Review of the LG Gram 15Z90P: 1.1-kg (~2.4-lb) 15-inch laptop
LG's Gram series consists of the world's lightest laptops in each respective screen size. LG offers Gram laptops in the following sizes: 14 inches, 15 inches, 16 inches and 17 inches. Here, we have a 15-inch model. We have already reviewed other models:
- LG Gram 16 16Z90P (2021)
- LG Gram 17 17Z90P (2021)
- LG Gram 14 14Z90N (2020)
Predecessor:
- LG Gram 15 15Z90N (2020)
LG concentrated all of its efforts on making the world's lightest 15-inch laptop and succeeded at it. Samsung's Galaxy Book Ion Aura Silver is the closest competitor, weighing in at just 1.3 kg (~2.87 lbs). The MSI Summit B15 A11M and the Honor MagicBook 15 are ordinary 15-inch laptops, which weigh around 1.5 kg (~3.31 lbs).
What has LG sacrificed to cut 400 grams (~0.88 lbs)? Rigidity, battery life? 2021's Gram 15 has been reworked both on the inside and on the outside. The design, selection of ports and the internal layout have changed when compared to 2020's Ice Lake-based Gram 15.
Likely Competitors
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 84.9 % v7 (old) | 01 / 2022 | LG Gram 15Z90P-G.AA89G i7-1165G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 1.1 kg | 17.4 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 | |
| 86.3 % v7 (old) | 06 / 2021 | LG Gram 16 (2021) i7-1165G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 1.2 kg | 16.8 mm | 16.00" | 2560x1600 | |
| 81.7 % v7 (old) | 10 / 2020 | Samsung Galaxy Book Ion Aura Silver i7-10510U, GeForce MX250 | 1.3 kg | 15 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 | |
| 83.6 % v7 (old) | 07 / 2021 | Honor MagicBook 15 i5 1135G7 i5-1135G7, Iris Xe G7 80EUs | 1.5 kg | 17 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 | |
| 81.2 % v7 (old) | 05 / 2021 | MSI Summit B15 A11M i7-1165G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 1.5 kg | 16.9 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 | |
| 82 % v7 (old) | 07 / 2021 | Samsung Galaxy Book NP750XDA i5-1135G7, Iris Xe G7 80EUs | 1.6 kg | 16 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 |
Case: "Rigid" does not describe the LG laptop
2021's Gram 15 (1.107 kg/~2.440 lbs) is a few grams heavier than 2020's Gram 15 (1.093 kg/~2.410 lbs). This is not due to a change of materials, since the housing of both laptops is still made of magnesium. Here only the top cover, which is dotted with key holes, provides rigidity, because the bottom cover is extremely thin and bendable. The hinges and all components are attached to the top cover.
As was mentioned above, the bottom cover is very thin and flimsy, but it is securely attached (with the help of screws) to the top cover. All in all, the laptop makes a mixed impression when you hold it in your hands. On one side, it feels quite stiff for such a light device. On the other side, laptops with aluminum housing feel sturdier and more premium, but weigh more. This should not be surprising, after all, making a light device, which feels stiff, out of magnesium is nigh impossible.
Interestingly enough, LG had to resort to a sort of frame to secure the battery and make sure that it does not twist too much.
The display lid is also really flexible. However, this does not seem to cause any issues for the built-in IPS panel, which is coupled directly to the display lid. In the past, manufacturers tried to avoid this, because this used to lead to visual artifacts and sometimes damage. However, now there are no visual artefacts, except when opening the lid.
LG made the design more angular, which is also noticeable when looking at the bottom cover. There are also now a few more screws.
In terms of weight, the Gram 15 is well ahead of the competition. For instance, the Samsung Galaxy Book Ion weighs 200 grams (~ 0.44 lbs) more, but it is also made of magnesium and feels flimsy. Heavier 15-inch laptops, such as the Summit B15, feel rigid, but their housing is made of aluminum.
Connectivity
Whereas in the past there was only one Thunderbolt (3) port, now there are two Thunderbolt (4) ports. One of those ports supports Power Delivery functionality. This time around, there is no dedicated charging port. The two USB-A ports are very fast (3.2 Gen2).
SD Card Reader
The microSD card reader is located on the right side and operates at USB 3.0 speeds. Inserted SD cards stick out only slightly from the slot. In our test with the reference-grade SD card (AV PRO microSD 128 GB V60), the Gram 15 achieved good results, which were only enough for a spot in the middle of our comparison chart, though. The Gram 16 achieved the same results, likely because both devices feature the same card reader. The MSI Summit B15 A11M shows what today's card readers are capable of.
| SD Card Reader | |
| average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
| MSI Summit B15 A11M (AV PRO microSD 128 GB V60) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book Ion Aura Silver (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB) | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB) | |
| LG Gram 15Z90P-G.AA89G (AV Pro SD microSD 128 GB V60) | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (18.4 - 142, n=15, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book NP750XDA (AV PRO microSD 128 GB V60) | |
| maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB) | |
| MSI Summit B15 A11M (AV PRO microSD 128 GB V60) | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB) | |
| LG Gram 15Z90P-G.AA89G (AV Pro SD microSD 128 GB V60) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book Ion Aura Silver (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB) | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (22.5 - 207, n=15, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book NP750XDA (AV PRO microSD 128 GB V60) | |
Communication
The Gram 15 takes first place in our Wi-Fi comparison chart. All in all, it performs better than an average device with the Intel AX201. Here, the LG Gram 16 is 46 to 140% slower, which is very surprising given that both devices have the same Wi-Fi module. The Samsung Galaxy Book Ion Aura is on the same level as the Gram 15 in certain areas.
