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The LG Gram 15 Laptop Review: Featherlight 15-inch laptop with a great display

Extremely light! While many manufacturers are trying to make their laptops extremely slim, LG is pursuing a different goal. The 15-inch device weighs a little more than a kilogram. Read our review to learn about the advantages and disadvantages that arise from this.

Right off the bat, we have some good news: The LG Gram 15Z90N is currently available in various online stores in Germany. Getting the predecessor model in Germany was not as easy.

Just like its predecessor, the LG Gram 15 weighs slightly over a kilogram (~2.2 lb). A new SoC ensures a boost in performance, and thanks to a very large battery the device can last for a long time. The price tag of 1399 Euros ($1580) is not likely to scare off price-conscious buyers. For this money buyers will get an Intel Core i5-1035G7, 8 GB of RAM and a 512 GB SSD. In our review, the LG Gram 15Z90N will do battle against its direct predecessor. However, MSI, Schenker and Microsoft also have similar devices on offer, which we have included in the current review.

LG Gram 15Z90N (gram 15 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i5-1035G7 4 x 1.2 - 3.7 GHz, Ice Lake-U
Graphics adapter
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), Core: 1050 MHz, Memory: 1200 MHz, 26.20.100.7463 DCH
Memory
8 GB 
, DDR4-3200 single-Channel
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 141 PPI, LP156WF9-SPN1, .2 IPS LED, glossy: yes, 60 Hz
Mainboard
Intel 495 (Ice Lake-U PCH-LP Premium)
Storage
SK Hynix PC401 512GB M.2 (HFS512GD9TNG), 512 GB 
, M.2, NVMe, 410 GB free
Connections
3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 USB 3.1 Gen2, 1 Thunderbolt, 1 HDMI, 1 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: 3.5-mm headphone jack, Card Reader: MicroSD, 1 Fingerprint Reader
Networking
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201 (a/b/g/h/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/ax = Wi-Fi 6/), Bluetooth 5
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 16.8 x 357.6 x 225.3 ( = 0.66 x 14.08 x 8.87 in)
Battery
80 Wh Lithium-Ion
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD web camera
Additional features
Speakers: two stereo speakers at 1.5 W , Keyboard: chiclet-style, Keyboard Light: yes, 24 Months Warranty
Weight
1.093 kg ( = 38.55 oz / 2.41 pounds), Power Supply: 237 g ( = 8.36 oz / 0.52 pounds)
Price
1399 EUR
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
84.8 %
07/2020
LG Gram 15Z90N
i5-1035G7, Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU)
1.1 kg16.8 mm15.60"1920x1080
86.4 %
08/2018
LG Gram 15Z980-B.AA78B
i5-8550U, UHD Graphics 620
1.1 kg17 mm15.60"1920x1080
80.1 %
02/2020
MSI Modern 15 A10RB
i7-10510U, GeForce MX250
1.6 kg15.9 mm15.60"1920x1080
83.8 %
04/2019
SCHENKER Work 15
i7-8750H, UHD Graphics 630
2.2 kg24.9 mm15.60"1920x1080
82.9 %
10/2019
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15 Ryzen 5 3580U
R5 3580U, Vega 9
1.5 kg14.7 mm15.00"2496x1664
82.6 %
03/2019
SCHENKER Slim 15-RE-E19
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
1.5 kg19.9 mm15.60"2x1

Case

LG Gram 15Z90N
LG Gram 15Z90N

In order to build a lightweight device, LG has turned to magnesium. This material is very light and hard to break. However, it does not feel very premium to the touch since it feels a lot like plastic. The chassis is quite rigid, though, but the display lid is easy to bend. When applying a lot of pressure to a certain area of the chassis, you can witness some give in that area. Applying pressure to the display lid with a finger does not cause any rippling on the screen.

The LG Gram 15 comes in the colour scheme known as Gray. Unlike many other laptops, the matte surfaces of the LG Gram 15 are not susceptible to fingerprints. Despite a very low weight, the display lid can be lifted with one hand. However, the hinges cannot prevent the screen from wobbling.

All in all, the LG Gram 15 looks very modern, because of its small bezels. The overall build quality leaves nothing to be desired.

LG Gram 15Z90N
LG Gram 15Z90N
LG Gram 15Z90N
LG Gram 15Z90N
LG Gram 15Z90N
LG Gram 15Z90N
LG Gram 15Z90N
LG Gram 15Z90N
LG Gram 15Z90N
LG Gram 15Z90N
LG Gram 15Z90N

The LG Gram 15Z90N occupies a relatively small area of 35.8 x 22.8 centimetres (~14.1 x 8.98 in), which means that it is as big as its predecessor and slightly smaller than the Surface Laptop 3 from Microsoft. Weighing in at 1.1 kilograms (2.43 lbs), the 15-inch LG Gram 15 is very light and, together with its 237-gram (0.52 lbs) power adapter, is considerably lighter than the competition.

Size Comparison

378 mm / 14.9 inch 267 mm / 10.5 inch 24.9 mm / 0.98 inch 2.2 kg4.78 lbs360.4 mm / 14.2 inch 244.5 mm / 9.63 inch 19.9 mm / 0.783 inch 1.5 kg3.31 lbs358 mm / 14.1 inch 228 mm / 8.98 inch 17 mm / 0.669 inch 1.1 kg2.43 lbs357.6 mm / 14.1 inch 225.3 mm / 8.87 inch 16.8 mm / 0.661 inch 1.1 kg2.41 lbs356.8 mm / 14 inch 233.7 mm / 9.2 inch 15.9 mm / 0.626 inch 1.6 kg3.53 lbs339.5 mm / 13.4 inch 244 mm / 9.61 inch 14.7 mm / 0.579 inch 1.5 kg3.4 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity - LG Gram offers plenty of ports

The LG Gram 15 offers a great selection of ports. In addition to three USB 3.0 Type-A ports, there is also a USB Type-C port, which supports Thunderbolt 3. Moreover, the device can be charged through the USB-C port, which can come in handy if you forget the included charger at home. External displays can be connected via the full-size HDMI port on the left side of the device or, with the help of an adapter, via the Type-C port. The 2020 model comes with an SD card reader. When it comes to ports, the LG Gram 15Z90N gives the competition a run for their money.

Left side: Power socket, one USB 2.0 port, HDMI output, one USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-C port (DisplayPort over USB-C)
Left side: Power socket, one USB 2.0 port, HDMI output, one USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-C port (DisplayPort over USB-C)
Right side: Kensington lock, two USB 3.1 Gen1 ports, combination headphone and microphone jack, SD card reader
Right side: Kensington lock, two USB 3.1 Gen1 ports, combination headphone and microphone jack, SD card reader

SD Card Reader

The microSD card reader is located on the right side of the device and operates at USB 3.0 speeds. The slot swallows SD cards almost completely, which is why cards do not protrude from the slot. In the benchmark with our reference-grade SD card (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB), the LG Gram 15 achieved such great results that it took first place in our comparison chart. Only the MSI Modern 15, which has a much slower card reader (only USB 2.0 speeds) fell far behind the LG Gram 15.

SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
LG Gram 15Z90N
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB)
84.1 MB/s
SCHENKER Work 15
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
76.8 MB/s -9%
LG Gram 15Z980-B.AA78B
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64BG)
75.9 MB/s -10%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (19.5 - 193.9, n=16, last 2 years)
69.6 MB/s -17%
SCHENKER Slim 15-RE-E19
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
67.7 MB/s -20%
MSI Modern 15 A10RB
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 UHS-II)
26.8 MB/s -68%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
LG Gram 15Z90N
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB)
88.8 MB/s
LG Gram 15Z980-B.AA78B
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 64BG)
86.5 MB/s -3%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (23.6 - 239, n=16, last 2 years)
84.3 MB/s -5%
SCHENKER Work 15
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
84.2 MB/s -5%
SCHENKER Slim 15-RE-E19
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
81.5 MB/s -8%
MSI Modern 15 A10RB
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 UHS-II)
29.1 MB/s -67%

Communication

Wi-Fi 6 module
Wi-Fi 6 module

The new Wi-Fi 6 module in the new LG Gram 15 delivers better results than ever. Nevertheless, the Wi-Fi performance of the Gram 15 is slightly worse than that of the competition. However, the differences in performance should be imperceptible in everyday use. Those who need a faster internet connection can use the included Ethernet adapter to connect to a faster wired network. Unfortunately, there is no optional LTE version.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
MSI Modern 15 A10RB
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
1244 (889min - 1355max) MBit/s +102%
Average Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
  (49.8 - 1775, n=324)
1161 MBit/s +89%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (606 - 1339, n=3, last 2 years)
1056 MBit/s +72%
SCHENKER Work 15
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
680 MBit/s +11%
SCHENKER Slim 15-RE-E19
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
650 (520min - 667max) MBit/s +6%
LG Gram 15Z90N
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
615 (571min - 655max) MBit/s
LG Gram 15Z980-B.AA78B
Intel 8265 Tri-Band WiFi (Oak Peak) Network Adapter
540 MBit/s -12%
iperf3 receive AX12
Average Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
  (136 - 1743, n=324)
1261 MBit/s +44%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (623 - 1690, n=3, last 2 years)
1258 MBit/s +44%
MSI Modern 15 A10RB
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
1128 (1084min - 1146max) MBit/s +29%
LG Gram 15Z90N
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201
876 (819min - 901max) MBit/s
SCHENKER Work 15
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
649 MBit/s -26%
LG Gram 15Z980-B.AA78B
Intel 8265 Tri-Band WiFi (Oak Peak) Network Adapter
606 MBit/s -31%
SCHENKER Slim 15-RE-E19
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
580 (528min - 648max) MBit/s -34%
05010015020025030035040045050055060065070075080085090095010001050110011501200125013001350Tooltip
LG Gram 15Z90N Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø875 (819-901)
MSI Modern 15 A10RB Intel Wireless-AC 9560; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø1128 (1084-1146)
SCHENKER Slim 15-RE-E19 Intel Wireless-AC 9560; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø580 (528-648)
LG Gram 15Z90N Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø615 (571-655)
MSI Modern 15 A10RB Intel Wireless-AC 9560; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø1244 (889-1355)
SCHENKER Slim 15-RE-E19 Intel Wireless-AC 9560; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø650 (520-667)

Web Camera

The integrated web camera (0.9 MP) has a maximum resolution of 1280x720. It produces blurry and washed-out videos and images. Moreover, under low-light conditions, there is a lot of noise. The colour deviation of 20.85 is way too high. A Delta-E less than 3 is far, far away.

ColorChecker
26.4 ∆E
23.7 ∆E
26.5 ∆E
23.3 ∆E
30.6 ∆E
18.1 ∆E
20.1 ∆E
30.7 ∆E
20.5 ∆E
23.1 ∆E
13.6 ∆E
19.5 ∆E
24.6 ∆E
18.1 ∆E
23.8 ∆E
9.5 ∆E
25 ∆E
23.5 ∆E
2.3 ∆E
11.8 ∆E
24.9 ∆E
25.4 ∆E
24.7 ∆E
10.5 ∆E
ColorChecker LG Gram 15Z90N: 20.85 ∆E min: 2.33 - max: 30.73 ∆E

Security

The Kensington Security Slot is a very sensible inclusion for any ultraportable laptop, because it can prevent the device from getting stolen. The LG Gram 15 also features a fingerprint sensor. It is integrated in the power button and, after the initial set-up, makes logging in considerably easier.

Accessories

In addition to the obligatory safety warnings and the warranty brochure, the box of the LG Gram 15 contains an Ethernet adapter.

Maintenance

Those who think themselves capable can open the LG device up to do basic maintenance and upgrade components. All in all, there are eight screws, which are hidden behind various coverings and rubber feet. Once the base cover is removed, users will get easy access to the fan and the heatsink. The soldered-in 8 GB of RAM can only be expanded with an additional module.

The LG Gram 15Z90N without the bottom cover
The LG Gram 15Z90N without the bottom cover

Warranty

The LG Gram 15 comes with a 24-month warranty.

Input Devices

Keyboard

Keyboard of the LG Gram 15Z90N
Keyboard of the LG Gram 15Z90N

Because the LG Gram 15 is now freely available in Germany and Austria, users will no longer have to make do with the QWERTY layout. The keys sit firmly in their cutouts and provide good tactile feedback during typing. The short travel distance of the keys is counterbalanced by a high amount of force required to reach the actuation point, which is why the keys do not feel mushy. The keys are well-sized. That being said, the keys on the numeric pad are somewhat smaller due to design considerations. Idiosyncrasies, which were inherited from the predecessor, take a while to get used to. Until that, miss-strokes are hard to avoid. To give an example: the right shift key is placed really close to the arrow keys. The white keyboard backlight, which offers two brightness levels, is worthy of praise.

Touchpad

Touchpad of the LG Gram 15Z90N
Touchpad of the LG Gram 15Z90N

The Touchpad, which is located below the keyboard, measures 10.3 x 6.9 centimetres (~4.05 x 2.7 in) and makes good use of the available space. During our review, it worked very well. It allows users to move the cursor easily and with precision. We did not find any dead areas in the course of our review. At the bottom of the Touchpad, there are two clickable buttons.

Display

Pixel arrangement
Pixel arrangement
There is some clouding on the LG Gram 15's screen
There is some clouding on the LG Gram 15's screen

The LG Gram 15Z90N offers a conventional Full HD display, which is produced by LG itself. The 15.6-inch screen has a pixel density of 141 PPI. The resolution of 1920x1080 is sufficient for a laptop screen of this size. In our testing, the display brightness peaked at 366 cd/m², which is a rather good result. Here, the only competing device that has a brighter screen is the Surface Laptop 3. We have a few not so nice words about the display brightness when running on battery power. When the Gram 15 is not plugged in, the screen brightness drops to 316 cd/m². Thanks to a low black value (0.28 cd/m²), the display offers a good maximum contrast ratio of 1307:1. When compared to the competition, the LG Gram 15 does quite well. However, it is beaten by the Surface Laptop 3 in certain areas. Having said that, the Surface Laptop 3 is beaten by the rest of the competition when it comes to response times.

We do not wish to omit the fact that the LG Gram 15’s screen suffers from clouding. However, it is mild and only noticeable in dark scenes. The display does not exhibit PWM flickering.

