to tone down the performance of the Core i7 in order to meet the low weight goals and limited cooling potential. It's also disappointing that LG didn't take the time to up the brightness of the backlight because as lightweight and portable as the system may be, it's not that great in outdoor conditions where glare becomes prevalent.

The core advantages of the Gram have thankfully transferred over to make the overall package still appealing. The super lightweight, wide port options, quiet fan, crisp and well-calibrated display, and extra-long battery life are all representative of the high ~$1500 USD asking price. If you're looking for more CPU and GPU oomph, however, alternatives from Dell, HP, Lenovo, or Asus would be your better bet.

Great for light to light-medium office tasks especially when on-the-go. The LG Gram 14 is quite versatile considering the light weight, but just don't overload it with demanding applications as CPU performance is well below average for a U-class Core i7.

LG Gram 14Z90N - 05/16/2020 v7
Allen Ngo

Chassis
79 / 98 → 81%
Keyboard
72%
Pointing Device
78%
Connectivity
65 / 75 → 87%
Weight
75 / 20-75 → 100%
Battery
90%
Display
82%
Games Performance
54 / 78 → 70%
Application Performance
85 / 85 → 100%
Temperature
92%
Noise
98%
Audio
81 / 91 → 89%
Camera
44 / 85 → 52%
Average
77%
85%
Subnotebook - Weighted Average

Pricecompare

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > LG Gram 14Z90N Laptop Review: Lightweight at the Cost of Performance
Allen Ngo, 2020-05-16 (Update: 2020-05-16)