Web Camera
The web camera has a 0.9-MP (1280x720) sensor, which produces washed-out and blurry images. In low-light environments, there is also a whole lot of noise. The image quality is on a very low level, which is characteristic of today's laptop cameras. The colour performance of the Gram 15's webcam is particularly poor. Here, the cheaper Honor MagicBook is significantly better.
Security
The Gram 15 has a Kensington Lock and a fingerprint sensor, which is integrated into the power button.
Accessories
In addition to the usual warranty and security brochures, the box of the Gram 15 contains a 65-W power adapter. There is no Ethernet adapter this time around.
Maintenance
The Gram 15 no longer has any RAM slots, which means that RAM is not expandable/replaceable. The Wi-Fi module is also soldered on. In 2020, this was also the case. But there are still two M.2 (88-mm) slots, one of which is empty, meaning that users can still easily install another SSD. The battery can be replaced, because it is merely screwed in place.
The disassembly is easy: simply remove the plastic feet, undo the screws and remove the bottom cover with a guitar pick or spudger. The bottom plate can be removed without leaving any scratches or scuffs on the device.
Warranty
The LG Gram 15 comes with a 24-month warranty (both in Germany and in other countries).
Input Devices: Gram 15 with a numeric pad
The Gram 15 is supposed to be a work device, which is why it has a keyboard with a numeric pad. The layout has not changed, but the colouring of the function keys has changed from orange to white. This is why the function keys are no longer as conspicuous.
Keyboard
The keys feel stable and provide good tactile feedback. The actuation point is clear, and the keys offer a very decent amount of travel distance. When typing, the keyboard deck exhibits some flex.
The keys are well-spaced and about one milliliter bigger than usual laptop keys. However, the numpad keys are small. Moreover, the numeric pad does not feature such keys as "plus", "minus", and "enter".
Touchpad
The touchpad measures 11.1x6.9 cm (4.37x2.72 in). The touchpad works well. It responds quickly and reliably to inputs. There are two physical buttons at the bottom, which have a very clear actuation point and provide very good tactile feedback.
Display: LG panel with a highly reflective surface
The Gram 15 features a Full HD 15.6-inch panel with a pixel density of 144 PPI. The IPS panel is made by LG Display. We measured a peak brightness of 310 cd/m², which is a rather decent result. The display of the Samsung Galaxy Book Ion achieved a brightness of 467 cd/m². On battery power, the brightness falls to 299 cd/m².
Because of a poor black value (0.46 cd/m²), the contrast ratio is also quite poor (746:1). The predecessor model (1307:1) and the Gram 16 (1505:1) have screens with significantly better contrast ratios. The Gram 15's screen does not suffer from screen bleeding and PWM flickering.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 86 %
Center on Battery: 299 cd/m²
Contrast: 746:1 (Black: 0.46 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 3.5 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.86, calibrated: 1.17
ΔE Greyscale 4.35 | 0.09-98 Ø5.1
64% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
92% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
62% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.55
| LG Gram 15Z90P-G.AA89G LG Display LP156WFC-SPY1, IPS 99% sRGB, 1920x1080, 15.6" | LG Gram 16 (2021) LG Philips LP160WQ1-SPA1, IPS, 2560x1600, 16" | Samsung Galaxy Book Ion Aura Silver BOE0889, QLED, 1920x1080, 15.6" | Honor MagicBook 15 i5 1135G7 BOE TV156FHM-NH2, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.6" | MSI Summit B15 A11M Chi Mei N156HCE-EN1, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.6" | Samsung Galaxy Book NP750XDA CEC PANDA LM156LF5L03, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.6" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 31% | 35% | 5% | 2% | ||
| Display P3 Coverage | 62 | 95.8 55% | 99.1 60% | 65.4 5% | 65.7 6% | |
| sRGB Coverage | 92 | 99.8 8% | 99.9 9% | 96.3 5% | 90.6 -2% | |
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 64 | 83.8 31% | 87.3 36% | 67.5 5% | 66 3% | |
| Response Times | -17% | -49% | -19% | -46% | -2% | |
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 36 ? | 44 ? -22% | 49 ? -36% | 36 ? -0% | 40.4 ? -12% | 29 ? 19% |
| Response Time Black / White * | 18 ? | 20 ? -11% | 29 ? -61% | 24.8 ? -38% | 32.4 ? -80% | 22 ? -22% |
| PWM Frequency | 25510 ? | |||||
| Screen | -19% | 39% | 9% | -46% | -7% | |
| Brightness middle | 343 | 331 -3% | 467 36% | 332 -3% | 341.3 0% | 325 -5% |
| Brightness | 311 | 309 -1% | 437 41% | 318 2% | 310 0% | 297 -5% |
| Brightness Distribution | 86 | 88 2% | 91 6% | 87 1% | 81 -6% | 86 0% |
| Black Level * | 0.46 | 0.22 52% | 0.27 41% | 0.27 41% | 0.45 2% | 0.445 3% |
| Contrast | 746 | 1505 102% | 1730 132% | 1230 65% | 758 2% | 730 -2% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 3.5 | 4.64 -33% | 3.39 3% | 3.3 6% | 6.17 -76% | 3.48 1% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 6.25 | 9.82 -57% | 6.27 -0% | 7.8 -25% | 11.75 -88% | 8.07 -29% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 1.17 | 3.16 -170% | 1 15% | 3.3 -182% | ||
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 4.35 | 6.9 -59% | 2.17 50% | 5.2 -20% | 7.1 -63% | 5.27 -21% |
| Gamma | 2.55 86% | 2.34 94% | 2.45 90% | 2.07 106% | 2.2 100% | 2.41 91% |
| CCT | 6016 108% | 7904 82% | 6488 100% | 7370 88% | 6842 95% | 7769 84% |
| Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 75.1 | 78 | 58.7 | 44 | ||
| Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 100 | 100 | 90.1 | 70 | ||
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | -2% /
-8% | 8% /
24% | -2% /
4% | -30% /
-35% | -5% /
-6% |
* ... smaller is better
LG claims that the display can cover 99% of sRGB. However, our measurements show that the IPS panel can only cover 92% of sRGB. The coverage of P3 (62%) and AdobeRGB (64%) is incomplete as well. The Gram 16 does better in this area. This could very well be one of the reasons why LG did not seed Gram 15's to the reviewers.