365
cd/m²
341
cd/m²
343
cd/m²
345
cd/m²
366
cd/m²
330
cd/m²
335
cd/m²
323
cd/m²
326
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
LP156WF9-SPN1 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 366 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 341.6 cd/m² Minimum: 23 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 88 %
Center on Battery: 316 cd/m²
Contrast: 1307:1 (Black: 0.28 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 2.68 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 1.08
ΔE Greyscale 2.4 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
96% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
61% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
66.8% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
96.4% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
66% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.25
LG Gram 15Z90N
LP156WF9-SPN1, .2 IPS LED, 1920x1080, 15.60
LG Gram 15Z980-B.AA78B
LP156WF9-SPN1, IPS LED, 1920x1080, 15.60
MSI Modern 15 A10RB
Chi Mei N156HCE-EN1, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
SCHENKER Work 15
LP156WFC-SPP1, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15 Ryzen 5 3580U
Sharp LQ150P1JX51, IPS, 2496x1664, 15.00
SCHENKER Slim 15-RE-E19
Chi Mei CMN15E8, IPS, 2x1, 15.60
Display
-1%
-1%
-41%
-0%
-5%
Display P3 Coverage
66
65.3
-1%
66
0%
38.12
-42%
66.9
1%
63.7
-3%
sRGB Coverage
96.4
96.2
0%
92.1
-4%
57.4
-40%
99.3
3%
87.7
-9%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
66.8
66.3
-1%
66.5
0%
39.39
-41%
63.7
-5%
63.9
-4%
Response Times
-2%
-38%
-14%
-49%
-6%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
36 ?(18, 18)
34.3 ?(16.4, 17.9)
5%
43.2 ?(22.8, 20.4)
-20%
37.2 ?(19.2, 18)
-3%
47.2 ?(23.2, 24)
-31%
37 ?(18, 19)
-3%
Response Time Black / White *
22 ?(12, 10)
23.7 ?(13.1, 10.6)
-8%
34.4 ?(20.4, 14)
-56%
27.2 ?(17.2, 10)
-24%
36.8 ?(20.4, 16.4)
-67%
24 ?(14, 10)
-9%
PWM Frequency
26040 ?(13)
21370 ?(51)
25000 ?(20)
Screen
-15%
-20%
-72%
0%
-26%
Brightness middle
366
349
-5%
289.4
-21%
238
-35%
416.9
14%
289
-21%
Brightness
342
331
-3%
273
-20%
235
-31%
389
14%
280
-18%
Brightness Distribution
88
84
-5%
82
-7%
87
-1%
86
-2%
87
-1%
Black Level *
0.28
0.32
-14%
0.27
4%
0.14
50%
0.4
-43%
0.36
-29%
Contrast
1307
1091
-17%
1072
-18%
1700
30%
1042
-20%
803
-39%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
2.68
3.1
-16%
2.32
13%
6.1
-128%
2.75
-3%
3.93
-47%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
5.25
6.6
-26%
5.76
-10%
14.2
-170%
6.64
-26%
6.98
-33%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
1.08
1.5
-39%
2.49
-131%
4.4
-307%
0.71
34%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
2.4
3.3
-38%
3
-25%
5.2
-117%
1.8
25%
3.73
-55%
Gamma
2.25 98%
2.16 102%
2.22 99%
2.45 90%
2.09 105%
2.42 91%
CCT
6474 100%
6973 93%
6867 95%
7469 87%
6646 98%
6802 96%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
61
61.46
1%
59.8
-2%
36.3
-40%
63.4
4%
57
-7%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
96
96.05
0%
92
-4%
57.2
-40%
99.4
4%
87
-9%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-6% / -10%
-20% / -19%
-42% / -59%
-16% / -6%
-12% / -19%

* ... smaller is better

LG Gram 15Z90N vs. sRGB  (96%)
LG Gram 15Z90N vs. sRGB (96%)
LG Gram 15Z90N vs. AdobeRGB (64%)
LG Gram 15Z90N vs. AdobeRGB (64%)

When compared to the predecessor model, the Delta E deviation (2.68) from the sRGB colour space is somewhat smaller and is less than the desired value of 3. After calibration, which we carried out despite a good original Delta E value, the colour accuracy increased even further. Just like its predecessors, 2020’s model offers users an ability to change the colour temperature via LG Control Center. The noticeable bluish cast persisted even after calibration. The LG Gram 15Z90N does well when it comes to colour space coverage, because it can cover 96% of the sRGB colour space. The colour space coverage is somewhat worse when it comes to the Adobe RGB colour space (61%). Nevertheless, the Gram 15 can still be used for occasional photo and video editing. 

CalMAN: Grayscale
CalMAN: Grayscale
CalMAN: Colours
CalMAN: Colours
CalMAN: Saturation
CalMAN: Saturation
CalMAN: Grayscale (after calibration)
CalMAN: Grayscale (after calibration)
CalMAN: Colours (after calibration)
CalMAN: Colours (after calibration)
CalMAN: Saturation (after calibration)
CalMAN: Saturation (after calibration)

An ultraportable device benefits greatly from an ability to be used anywhere. However, because of a glossy screen, this is not always possible. A matte screen would have been a better fit for a device like this. 

The LG Gram 15Z90N in the sunlight
The LG Gram 15Z90N in the sunlight
The LG Gram 15Z90N in the shade
The LG Gram 15Z90N in the shade

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
22 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 12 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. » 42 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is similar to the average of all tested devices (21.6 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 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 44 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is similar to 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.

Thanks to an IPS panel, the viewing angles do not provide a shock to the system. The test image can be viewed from any position without any problem. However, when looking at the screen at an acute angle, the IPS glow rears its ugly head. Nevertheless, during normal use it is not noticeable.

Viewing angles of the LG Gram 15Z90N
Viewing angles of the LG Gram 15Z90N

Performance

The LG Gram 15 comes with an Intel Core i5-1035G7, 8 GB of RAM and a 512 GB SSD, which is why it is capable of providing a smooth user experience. Those who need more storage space or RAM can easily add more.

CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
GPU-Z
GPU-Z
HWiNFO

Processor

Intel Core i5-1035G7
Intel Core i5-1035G7

The Gram 15 features a 10-nm, Ice Lake-based processor known as the Intel Core i5-1035G7. The CPU has a base clock of 1.2 GHz and a boost clock of 3.7 GHz. The all-core boost frequency amounts to 3.3 GHz. The Core i5-1035G7 struggles in the benchmarks. It can only land a spot in the middle of our comparison chart. Despite the low weight, the manufacturer managed to include a good cooling solution. In the Cinebench R15 loop, the SoC always boosts above the base clock. However, the chip was not able to maintain its boost clocks over an extended period of time, which is why the score kept falling in the first eight benchmark runs.

You can find out how LG’s Gram 15 stacks up against other laptops on our CPU Benchmarks page.

050100150200250300350400450500550600650700750800850900950Tooltip
LG Gram 15Z90N Intel Core i5-1035G7, Intel Core i5-1035G7: Ø414 (401.76-534.64)
LG Gram 15Z980-B.AA78B Intel Core i7-8550U, Intel Core i7-8550U: Ø475 (461.37-506.44)
MSI Modern 15 A10RB Intel Core i7-10510U, Intel Core i7-10510U: Ø795 (785.64-858.83)
SCHENKER Work 15 Intel Core i7-8750H, Intel Core i7-8750H: Ø935 (922.83-971.04)
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15 Ryzen 5 3580U AMD Ryzen 5 3580U, AMD Ryzen 5 3580U: Ø662 (563.52-691.26)
SCHENKER Slim 15-RE-E19 Intel Core i5-8265U, Intel Core i5-8265U: Ø495 (488.96-585.22)
Cinebench R20: CPU (Single Core) | CPU (Multi Core)
Cinebench R15: CPU Single 64Bit | CPU Multi 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 (Single Core)
Average of class Subnotebook
  (216 - 738, n=64, last 2 years)
602 Points +58%
MSI Modern 15 A10RB
Intel Core i7-10510U
497 Points +31%
Average Intel Core i5-1035G7
  (380 - 439, n=3)
415 Points +9%
SCHENKER Work 15
Intel Core i7-8750H
409 Points +8%
LG Gram 15Z90N
Intel Core i5-1035G7
380 Points
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15 Ryzen 5 3580U
AMD Ryzen 5 3580U
352 Points -7%
Cinebench R20 / CPU (Multi Core)
Average of class Subnotebook
  (810 - 6314, n=64, last 2 years)
3825 Points +267%
SCHENKER Work 15
Intel Core i7-8750H
2272 Points +118%
MSI Modern 15 A10RB
Intel Core i7-10510U
1897 Points +82%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15 Ryzen 5 3580U
AMD Ryzen 5 3580U
1549 Points +49%
Average Intel Core i5-1035G7
  (1043 - 1630, n=3)
1302 Points +25%
LG Gram 15Z90N
Intel Core i5-1035G7
1043 Points
Cinebench R15 / CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Subnotebook
  (91.8 - 280, n=62, last 2 years)
234 Points +53%
MSI Modern 15 A10RB
Intel Core i7-10510U
202 Points +32%
SCHENKER Work 15
Intel Core i7-8750H
174 Points +14%
Average Intel Core i5-1035G7
  (153 - 172, n=3)
165 Points +8%
SCHENKER Slim 15-RE-E19
Intel Core i5-8265U
163 Points +7%
LG Gram 15Z980-B.AA78B
Intel Core i7-8550U
158 Points +3%
LG Gram 15Z90N
Intel Core i5-1035G7
153 Points
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15 Ryzen 5 3580U
AMD Ryzen 5 3580U
139 Points -9%
Cinebench R15 / CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Subnotebook
  (514 - 2581, n=70, last 2 years)
1705 Points +216%
SCHENKER Work 15
Intel Core i7-8750H
971 (541.45min - 977.59max) Points +80%
MSI Modern 15 A10RB
Intel Core i7-10510U
813 Points +51%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15 Ryzen 5 3580U
AMD Ryzen 5 3580U
693 Points +29%
Average Intel Core i5-1035G7
  (539 - 736, n=3)
662 Points +23%
SCHENKER Slim 15-RE-E19
Intel Core i5-8265U
585 Points +9%
LG Gram 15Z90N
Intel Core i5-1035G7
539 Points
LG Gram 15Z980-B.AA78B
Intel Core i7-8550U
506 Points -6%
Blender / v2.79 BMW27 CPU
LG Gram 15Z90N
Intel Core i5-1035G7
1075 Seconds *
LG Gram 15Z980-B.AA78B
Intel Core i7-8550U
937 Seconds * +13%
Average Intel Core i5-1035G7
  (771 - 1075, n=3)
880 Seconds * +18%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15 Ryzen 5 3580U
AMD Ryzen 5 3580U
710 Seconds * +34%
SCHENKER Work 15
Intel Core i7-8750H
473 Seconds * +56%
SCHENKER Work 15
Intel Core i7-8750H
473 Seconds * +56%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (201 - 1600, n=66, last 2 years)
397 Seconds * +63%
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 -mmt1
Average of class Subnotebook
  (2197 - 6403, n=58, last 2 years)
5278 MIPS +29%
SCHENKER Work 15
Intel Core i7-8750H
4629 MIPS +13%
SCHENKER Work 15
Intel Core i7-8750H
4629 MIPS +13%
Average Intel Core i5-1035G7
  (4091 - 4252, n=3)
4183 MIPS +2%
LG Gram 15Z90N
Intel Core i5-1035G7
4091 MIPS
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15 Ryzen 5 3580U
AMD Ryzen 5 3580U
3572 MIPS -13%
7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4
Average of class Subnotebook
  (16223 - 67444, n=57, last 2 years)
43017 MIPS +209%
SCHENKER Work 15
Intel Core i7-8750H
28826 MIPS +107%
SCHENKER Work 15
Intel Core i7-8750H
28826 MIPS +107%
Average Intel Core i5-1035G7
  (13921 - 19168, n=3)
17144 MIPS +23%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15 Ryzen 5 3580U
AMD Ryzen 5 3580U
15209 MIPS +9%
LG Gram 15Z90N
Intel Core i5-1035G7
13921 MIPS
Geekbench 5.5 / Single-Core
Average of class Subnotebook
  (672 - 2350, n=66, last 2 years)
1677 Points +44%
LG Gram 15Z90N
Intel Core i5-1035G7
1163 Points
Average Intel Core i5-1035G7
 
1163 Points 0%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15 Ryzen 5 3580U
AMD Ryzen 5 3580U
900 Points -23%
Geekbench 5.5 / Multi-Core
Average of class Subnotebook
  (4213 - 12580, n=66, last 2 years)
8762 Points +223%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15 Ryzen 5 3580U
AMD Ryzen 5 3580U
2990 Points +10%
LG Gram 15Z90N
Intel Core i5-1035G7
2713 Points
Average Intel Core i5-1035G7
 
2713 Points 0%
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 / 4k Preset
Average of class Subnotebook
  (1.5 - 19.4, n=56, last 2 years)
11.5 fps
SCHENKER Work 15
Intel Core i7-8750H
7.8 fps
SCHENKER Work 15
Intel Core i7-8750H
7.76 fps
Average Intel Core i5-1035G7
  (4.63 - 4.71, n=2)
4.67 fps
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15 Ryzen 5 3580U
AMD Ryzen 5 3580U
4.091 fps
LG Gram 15Z980-B.AA78B
Intel Core i7-8550U
3.88 fps
LibreOffice / 20 Documents To PDF
Average of class Subnotebook
  (40.1 - 120.5, n=57, last 2 years)
53.6 s * -66%
Average Intel Core i5-1035G7
 
32.3 s * -0%
LG Gram 15Z90N
Intel Core i5-1035G7
32.26 s *
R Benchmark 2.5 / Overall mean
LG Gram 15Z90N
Intel Core i5-1035G7
0.811 sec *
Average Intel Core i5-1035G7
 
0.811 sec * -0%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (0.4397 - 1.236, n=57, last 2 years)
0.528 sec * +35%

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R10
Cinebench R10
Cinebench R11.5
Cinebench R11.5
Cinebench R15
Cinebench R15
Cinebench R20
Cinebench R20
Octane V2
Octane V2
Mozilla Kraken 1.1
Mozilla Kraken 1.1
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
6044
Cinebench R10 Shading 64Bit
10006 Points
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 64Bit
20535 Points
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single CPUs 64Bit
8073 Points
Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
9591
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
15373
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 32Bit
4.35 Points
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 32Bit
33.61 fps
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
1.77 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
4.87 Points
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
34.72 fps
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 32Bit
1.54 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
153 Points
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
97.8 %
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
43.01 fps
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
539 Points
Help

System Performance

When it comes to system performance, the 2020 model is able to handily beat its predecessor. Here, you can see that the pure CPU performance is not the most important factor, but the overall system performance is. The MSI Modern 15 and the Schenker Work 15 manage to get ahead. In the course of our review, the LG Gram 15 felt very smooth and responsive. The device took a few seconds to boot up and we never experienced any slowdown, even during intensive tasks. 