We use CalMAN software and a spectrophotometer to determine the colour accuracy of the display. Right out of the box, the grayscale performance is not particularly good (DeltaE is above 4 here). Moreover, colours do not look quite right to the trained eye. However, with the help of calibration, colour reproduction can be improved. You can download our colour profile for the LG Display LP156WFC-SPY1 via the link at the bottom of the box containing all display measurements.
Our calibration significantly improved colour reproduction. After calibration, the DeltaE fell from 3.5 to 1.2.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 18 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 8 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 10 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 37 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (20.7 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 36 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 18 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 18 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 47 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (32.4 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 8439 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
The glossy panel is suboptimal for outdoor use, especially given the brightness of about 300 cd/m² on battery power. This limits the usability of the Gram 15 on the go.
The viewing angles of the IPS panel are very good. The brightness drops only at extreme angles. Colour accuracy is also worse at acute angles.
Performance: Good in short-term workloads
There are two configurations of 2021's Gram 15: One with the Core i7-1165G7 (4 x 2.8 - 4.7 GHz) and the other with the Core i5-1135G7 (the so-called business edition). Both models have 16 GB of RAM. However, the Core i5 variant has a 512 GB SSD, whereas the Core i7 model features a 1 TB SSD. These are rather high-end configurations, which is reflected in the prices of 1150 Euros (~$1280) to 1600 Euros (~$1780).
System Settings
Before conducting any benchmarks, we downloaded and installed the latest BIOS and Windows updates. We used the "Best performance" power mode in the GPU and CPU benchmarks. For our battery tests (Wi-Fi/idle), we used the "Best power efficiency" power mode, which is now available in Windows 11. The new power-saving mode disables notifications and limits background tasks, meaning that such apps as One Drive will not be constantly refreshing when in this mode.
Processor
The Core i7-1165G7 (Tiger Lake, UP3) is one of the fastest 28-W CPUs. Its TDP can range from 12 to 28 W. LG set Power Level One (PL1) to 25 W, which is what we saw in our testing. However, the CPU can maintain this power level only for a short period of time. Power Level Two amounts to 40 W. All in all, these power levels allow apps to start quickly and the system to feel very responsive in day-to-day use.
The Gram 15's GPU is not meant for continuous loads, though. In our Cinebench 15 loop, the power draw peaked at 40 W for a few moments and then dropped to about 20 W. Under full load, the power consumption fluctuates between 10 and 20 W, with rare peaks of 25 W.
All in all, the Core i7-1165G7 in the LG Gram 15 performs 28% worse than an average Core i7-1165G7. This seems to be characteristic of LG laptops in general. The Gram 16's CPU also did not perform as well as it should, but the level of performance did not deviate so much from the norm.
When comparing the Gram 15 to the competition, we see that the Samsung Galaxy Book Ion Aura Silver with the older Core i7-10510U performs better under load. The MSI Summit B15, which has a beefier cooling solution and higher PL1 and PL2, shows what the Core i7-1165G7 is capable of. Case in point, the MSI Summit B15 is up to 40% faster than the Gram 15 under load.
So, it should not be surprising that the Gram 15 is beaten by laptops with the Core i5-1135G7 and the Core i7-1165G7 in Cinebench R20 and R23. The Gram 15 also does not do well in the AIDA benchmarks.
Cinebench R15 multi-core loop
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 | |
| Average of class Subnotebook | |
| MSI Summit B15 A11M | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book NP750XDA -2! | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 i5 1135G7 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book Ion Aura Silver -2! | |
| LG Gram 15Z90P-G.AA89G | |
| Cinebench R23 / Multi Core | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (1555 - 21812, n=73, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Summit B15 A11M | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (2525 - 6862, n=64) | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 i5 1135G7 | |
| LG Gram 15Z90P-G.AA89G | |
| Cinebench R23 / Single Core | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (358 - 2165, n=73, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Summit B15 A11M | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (1110 - 1539, n=59) | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 i5 1135G7 | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| LG Gram 15Z90P-G.AA89G | |
| Cinebench R20 / CPU (Multi Core) | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (579 - 8541, n=68, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Summit B15 A11M | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book NP750XDA | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (1060 - 2657, n=81) | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book Ion Aura Silver | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 i5 1135G7 | |
| LG Gram 15Z90P-G.AA89G | |
| Cinebench R20 / CPU (Single Core) | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (128 - 826, n=68, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Summit B15 A11M | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (442 - 589, n=81) | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 i5 1135G7 | |
| LG Gram 15Z90P-G.AA89G | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book Ion Aura Silver | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book NP750XDA | |
| Cinebench R15 / CPU Multi 64Bit | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (327 - 3345, n=73, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Summit B15 A11M | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 i5 1135G7 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book NP750XDA | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (553 - 1027, n=86) | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| LG Gram 15Z90P-G.AA89G | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book Ion Aura Silver | |
| Cinebench R15 / CPU Single 64Bit | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (72.4 - 322, n=69, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Summit B15 A11M | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (115 - 230, n=78) | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 i5 1135G7 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book NP750XDA | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book NP750XDA | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book Ion Aura Silver | |
| LG Gram 15Z90P-G.AA89G | |
| Blender / v2.79 BMW27 CPU | |
| LG Gram 15Z90P-G.AA89G | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 i5 1135G7 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book Ion Aura Silver | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (468 - 1138, n=80) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book NP750XDA | |
| MSI Summit B15 A11M | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (159 - 2271, n=70, last 2 years) | |
| 7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (11668 - 77867, n=64, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Summit B15 A11M | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (15347 - 27405, n=80) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book NP750XDA | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book Ion Aura Silver | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 i5 1135G7 | |
| LG Gram 15Z90P-G.AA89G | |
| 7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 -mmt1 | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (2643 - 6442, n=66, last 2 years) | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (4478 - 5507, n=80) | |
| MSI Summit B15 A11M | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book Ion Aura Silver | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book NP750XDA | |
| LG Gram 15Z90P-G.AA89G | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 i5 1135G7 | |
| Geekbench 5.5 / Multi-Core | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (2557 - 17218, n=65, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Summit B15 A11M | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (3078 - 5926, n=77) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book NP750XDA | |
| LG Gram 15Z90P-G.AA89G | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 i5 1135G7 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book Ion Aura Silver | |
| Geekbench 5.5 / Single-Core | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (726 - 2350, n=65, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Summit B15 A11M | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (1302 - 1595, n=77) | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| LG Gram 15Z90P-G.AA89G | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book NP750XDA | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 i5 1135G7 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book Ion Aura Silver | |
| HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 / 4k Preset | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (0.97 - 25.1, n=67, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Summit B15 A11M | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (1.39 - 8.47, n=80) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book NP750XDA | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 i5 1135G7 | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book Ion Aura Silver | |
| LG Gram 15Z90P-G.AA89G | |
| LibreOffice / 20 Documents To PDF | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book Ion Aura Silver | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (38.5 - 220, n=65, last 2 years) | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 i5 1135G7 | |
| MSI Summit B15 A11M | |
| LG Gram 15Z90P-G.AA89G | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book NP750XDA | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (21.5 - 88.1, n=78) | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| R Benchmark 2.5 / Overall mean | |
| LG Gram 15Z90P-G.AA89G | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book Ion Aura Silver | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book NP750XDA | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 i5 1135G7 | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (0.552 - 1.002, n=80) | |
| MSI Summit B15 A11M | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (0.403 - 1.456, n=67, last 2 years) | |
* ... 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 | |
| Average of class Subnotebook | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 i5 1135G7 | |
| MSI Summit B15 A11M | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| LG Gram 15Z90P-G.AA89G | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book Ion Aura Silver | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book NP750XDA -9! | |
| AIDA64 / FP32 Ray-Trace | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (1135 - 32888, n=67, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Summit B15 A11M | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (3933 - 8184, n=58) | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 i5 1135G7 | |
| LG Gram 15Z90P-G.AA89G | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book Ion Aura Silver | |
| AIDA64 / FPU Julia | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (5218 - 123315, n=67, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Summit B15 A11M | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 i5 1135G7 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book Ion Aura Silver | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (17720 - 34369, n=58) | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| LG Gram 15Z90P-G.AA89G | |
| AIDA64 / CPU SHA3 | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (444 - 5287, n=67, last 2 years) | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 i5 1135G7 | |
| MSI Summit B15 A11M | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (958 - 2338, n=58) | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| LG Gram 15Z90P-G.AA89G | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book Ion Aura Silver | |