PCMark 10
Score
Average of class Subnotebook
  (4384 - 7428, n=56, last 2 years)
5810 Points +49%
MSI Modern 15 A10RB
GeForce MX250, i7-10510U, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
5409 Points +38%
Average Intel Core i5-1035G7, Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU)
  (3906 - 4421, n=2)
4164 Points +7%
SCHENKER Work 15
UHD Graphics 630, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 500GB
4154 Points +6%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15 Ryzen 5 3580U
Vega 9, R5 3580U, SK hynix BC501 HFM256GDGTNG
4056 Points +4%
LG Gram 15Z90N
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i5-1035G7, SK Hynix PC401 512GB M.2 (HFS512GD9TNG)
3906 Points
SCHENKER Slim 15-RE-E19
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 500GB
3790 Points -3%
LG Gram 15Z980-B.AA78B
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, SK Hynix Canvas SC300 512GB M.2 (HFS512G39TNF)
2733 Points -30%
Essentials
Average of class Subnotebook
  (8890 - 11168, n=56, last 2 years)
10202 Points +23%
MSI Modern 15 A10RB
GeForce MX250, i7-10510U, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
9711 Points +17%
SCHENKER Work 15
UHD Graphics 630, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 500GB
8719 Points +5%
Average Intel Core i5-1035G7, Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU)
  (8272 - 9086, n=2)
8679 Points +5%
LG Gram 15Z90N
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i5-1035G7, SK Hynix PC401 512GB M.2 (HFS512GD9TNG)
8272 Points
SCHENKER Slim 15-RE-E19
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 500GB
7963 Points -4%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15 Ryzen 5 3580U
Vega 9, R5 3580U, SK hynix BC501 HFM256GDGTNG
7861 Points -5%
LG Gram 15Z980-B.AA78B
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, SK Hynix Canvas SC300 512GB M.2 (HFS512G39TNF)
6628 Points -20%
Productivity
MSI Modern 15 A10RB
GeForce MX250, i7-10510U, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
7972 Points +24%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (6213 - 10279, n=56, last 2 years)
7803 Points +22%
SCHENKER Work 15
UHD Graphics 630, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 500GB
6682 Points +4%
Average Intel Core i5-1035G7, Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU)
  (6417 - 6765, n=2)
6591 Points +3%
LG Gram 15Z90N
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i5-1035G7, SK Hynix PC401 512GB M.2 (HFS512GD9TNG)
6417 Points
SCHENKER Slim 15-RE-E19
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 500GB
6202 Points -3%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15 Ryzen 5 3580U
Vega 9, R5 3580U, SK hynix BC501 HFM256GDGTNG
6102 Points -5%
LG Gram 15Z980-B.AA78B
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, SK Hynix Canvas SC300 512GB M.2 (HFS512G39TNF)
5553 Points -13%
Digital Content Creation
Average of class Subnotebook
  (4093 - 9749, n=56, last 2 years)
6758 Points +122%
MSI Modern 15 A10RB
GeForce MX250, i7-10510U, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
5547 Points +82%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15 Ryzen 5 3580U
Vega 9, R5 3580U, SK hynix BC501 HFM256GDGTNG
3778 Points +24%
Average Intel Core i5-1035G7, Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU)
  (3047 - 3817, n=2)
3432 Points +13%
SCHENKER Work 15
UHD Graphics 630, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 500GB
3340 Points +10%
LG Gram 15Z90N
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i5-1035G7, SK Hynix PC401 512GB M.2 (HFS512GD9TNG)
3047 Points
SCHENKER Slim 15-RE-E19
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 500GB
2992 Points -2%
LG Gram 15Z980-B.AA78B
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, SK Hynix Canvas SC300 512GB M.2 (HFS512G39TNF)
1506 Points -51%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Subnotebook
  (4730 - 5285, n=3, last 2 years)
5030 Points +44%
SCHENKER Work 15
UHD Graphics 630, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 500GB
4326 Points +24%
MSI Modern 15 A10RB
GeForce MX250, i7-10510U, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
3958 Points +13%
Average Intel Core i5-1035G7, Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU)
  (3497 - 3725, n=2)
3611 Points +3%
LG Gram 15Z90N
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i5-1035G7, SK Hynix PC401 512GB M.2 (HFS512GD9TNG)
3497 Points
SCHENKER Slim 15-RE-E19
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 500GB
3449 Points -1%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15 Ryzen 5 3580U
Vega 9, R5 3580U, SK hynix BC501 HFM256GDGTNG
3348 Points -4%
LG Gram 15Z980-B.AA78B
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, SK Hynix Canvas SC300 512GB M.2 (HFS512G39TNF)
3255 Points -7%
Work Score Accelerated v2
MSI Modern 15 A10RB
GeForce MX250, i7-10510U, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
5443 Points +14%
SCHENKER Work 15
UHD Graphics 630, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 500GB
5164 Points +8%
LG Gram 15Z90N
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i5-1035G7, SK Hynix PC401 512GB M.2 (HFS512GD9TNG)
4772 Points
Average Intel Core i5-1035G7, Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU)
  (4755 - 4772, n=2)
4764 Points 0%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15 Ryzen 5 3580U
Vega 9, R5 3580U, SK hynix BC501 HFM256GDGTNG
4246 Points -11%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (2972 - 5271, n=3, last 2 years)
3805 Points -20%
LG Gram 15Z980-B.AA78B
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, SK Hynix Canvas SC300 512GB M.2 (HFS512G39TNF)
3518 Points -26%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3497 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
5038 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
4772 points
PCMark 10 Score
3906 points
Help

DPC Latencies

LatencyMon revealed problems with DPC latencies as soon as we started opening tabs in Edge. We encountered the same situation when playing back a 4K video. Here, the CPU utilisation hovered around 40-45%. It looks as though LG needs to figure out a few problems with the drivers. Until LG fixes these issues, users may encounters problems when playing back video or audio files.

Maximum latency when opening several browser tabs and playing back 4K video
Maximum latency when opening several browser tabs and playing back 4K video
Maximum latency after 10 seconds of Prime95
Maximum latency after 10 seconds of Prime95
Driver files ranked by highest latency
Driver files ranked by highest latency
DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95
LG Gram 15Z90N
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i5-1035G7, SK Hynix PC401 512GB M.2 (HFS512GD9TNG)
4990 μs *

* ... smaller is better

Storage Devices

NVMe SSD
NVMe SSD
Empty M.2 slot
Empty M.2 slot

The Gram 15 features a 512 GB NVMe SSD from SK Hynix. The SSD comes in the M.2-2280 form factor. The included storage device did well in our benchmarks. However, the sequential write speeds were a little below our expectations. The 4K read speed of over 50 MB/s is quite impressive, though. Users can put two storage devices in the LG Gram 15, because there is an additional empty M.2 slot inside the device.

You can find out how the storage device in the Gram 15 stacks up against other storage devices on our HDD/SSD Benchmarks page.