| AIDA64 / CPU Queen | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (10579 - 115682, n=67, last 2 years) | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (44161 - 50624, n=58) | |
| MSI Summit B15 A11M | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 i5 1135G7 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book Ion Aura Silver | |
| LG Gram 15Z90P-G.AA89G | |
| AIDA64 / FPU SinJulia | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (744 - 18418, n=67, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Summit B15 A11M | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 i5 1135G7 | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (3183 - 4796, n=58) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book Ion Aura Silver | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| LG Gram 15Z90P-G.AA89G | |
| AIDA64 / FPU Mandel | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (3341 - 65433, n=67, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Summit B15 A11M | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 i5 1135G7 | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (11876 - 20468, n=58) | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| LG Gram 15Z90P-G.AA89G | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book Ion Aura Silver | |
| AIDA64 / CPU AES | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 i5 1135G7 | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (29506 - 73387, n=58) | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (638 - 161430, n=67, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Summit B15 A11M | |
| LG Gram 15Z90P-G.AA89G | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book Ion Aura Silver | |
| AIDA64 / CPU ZLib | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (164.9 - 1379, n=67, last 2 years) | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 i5 1135G7 | |
| MSI Summit B15 A11M | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book Ion Aura Silver | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (169 - 402, n=65) | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| LG Gram 15Z90P-G.AA89G | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book NP750XDA | |
| AIDA64 / FP64 Ray-Trace | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (610 - 17495, n=67, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Summit B15 A11M | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (2033 - 4461, n=58) | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 i5 1135G7 | |
| LG Gram 15Z90P-G.AA89G | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book Ion Aura Silver | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| AIDA64 / CPU PhotoWorxx | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (6569 - 64588, n=67, last 2 years) | |
| LG Gram 15Z90P-G.AA89G | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (12392 - 45694, n=58) | |
| MSI Summit B15 A11M | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 i5 1135G7 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book Ion Aura Silver | |
System Performance
In the PCMark 10 benchmarks, the Gram 15 performed better than expected, given its poor showing in the CPU benchmarks. Our LG sample took a spot near the top of our comparison chart and managed to outperform the MSI Summit B15. The AIDA memory benchmarks confirm that our review device is ahead of the competition when it comes to copying and writing data. As a matter of fact, it also beats the Gram 16. The competition is ahead when it comes to memory latency, though.
| PCMark 10 / Score | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (4993 - 7788, n=56, last 2 years) | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (4531 - 5454, n=50) | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| LG Gram 15Z90P-G.AA89G | |
| MSI Summit B15 A11M | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 i5 1135G7 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book NP750XDA | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book Ion Aura Silver | |
| PCMark 10 / Essentials | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (9363 - 11331, n=56, last 2 years) | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (8997 - 11505, n=50) | |
| LG Gram 15Z90P-G.AA89G | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 i5 1135G7 | |
| MSI Summit B15 A11M | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book NP750XDA | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book Ion Aura Silver | |
| PCMark 10 / Productivity | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (5435 - 10623, n=56, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book Ion Aura Silver | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (5570 - 7136, n=50) | |
| LG Gram 15Z90P-G.AA89G | |
| MSI Summit B15 A11M | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book NP750XDA | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 i5 1135G7 | |
| PCMark 10 / Digital Content Creation | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (5305 - 12442, n=56, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Summit B15 A11M | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (4083 - 5550, n=50) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book NP750XDA | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 i5 1135G7 | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| LG Gram 15Z90P-G.AA89G | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book Ion Aura Silver | |
| PCMark 10 Score | 4792 points | |
Help | ||
| AIDA64 / Memory Copy | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (14554 - 109035, n=67, last 2 years) | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| LG Gram 15Z90P-G.AA89G | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (20032 - 65446, n=58) | |
| MSI Summit B15 A11M | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 i5 1135G7 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book Ion Aura Silver | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Read | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (15948 - 122210, n=67, last 2 years) | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| LG Gram 15Z90P-G.AA89G | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (23033 - 64524, n=58) | |
| MSI Summit B15 A11M | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 i5 1135G7 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book Ion Aura Silver | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Write | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (15709 - 117898, n=67, last 2 years) | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| LG Gram 15Z90P-G.AA89G | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (21736 - 66791, n=58) | |
| MSI Summit B15 A11M | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 i5 1135G7 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book Ion Aura Silver | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Latency | |
| LG Gram 15Z90P-G.AA89G | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (7.2 - 187.8, n=66, last 2 years) | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 i5 1135G7 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book Ion Aura Silver | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1165G7 (69 - 110, n=65) | |
| MSI Summit B15 A11M | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book NP750XDA | |
* ... smaller is better
DPC Latencies
When it comes to DPC latencies, the Gram 15 does not do particularly well. Even with a few open browser tabs, we saw latency spikes. However, there were no problems in the YouTube test (there were only 3 dropped frames). For our testing, we used Microsoft's Edge Browser with the default settings. We also used the "Best performance" power mode. The main problem here lies with the ACPI drivers. The 16-inch model did not have these issues (420 vs. 1662 microseconds). It is possible that this is just a one-off issue specific to our particular review device. Our DPC tests are conducted with the latest available drivers at the time of our review.
| DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book Ion Aura Silver | |
| LG Gram 15Z90P-G.AA89G | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book NP750XDA | |
| MSI Summit B15 A11M | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 i5 1135G7 | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
* ... smaller is better
Storage Devices
A 1 TB SK Hynix SSD is installed in an M.2 slot. Another SSD can be installed in the second M.2 slot, which is empty. 815 GB of storage space is available to the user. The performance of the SSD is better than average, which is probably why we got very good scores in PCMark 10. The LG Gram 16 (2021) does not have the same SK Hynix SSD, but still performs very similarly in the storage benchmarks.
* ... smaller is better
Continuous read speed: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8
Graphics Card
The Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 (96EUs) achieves normal results in the synthetic benchmarks. There was no throttling which we saw in the CPU benchmarks. However, in real games, the iGPU throttled, even at low settings. Here the Iris Xe Graphics G7 (96EUs) performed 30 to 45% worse than in other devices.
| 3DMark 11 Performance | 5724 points | |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Score | 4084 points | |
| 3DMark Time Spy Score | 1496 points | |
Help | ||
Gaming Performance
The Gram 15 cannot handle gaming. Its iGPU performs 20 to 180% slower than expected. The performance hits are especially noticeable in CPU demanding titles. In The Witcher 3, the Gram 15 was able to achieve only 29 FPS on average at the low settings.
| Strange Brigade - 1920x1080 medium AA:medium AF:4 | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (29.4 - 96.5, n=67, last 2 years) | |
| LG Gram 16 (2021) | |
| Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (18.2 - 51.4, n=168) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Book NP750XDA | |
| LG Gram 15Z90P-G.AA89G | |
| Honor MagicBook 15 i5 1135G7 | |
| Farming Simulator 22 | |
| 1280x720 Low Preset | |
| LG Gram 15Z90P-G.AA89G | |
| Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (81 - 112, n=11) | |
| 1920x1080 Medium Preset | |
| Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (20 - 51, n=10) | |
| LG Gram 15Z90P-G.AA89G | |
The Witcher 3 demonstrates how the CPU and the GPU are fighting for a very limited power budget. In the end, the CPU prevails, but it only draws 10 to 20 W and operates at just 700 MHz. This is far from the CPU's full potential. In short, the integrated GPU struggles mightily when gaming. Intel's Iris Xe GPU is not a good performer even in the best of cases, but here it performs especially poorly.
| low | med. | high | ultra | QHD | 4K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GTA V (2015) | 60 | 46 | 14 | |||
| The Witcher 3 (2015) | 28.9 | 29 | 19 | |||
| Dota 2 Reborn (2015) | 113.7 | 73.4 | 39.9 | 35.6 | 15.5 | |
| Final Fantasy XV Benchmark (2018) | 22.8 | 14.2 | 9.8 | 7.09 | ||
| X-Plane 11.11 (2018) | 33.5 | 22.8 | 21.2 | |||
| Far Cry 5 (2018) | 24 | 14 | ||||
| Strange Brigade (2018) | 80.8 | 25.5 | 18.9 | 15.7 | ||
| Farming Simulator 22 (2021) | 105 | 20 |
Emissions: Gram 15 stays quiet and cool
System Noise
The Gram 15 is a quiet laptop. The fan kicks in rarely, and the fan noise never exceeds 32 dB(A). The notebook stays very quiet because it throttles under continuous load. Here, LG chose low noise levels over performance. The Galaxy Book Ion Aura is slightly louder, but it does not throttle under load. When idle, though, both laptops are absolutely silent.
Noise Level
| Idle |
| 25 / 25 / 26.7 dB(A) |
| Load |
| 32.2 / 32.4 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 Gram 15Z90P-G.AA89G Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1165G7, SK Hynix HFM001TD3JX013N | LG Gram 16 (2021) Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1165G7, SK Hynix PC601 1TB HFS001TD9TNG | Samsung Galaxy Book Ion Aura Silver GeForce MX250, i7-10510U, WDC PC SN730 SDBQNTY-512GB | Honor MagicBook 15 i5 1135G7 Iris Xe G7 80EUs, i5-1135G7, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G | MSI Summit B15 A11M Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1165G7, Kingston OM8PCP31024F | Samsung Galaxy Book NP750XDA Iris Xe G7 80EUs, i5-1135G7, Lite-On CL1-8D512 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noise | -0% | -6% | -1% | -10% | -14% | |
| off / environment * | 25 | 26 -4% | 24.9 -0% | 24.6 2% | 25.2 -1% | 26 -4% |
| Idle Minimum * | 25 | 26 -4% | 24.9 -0% | 24.6 2% | 26.4 -6% | 26 -4% |
| Idle Average * | 25 | 26 -4% | 24.9 -0% | 24.6 2% | 26.4 -6% | 26 -4% |
| Idle Maximum * | 26.7 | 26 3% | 24.9 7% | 24.6 8% | 26.4 1% | 26 3% |
| Load Average * | 32.2 | 30.8 4% | 39 -21% | 33.9 -5% | 26.8 17% | 43.3 -34% |
| Load Maximum * | 32.4 | 31.1 4% | 39.2 -21% | 36.5 -13% | 52.6 -62% | 45.7 -41% |
| Witcher 3 ultra * | 38.9 | 33.9 | 28 |
* ... smaller is better
Temperature
The single fan and the small heat pipe are likely why the Gram 15 throttles under load. But this is the case with every LG Gram laptop. In any case, such a copper heat pipe usually weighs around 100 grams (~0.22 lbs).