AS SSD
AS SSD
CDM 3
CDM 3
CDM 5
CDM 5
CDM 6
CDM 6
CDI
CDI
LG Gram 15Z90N
SK Hynix PC401 512GB M.2 (HFS512GD9TNG)
MSI Modern 15 A10RB
WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
SCHENKER Work 15
Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 500GB
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15 Ryzen 5 3580U
SK hynix BC501 HFM256GDGTNG
SCHENKER Slim 15-RE-E19
Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 500GB
Average SK Hynix PC401 512GB M.2 (HFS512GD9TNG)
 
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
15%
8%
-45%
0%
-17%
Write 4K
177.1
208.4
18%
149.6
-16%
99
-44%
187.2
6%
143.3 ?(114.4 - 202, n=10)
-19%
Read 4K
47.88
51
7%
49.29
3%
35.63
-26%
51.8
8%
45.3 ?(41.4 - 50.5, n=10)
-5%
Write Seq
2182
2687
23%
1653
-24%
706
-68%
1438
-34%
1514 ?(635 - 2561, n=10)
-31%
Read Seq
1900
2168
14%
1468
-23%
1044
-45%
1347
-29%
1758 ?(1274 - 2065, n=10)
-7%
Write 4K Q32T1
448.4
489.2
9%
478.2
7%
326.6
-27%
396.7
-12%
425 ?(287 - 681, n=10)
-5%
Read 4K Q32T1
470.3
600
28%
561
19%
270
-43%
534
14%
459 ?(261 - 754, n=10)
-2%
Write Seq Q32T1
2228
2699
21%
3272
47%
820
-63%
3280
47%
1531 ?(662 - 2736, n=10)
-31%
Read Seq Q32T1
3454
3374
-2%
3550
3%
2028
-41%
3556
3%
2895 ?(2515 - 3473, n=10)
-16%
Write 4K Q8T8
1283
2067
61%
918 ?(724 - 1283, n=3)
-28%
Read 4K Q8T8
1052
1064
1%
819 ?(690 - 1052, n=3)
-22%
AS SSD
7%
36%
-67%
23%
-13%
Seq Read
2842
2084
-27%
2716
-4%
1122
-61%
2661
-6%
2266 ?(1596 - 3012, n=11)
-20%
Seq Write
974
2442
151%
2531
160%
514
-47%
2426
149%
1137 ?(680 - 2424, n=11)
17%
4K Read
50.5
47.52
-6%
55.9
11%
34.98
-31%
59
17%
43.2 ?(24 - 55.6, n=11)
-14%
4K Write
147.5
135.8
-8%
134.7
-9%
96.8
-34%
166
13%
118.8 ?(97.9 - 147.8, n=11)
-19%
4K-64 Read
1191
1043
-12%
1183
-1%
492
-59%
1314
10%
819 ?(623 - 1569, n=11)
-31%
4K-64 Write
1275
955
-25%
2280
79%
339.9
-73%
1494
17%
956 ?(486 - 1922, n=11)
-25%
Access Time Read *
0.043
0.062
-44%
0.034
21%
0.056
-30%
0.046
-7%
0.04909 ?(0.043 - 0.07, n=11)
-14%
Access Time Write *
0.027
0.076
-181%
0.028
-4%
0.11
-307%
0.023
15%
0.04845 ?(0.026 - 0.07, n=11)
-79%
Score Read
1526
1299
-15%
1510
-1%
639
-58%
1639
7%
1089 ?(860 - 1914, n=11)
-29%
Score Write
1520
1335
-12%
2668
76%
488
-68%
1902
25%
1188 ?(677 - 2309, n=11)
-22%
Score Total
3741
3326
-11%
4952
32%
1434
-62%
4379
17%
2787 ?(1951 - 5185, n=11)
-26%
Copy ISO MB/s
1135
1926
70%
2041
80%
828
-27%
1286 ?(757 - 2489, n=9)
13%
Copy Program MB/s
346
714
106%
405.7
17%
200.5
-42%
470 ?(333 - 728, n=9)
36%
Copy Game MB/s
665
1425
114%
1000
50%
387.4
-42%
837 ?(362 - 1670, n=9)
26%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
11% / 10%
22% / 24%
-56% / -59%
12% / 14%
-15% / -15%

* ... smaller is better

SK Hynix PC401 512GB M.2 (HFS512GD9TNG)
Sequential Read: 1961 MB/s
Sequential Write: 2106 MB/s
512K Read: 1656 MB/s
512K Write: 2022 MB/s
4K Read: 58.7 MB/s
4K Write: 170.8 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 485.7 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 455.7 MB/s

Dauerleistung Lesen: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8

No graph data

Graphics Card

The Ice Lake chip comes with the Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7, which is an integrated GPU. The iGPU comes without any VRAM and therefore has to rely on system memory. Because our system uses single-channel RAM, the iGPU performs somewhat worse. The GPU performance can be increased by installing a second RAM module. iGPUs cannot work miracles. The LG Gram 15 takes a spot in the middle of our comparison chart. However, when compared to devices with Intel’s UHD Graphics iGPUs, the Iris Plus Graphics G7 performs much better. Nevertheless, AMD’s APUs are still more capable.

You can learn what kind of performance you can expect from Intel's Iris Plus Graphics G7 on our GPU Benchmarks page.

3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Average of class Subnotebook
  (2979 - 16904, n=55, last 2 years)
8016 Points +175%
MSI Modern 15 A10RB
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, Intel Core i7-10510U
4905 Points +68%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15 Ryzen 5 3580U
AMD Radeon RX Vega 9, AMD Ryzen 5 3580U
4380 Points +50%
Average Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU)
  (2112 - 4630, n=28)
3996 Points +37%
LG Gram 15Z90N
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), Intel Core i5-1035G7
2914 Points
SCHENKER Slim 15-RE-E19
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8265U
1835 Points -37%
SCHENKER Work 15
Intel UHD Graphics 630, Intel Core i7-8750H
1805 Points -38%
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Average of class Subnotebook
  (13768 - 65911, n=40, last 2 years)
29002 Points +313%
MSI Modern 15 A10RB
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, Intel Core i7-10510U
23806 Points +239%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15 Ryzen 5 3580U
AMD Radeon RX Vega 9, AMD Ryzen 5 3580U
19255 Points +174%
Average Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU)
  (7024 - 18881, n=24)
15496 Points +121%
SCHENKER Work 15
Intel UHD Graphics 630, Intel Core i7-8750H
11199 Points +59%
LG Gram 15Z980-B.AA78B
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i7-8550U
10131 Points +44%
LG Gram 15Z90N
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), Intel Core i5-1035G7
7024 Points
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Average of class Subnotebook
  (2837 - 12349, n=59, last 2 years)
5881 Points +315%
MSI Modern 15 A10RB
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, Intel Core i7-10510U
3868 Points +173%
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15 Ryzen 5 3580U
AMD Radeon RX Vega 9, AMD Ryzen 5 3580U
2789 Points +97%
Average Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU)
  (1418 - 3156, n=27)
2594 Points +83%
LG Gram 15Z90N
Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), Intel Core i5-1035G7
1418 Points
SCHENKER Work 15
Intel UHD Graphics 630, Intel Core i7-8750H
1326 Points -6%
LG Gram 15Z980-B.AA78B
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i7-8550U
1284 Points -9%
3DMark 11 Performance
2736 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
14678 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
6616 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
1298 points
3DMark Fire Strike Extreme Score
626 points
Help

Gaming Performance

The LG Gram 15 is an ultraportable device, which is not suited for gaming. The Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 does not change things much. Only older titles are playable and only at low resolutions and on the lowest settings. However, the device can run simple browser games without any problems. 

low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 48.6 25.8 21.1 7.8
Dota 2 Reborn (2015) 54.4 29 17.5 16.4
Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016) 19.5 15.3 7.89 6.28
X-Plane 11.11 (2018) 21.5 11.4 11.3

Emissions

System Noise

During idle operation and under short-term loads, the LG Gram 15 is completely silent. The fan starts quietly spinning only under continuous load. The fan noise peaks at 34.2 dB(A), which means that 2020’s Gram 15 is somewhat quieter than 2019’s model (35 dB(A)).