When idle, current Intel chips are hard to beat. Here, the power draw, for the most part, ranges from 2.9 W to 8.7 W. This is why the laptop feels cool. Under load, the situation looks quite different, but even here the surface temperatures are never critical (around 40 °C/104 °F in the upper portions of the keyboard). The underside never gets hot (it is even cooler than the top side). We see that LG went with a modest cooling solution. However, to keep the laptop from overheating and producing a lot of noise, LG decided to set low power limits. This is not an unreasonable compromise for an ultra-mobile device.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 42.9 °C / 109 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 39.4 °C / 103 F, compared to the average of 39.3 °C / 103 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 24.3 °C / 76 F, compared to the device average of 30.8 °C / 87 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 27.4 °C / 81.3 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.2 °C / 82.8 F (+0.8 °C / 1.5 F).
| LG Gram 15Z90P-G.AA89G Intel Core i7-1165G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs | LG Gram 16 (2021) Intel Core i7-1165G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs | Samsung Galaxy Book Ion Aura Silver Intel Core i7-10510U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250 | Honor MagicBook 15 i5 1135G7 Intel Core i5-1135G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs | MSI Summit B15 A11M Intel Core i7-1165G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs | Samsung Galaxy Book NP750XDA Intel Core i5-1135G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heat | -6% | -11% | 2% | -12% | -11% | |
| Maximum Upper Side * | 42.9 | 46.9 -9% | 50.1 -17% | 35.4 17% | 42.8 -0% | 46.5 -8% |
| Maximum Bottom * | 39.4 | 45.1 -14% | 50.2 -27% | 40.8 -4% | 52.2 -32% | 44.8 -14% |
| Idle Upper Side * | 25.4 | 26.4 -4% | 24.8 2% | 25.4 -0% | 26 -2% | 27.8 -9% |
| Idle Bottom * | 24.9 | 24.1 3% | 25.5 -2% | 26 -4% | 28.2 -13% | 28.3 -14% |
* ... smaller is better
Stress Test
During the stress test, which we conduct with the help of Prime95 and FurMark, we record the temperatures, clocks and power consumption of the SoC. The short-lived 55-W peak is notable. Here, we saw the CPU temperature peak at 85 °C (185 °F) and the CPU clocks drop from 3.5 to 1.6 GHz. At the same time, the package power consumption dropped from 55 to 25 W. Because, during the stress test the system is always under load, the internal temperatures stayed at above 80 °C (176 °F) until the CPU clock rates fell to 1.1 GHz. After this, the CPU temperatures fell below 70 °C (158 °F). Subsequently, though, the clock rates began rising again until the core temperatures hit 78 °C (172.4 °F) and the clock speeds dropped again. This cycle repeated again and again, that is, as soon as the core temperatures fell below 70 °C (158 °F), the CPU frequency started to rise. However, whenever the CPU temperatures reached 78 °C (172.4 °F), the operating frequency dropped.
| CPU Clock (GHz) | GPU Clock (MHz) | Average CPU Temperature (°C) | Average GPU Temperature (°C) | |
| System Idle | 3,2 | 100 | 37 | 41 |
| Prime95 Stress | 2,2 | 100 | 72 | 80 |
| Prime95 + FurMark Stress | 1,33 | 695 | 75 | 74 |
| Witcher 3 Stress | 1,9 | 903 | 75 | 71 |
Speakers
The two speakers are located under the wrist rest (close to the sides). The speakers perform best when the laptop is placed on an even, firm surface, from which the sound can be easily reflected. The design of the small drivers has changed, but the large chambers still remain.
We did not expect any wonders. The laptop's speakers sound tinny and there is very little bass. There is no generational improvement here. Noteworthy: Even when the speaker grills are covered, there is no real loss of volume, only the sound signature changes a little. This is due to the resonance chambers inside the laptop. The volume is on a decent level when compared to other 15-inch laptops. The sound does not become distorted at full volume.
The Gram 15 comes with CyberLink's Audio Director 7. It is not the most power audio-editing program, but it is at least something. The dual-microphone array produces noise-free recordings even at 0.5 to 2 m away from the device.
LG Gram 15Z90P-G.AA89G audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (85.3 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 19.7% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (13.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.1% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (3.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 7.4% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (7.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (16.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 41% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 54% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 26% of all tested devices were better, 6% similar, 68% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Samsung Galaxy Book Ion Aura Silver audio analysis
(-) | not very loud speakers (66.9 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 20.2% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (14.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.7% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (3.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (18.5% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 53% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 40% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 39% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 53% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Energy Management: Gram laptop with a battery life of 14 hours
Energy Consumption
The power consumption has not changed significantly when compared to the predecessor. The LG Gram 15 draws 2.9 to 11.5 W when idle. Under load, the system consumes 29 W, which is 2 W lower than the Ice Lake-based predecessor. The 65-W power adapter should have no trouble supplying the device with enough energy, given that the power draw hovered at 64 W only for a few seconds during our stress test.