Noise Level

Idle
30.7 / 30.7 / 31.9 dB(A)
Load
34 / 34.2 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 30.7 dB(A)
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2032.73332.934.132.72537.132.332.733.637.13137.336.331.833.537.34032.830.531.730.832.85033.132.230.83133.16329.229.52928.629.28027.726.626.126.727.710025.926.125.52525.912524.824.925.42524.816024.224.625.123.824.22002423.12423.22425022.423.322.623.222.431522.422.421.521.822.440021.221.821.820.321.250020.820.320.219.720.863020.420.120.219.720.480020.720.419.618.520.7100021.5212018.321.5125022.422.320.618.122.4160023.823.620.318.123.8200025.124.521.318.125.1250025.625.719.91825.6315021.721.218.818.521.7400020.420.118.918.520.4500019.719.918.918.519.763001919.118.818.619800018.918.918.918.618.91000018.818.818.618.618.81250019.118.918.71919.1160001918.918.819.219SPL34.334.13230.934.3N21.91.71.52median 21.5median 21.2median 20.2median 18.6median 21.5Delta2.22.11.31.72.2hearing rangehide median Fan NoiseLG Gram 15Z90N

Temperature

3DMark 11 after the stress test
3DMark 11 after the stress test

Both when idle and under load, the surface temperatures are quite low. We measured 38.6 °Centigrade (101.48 °F) at the hottest point. No other competing device can deliver better results in this area. 

Stress test: FurMark+Prime95
Stress test: FurMark+Prime95

In our one-hour stress test, in which we tax the device by running Prime95 and FurMark at the same time, the CPU temperature reached 91 °Centigrade (195.8 °F). Because the CPU and the iGPU have to spilt the TDP between each other, the CPU throttled down considerably. When stressing the system with FurMark only, we saw the same CPU temperature. However, the processor ran continuously at 1.6 GHz. This is why we can confidently say that the CPU in the LG Gram 15 should not throttle.

In the 3DMark 11 benchmark run right after the completion of the stress test, the Gram 15 did slightly worse. Because this is, primarily, a business device, we can turn a blind eye here.

Max. Load
 32.9 °C
91 F
38 °C
100 F
35.6 °C
96 F
 
 30.7 °C
87 F
36.8 °C
98 F
30.2 °C
86 F
 
 27.5 °C
82 F
27.4 °C
81 F
28.2 °C
83 F
 
Maximum: 38 °C = 100 F
Average: 31.9 °C = 89 F
35.6 °C
96 F
38.6 °C
101 F
32 °C
90 F
30.2 °C
86 F
31.6 °C
89 F
29.8 °C
86 F
29 °C
84 F
29 °C
84 F
28.7 °C
84 F
Maximum: 38.6 °C = 101 F
Average: 31.6 °C = 89 F
Power Supply (max.)  41 °C = 106 F | Room Temperature 23.8 °C = 75 F | FIRT 550-Pocket
(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 31.9 °C / 89 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 38 °C / 100 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 38.6 °C / 101 F, compared to the average of 39.4 °C / 103 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 25.3 °C / 78 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 28.2 °C / 82.8 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 (+0.1 °C / 0.1 F).
LG Gram 15Z90N
Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), i5-1035G7, SK Hynix PC401 512GB M.2 (HFS512GD9TNG)
LG Gram 15Z980-B.AA78B
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8550U, SK Hynix Canvas SC300 512GB M.2 (HFS512G39TNF)
MSI Modern 15 A10RB
GeForce MX250, i7-10510U, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G
SCHENKER Work 15
UHD Graphics 630, i7-8750H, Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 500GB
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15 Ryzen 5 3580U
Vega 9, R5 3580U, SK hynix BC501 HFM256GDGTNG
SCHENKER Slim 15-RE-E19
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 500GB
Heat
-7%
-29%
-1%
-13%
-6%
Maximum Upper Side *
38
43
-13%
54.2
-43%
40.2
-6%
43.6
-15%
40.3
-6%
Maximum Bottom *
38.6
41
-6%
59.4
-54%
43
-11%
49.4
-28%
47.1
-22%
Idle Upper Side *
26.5
28
-6%
28
-6%
24.7
7%
27.4
-3%
25
6%
Idle Bottom *
26.5
27
-2%
30
-13%
24.4
8%
27.8
-5%
26.4
-0%

* ... smaller is better

Heat distribution at idle - top side
Heat distribution at idle - top side
Heat distribution at idle - bottom size
Heat distribution at idle - bottom size
Heat distribution under load - top side
Heat distribution under load - top side
Heat distribution under load - bottom size
Heat distribution under load - bottom size

Speakers

Speakers of the LG Gram 15
Speakers of the LG Gram 15

As before, both speakers are located right below the wrist rest area on the left and the right sides. To get the most out of the speakers, users will have to place the device on a hard surface. A soft surface will make the speakers sound much worse. The built-in speakers produce exaggerated highs and the lows are almost completely missing.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2032.134.132.12542.733.642.73133.433.533.44029.930.829.95030.43130.46328.128.628.18027.726.727.710027.72527.712534.72534.716040.623.840.62004123.24125051.923.251.931556.121.856.140063.620.363.650067.319.767.36306919.76980072.918.572.9100073.218.373.2125068.818.168.8160068.718.168.7200064.218.164.2250064.11864.1315063.518.563.5400064.518.564.5500066.918.566.9630066.218.666.2800062.318.662.31000065.418.665.41250065.81965.81600068.419.268.4SPL79.830.979.8N471.547median 64.5median 18.6median 64.5Delta7.41.77.441.44241.440.541.140.539.137.739.136.536.536.536.135.736.136.23636.23534.83534.732.734.735.533.235.543.932.743.951.331.451.356.631.756.661.830.961.863.430.463.467.929.867.966.829.266.874.229.274.267.829.267.872.829.272.874.929.174.972.628.972.667.828.667.864.92864.96827.96866.827.866.866.527.866.563.127.663.165.227.465.266.327.666.369.927.569.982.140.882.152.4452.4median 66.5median 29.2median 66.551.45hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseLG Gram 15Z90NMSI Modern 15 A10RB
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
LG Gram 15Z90N audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (73.2 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 22.5% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.3% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (7.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 1.2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (3.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (18.8% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 51% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 42% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 38% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 55% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

MSI Modern 15 A10RB audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (82.1 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 19.1% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (12.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.4% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (10.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 1.3% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (6.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (20.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 41% of all tested devices in this class were better, 11% similar, 49% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 22%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 49% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 42% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Energy Management

Energy Consumption

48-watt power adapter
48-watt power adapter

The power consumption has improved significantly when compared to the predecessor. The Gram 15 draws only 2.9 to 11.4 watts when idle. Under medium load, the average power draw amounts to 31.5 watts, and the peak energy consumption to 32 watts. The included 48-watt power adapter should have no problems supplying the Gram 15 with enough energy. 

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.24 / 0.88 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 2.9 / 7.7 / 11.4 Watt
Load midlight 31.5 / 32 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 15Z90N
i5-1035G7, Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), SK Hynix PC401 512GB M.2 (HFS512GD9TNG), .2 IPS LED, 1920x1080, 15.60
LG Gram 15Z980-B.AA78B
i5-8550U, UHD Graphics 620, SK Hynix Canvas SC300 512GB M.2 (HFS512G39TNF), IPS LED, 1920x1080, 15.60
MSI Modern 15 A10RB
i7-10510U, GeForce MX250, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-512G, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
SCHENKER Work 15
i7-8750H, UHD Graphics 630, Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 500GB, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15 Ryzen 5 3580U
R5 3580U, Vega 9, SK hynix BC501 HFM256GDGTNG, IPS, 2496x1664, 15.00
SCHENKER Slim 15-RE-E19
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620, Samsung SSD 970 EVO Plus 500GB, IPS, 2x1, 15.60
Average Intel Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU)
 
Average of class Subnotebook
 
Power Consumption
-18%
-118%
-35%
-15%
-5%
-18%
-44%
Idle Minimum *
2.9
3.7
-28%
6.6
-128%
3.7
-28%
3.3
-14%
3.2
-10%
3.91 ?(1.8 - 6.9, n=26)
-35%
4.9 ?(1.77 - 11.8, n=63, last 2 years)
-69%
Idle Average *
7.7
8.5
-10%
9.9
-29%
6.4
17%
7.1
8%
6.5
16%
7.33 ?(4.6 - 11.5, n=26)
5%
8.4 ?(4.6 - 17.4, n=63, last 2 years)
-9%
Idle Maximum *
11.4
10
12%
14.7
-29%
7.1
38%
7.2
37%
11.3
1%
9.16 ?(6.1 - 12, n=26)
20%
10.4 ?(5.1 - 22.4, n=63, last 2 years)
9%
Load Average *
31.5
36
-14%
82.9
-163%
42.5
-35%
44.8
-42%
32
-2%
39.2 ?(25.7 - 53.3, n=26)
-24%
46.1 ?(19.1 - 83.3, n=62, last 2 years)
-46%
Load Maximum *
32
48.7
-52%
109.3
-242%
86
-169%
53
-66%
42.2
-32%
49.8 ?(27 - 65.2, n=26)
-56%
66.2 ?(24.2 - 121.2, n=63, last 2 years)
-107%
Witcher 3 ultra *
59.4
45.1

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

80-Wh battery
80-Wh battery

What makes an ultraportable device ultraportable is a combination of low weight and good battery life. When compared to the predecessor, the 80-Wh battery is slightly larger. The Gram 15 does very well in our reality-oriented battery benchmarks (Internet-surfing and video playback). Here, it lasts well over ten hours. Unfortunately, when it comes to battery life, the 2020 model loses to the predecessor, which actually had a smaller battery. However, the 2020 Gram 15 still beats the remaining competitors by a wide margin. Thanks to long battery runtimes, it is possible to work on the Gram 15 for an entire day without ever needing to plug in. We did not observe any significant CPU throttling in our battery benchmarks. 

The 80-Wh battery takes two and a half hours to fully charge.

3DMark 11 on battery power
3DMark 11 on battery power
Cinebench R15 on battery power
Cinebench R15 on battery power
Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
25h 36min
WiFi Websurfing (Edge 44.18362.449.0)
12h 08min
WiFi Websurfing max. Brightness (Edge 44.18362.449.0)
9h 20min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
11h 14min
Load (maximum brightness)
4h 12min
Longest battery runtime
Longest battery runtime
Shortest battery runtime
Shortest battery runtime
Wi-Fi battery runtime (60% brightness)
Wi-Fi battery runtime (60% brightness)
Wi-Fi battery runtime (100% brightness)
Wi-Fi battery runtime (100% brightness)
H.264 battery runtime (60% brightness)
H.264 battery runtime (60% brightness)
Charging time
Charging time
LG Gram 15Z90N
i5-1035G7, Iris Plus Graphics G7 (Ice Lake 64 EU), 80 Wh
LG Gram 15Z980-B.AA78B
i5-8550U, UHD Graphics 620, 72 Wh
MSI Modern 15 A10RB
i7-10510U, GeForce MX250, 52 Wh
SCHENKER Work 15
i7-8750H, UHD Graphics 630, 62 Wh
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15 Ryzen 5 3580U
R5 3580U, Vega 9, 45 Wh
SCHENKER Slim 15-RE-E19
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620, 36 Wh
Average of class Subnotebook
 
Battery Runtime
26%
-49%
-43%
-37%
-63%
-19%
Reader / Idle
1536
924
-40%
582
-62%
1121
-27%
1197 ?(581 - 2550, n=10, last 2 years)
-22%
H.264
674
950
41%
350
-48%
778 ?(426 - 1153, n=30, last 2 years)
15%
WiFi v1.3
728
805
11%
388
-47%
504
-31%
546
-25%
268
-63%
623 ?(303 - 1144, n=64, last 2 years)
-14%
Load
252
101
-60%
175
-31%
102
-60%
115.4 ?(61 - 197, n=47, last 2 years)
-54%

Pros

+ magnesium alloy chassis
+ extremely light
+ a lot of port, including Thunderbolt 3
+ bright and contrast-rich display
+ additional M.2 slots
+ WiFi 6
+ low emissions
+ very good battery life

Cons

- highly bendable screen lid
- highly reflective screen surface

Verdict - LG Gram 15 2020 as an ultraportable workhorse

Reviewing the LG Gram 15Z90N. Review device provided courtesy of: LG Germany.
Reviewing the LG Gram 15Z90N. Review device provided courtesy of: LG Germany.

The Gram 15Z90N is another entry in LG’s series of ultralight devices. Weighing in at 1.1 kilograms (~2.4 lb), the 15.6-inch device is very light and has no competitors. The manufacturer made use of very premium materials, which, unfortunately, do not feel very premium. Moreover, both the chassis and the display lid are not particularly rigid since the device has such a low weight. The display lid is very easy to bend. Nevertheless, the Gram 15 is far from being a failure, especially when it comes to battery life. The large battery allows the device to run an entire day on a single charge.


The Intel Core i5-1035G7 in our review device can easily keep up with the predecessor’s Intel Core i7-8550U in short workloads. However, the 2020 model of the Gram 15 loses to its direct predecessor in the multi-core Cinebench R15 continuous loop. Nevertheless, there is some point in looking at the new model with an Ice Lake-based chip, because it offers a significant boost in GPU performance.

The low weight is the main selling point of the LG Gram 15; what is more, the Gram 15 offers great battery life.

The 1400-Euro ($1582) device with the Intel Core i5-1035G7 offers enough performance for office tasks. More performance is always welcome. However, we do not get an impression that the CPU is slowing down the device in any way. The same can be said of the 512 GB SSD. Fortunately, users can add more storage space and RAM after the purchase.

We also liked the bright, factory-calibrated 15.6-inch display. The good colour space coverage rounds off the package, making the display suitable for image and video editing. The good input devices fit well with the overall theme of the LG Gram 15, because users of ultraportable laptops really need them. Moreover, the system does not produce much noise under load. 

LG Gram 15Z90N - 07/09/2020 v7
Sebastian Bade

Chassis
77 / 98 → 78%
Keyboard
80%
Pointing Device
83%
Connectivity
61 / 75 → 81%
Weight
74 / 20-75 → 98%
Battery
89%
Display
84%
Games Performance
53 / 78 → 68%
Application Performance
77 / 85 → 90%
Temperature
94%
Noise
95%
Audio
67 / 91 → 73%
Camera
31 / 85 → 36%
Average
74%
85%
Subnotebook - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > The LG Gram 15 Laptop Review: Featherlight 15-inch laptop with a great display
Sebastian Bade, 2020-07-11 (Update: 2021-03-12)