We measure the system power consumption with the external monitor and the built-in display. Here, there is not a lot of difference even in the peak measurements. After the first three minutes of the stress test, the power draw falls from 60 to 35-25 W. Other laptops do not throttle so much. For instance, the Samsung Galaxy Book Ion Aura Silver with the MX250 managed to maintain a high level of performance in our stress test.
| Off / Standby | 0.35 / 0.4 Watt |
| Idle | 2.9 / 8.7 / 11.5 Watt |
| Load |
29.2 / 63.6 Watt |
   
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Metrahit Energy | |
| LG Gram 15Z90P-G.AA89G i7-1165G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, SK Hynix HFM001TD3JX013N, IPS 99% sRGB, 1920x1080, 15.6" | LG Gram 16 (2021) i7-1165G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, SK Hynix PC601 1TB HFS001TD9TNG, IPS, 2560x1600, 16" | Samsung Galaxy Book Ion Aura Silver i7-10510U, GeForce MX250, WDC PC SN730 SDBQNTY-512GB, QLED, 1920x1080, 15.6" | Honor MagicBook 15 i5 1135G7 i5-1135G7, Iris Xe G7 80EUs, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.6" | MSI Summit B15 A11M i7-1165G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, Kingston OM8PCP31024F, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.6" | Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs | Average of class Subnotebook | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | -4% | -16% | -3% | -14% | -28% | -15% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 2.9 | 3.8 -31% | 2.9 -0% | 3.4 -17% | 4.2 -45% | 5.41 ? -87% | 4.27 ? -47% |
| Idle Average * | 8.7 | 9 -3% | 7 20% | 7.7 11% | 7.7 11% | 8.6 ? 1% | 7.37 ? 15% |
| Idle Maximum * | 11.5 | 11.3 2% | 9.9 14% | 8.3 28% | 8.4 27% | 10.9 ? 5% | 9.06 ? 21% |
| Load Average * | 29.2 | 35.2 -21% | 53 -82% | 32 -10% | 37.8 -29% | 45.4 ? -55% | 45.6 ? -56% |
| Witcher 3 ultra * | 26.4 | 39.3 -49% | 33.9 -28% | 36.6 -39% | |||
| Load Maximum * | 63.6 | 43.5 32% | 64 -1% | 65.2 -3% | 67.5 -6% | 67.6 ? -6% | 68.8 ? -8% |
* ... smaller is better
Power Draw: The Witcher 3 / stress test
Power draw with the external Monitor: R15 loop / Furmark / stress test
Battery Life
The LG Gram 15 comes with a big 80-Wh battery, which is noteworthy, given that smaller batteries usually weigh less. Here, LG used very energy-dense cells. By the way, all LG Grams use this battery, even the 17-inch ones.
In our Wi-Fi test, in which we set the brightness to 150 cd/m² and enable communications modules, the Gram 15 lasted almost 14 hours (two hours less than the Gram 16). Competing notebooks have no chance against the Gram 15, because they come with smaller batteries.
Another reason why LG Grams last so long is throttling. It is worth mentioning again that the CPU's power draw fluctuates between 10 to 20 W under load.
In the idle battery test, in which the communications modules are disabled and the brightness is reduced to 22 cd/m², the laptop lasted an impressive 26 hours. However, this test has less relevance for day-to-day use.
| LG Gram 15Z90P-G.AA89G i7-1165G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, 80 Wh | LG Gram 16 (2021) i7-1165G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, 80 Wh | Samsung Galaxy Book Ion Aura Silver i7-10510U, GeForce MX250, 70 Wh | Honor MagicBook 15 i5 1135G7 i5-1135G7, Iris Xe G7 80EUs, 42 Wh | MSI Summit B15 A11M i7-1165G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, 52 Wh | Samsung Galaxy Book NP750XDA i5-1135G7, Iris Xe G7 80EUs, 54 Wh | Average of class Subnotebook | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | 11% | -44% | -45% | -52% | -32% | -10% | |
| Reader / Idle | 1560 | 1713 10% | 967 -38% | 1105 -29% | 1365 -12% | 1965 ? 26% | |
| WiFi v1.3 | 821 | 943 15% | 412 -50% | 451 -45% | 397 -52% | 607 -26% | 762 ? -7% |
| Load | 239 | 258 8% | 133 -44% | 58 -76% | 97 -59% | 122.6 ? -49% | |
| H.264 | 1204 | 647 | 968 ? |
Pros
Cons
Verdict: Gram 15 offers great battery life, but not a lot of performance
2021's Gram 15 offers a considerable improvement in performance over 2020's Gram 15, which was based on an Ice Lake CPU. Moreover, the 2021 model has gotten a visual redesign. The low weight is still the main feature of the laptop. It is lighter than all other competing 15-inch notebooks, and it also offers outstanding battery life (we are talking here 14 hours).
LG failed to unlock the full potential of the Core i7 CPU. In this particular case, we see a 40% performance deficit. Nevertheless, the system feels responsive because of a fast SSD and a burst TDP of 40 W. The Gram 15 is not meant for heavy, continuous loads, but it works fine in all other scenarios.
The very low weight is what sets the LG Gram 15 apart. To boot, LG's laptop also offers outstanding battery runtimes (14 hours).
We have not dealt with the Core i5 version of the Gram 15, but we reckon that it should not perform much worse than the Core i7 model, which is why we recommend getting the Core i5 variant. It offers less storage space, but internal storage can be easily expanded by installing an additional SSD. There is an empty M.2-2280 slot inside the device.
Those for whom weight is not very important can get the Samsung Galaxy Book Ion Aura Silver, which costs about 50% less and weighs only 200 grams (~0.44 lb) more. However, with the Galaxy Book Ion you will get only half the battery life (7 hours).
Price and Availability
The LG Gram 15 with the Core i5-1135G7 and a 512 GB SSD can be purchased on Amazon for $1249.99.
LG Gram 15Z90P-G.AA89G
- 01/24/2022 v7 (old)
Sebastian Jentsch
Price comparison
