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The LG Gram 16 2022 laptop and the LG Gram 2022 series have seen a lot of improvements over previous generations, but there are still some issues you should consider when making a purchase, and hopefully, LG will continue to improve them in the next generations. Our LG Gram 16 2022 review unit comes with an Intel Core i5-1240P processor, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage, and Windows 11 is the cheapest version of the 16-inch line.
LG Gram 16 2022 specifications
- CPU: Intel Core i5-1240P, 12 cores 16 threads
- GPU: Intel Iris Xe
- RAM: 8GB LPDDR5, 5200MHz no upgrade
- SSD: 256GB SSD M.2 2280 (one slot left)
- Display: 16-inch, 350 nits IPS, 2560×1600 pixels (16:10), DCI-P3 99%
- Ports: 2x USB 3.2 Gen2x1, 2x Thunderbolt 4, HDMI, microSD card, 3.5mm audio, DC-in
- Battery: 80Wh, 65W. adapter
- Material: Magnesium alloy
- OS: Windows 11
- Weight: 1.19kg
LG Gram 16 2022 Review
Design and Display
Like the previous generations, the LG Gram still has a distinctive design and hasn’t changed much. The whole body is still made of super light magnesium alloy, simple back with a “gram” logo. In general, there is no highlight on the appearance of the device, apart from lightweight and high durability, the magnesium material may not be as attractive and luxurious as an aluminum frame.
If you’re looking for a sleek, attractive office laptop, this isn’t the right choice. It will meet the needs of people who need a lightweight, durable, highly reliable computer that’s easy to carry, but still has a screen large enough to handle tasks.
In terms of the display, LG has stopped using a mirror screen this year and has switched to an anti-glare coating. We appreciate this change because a good mirror screen requires several factors, the most important of which is tempered glass, but it also adds weight to the laptop. Switching to an anti-glare screen helps balance the feel and weight that the LG Gram is aiming for.
In terms of screen quality, of course, it’s still great, although the brightness is a bit limited, won’t be a problem for most users. Colors meet the needs of work, entertainment, photo editing, and design. The 16-inch laptop with a 16:10 aspect ratio is great for work.
However, one problem from earlier versions that the current LG hasn’t improved on is the stability and sureness of the body as well as the hinge. Due to the thin magnesium frame, the keyboard still flexes when typing, which directly affects the vibration of the screen. This problem will be better if there is a strong enough desk, but you should take care of this before buying.
Keyboard and Touchpad
The keyboard on the LG Gram 16 2022 also doesn’t live up to the price. In particular, the key surface, typing feel, and key layout are not favorable, take a long time to get used to, and require a lot of force. Compared to the Legion 5 Gen 7 2022 that we also reviewed, it is very inferior, even though the Legion 5 is not much different in price.
In addition, some people do not like the number pad because it will make the key layout sideways, in our opinion, LG only needs to make a 17-inch version with a number pad, and a 16-inch without a number pad is still fine.
If you expect to spend more than $1,000 for a good keyboard experience, this is only true for ThinkPad, HP EliteBook, and Dell XPS. However, this is not the case for the LG gram. It is clear that the LG Gram 16 2022 is designed with thinness in mind, so if you still need to use a separate keyboard, the main advantage of this laptop is lost.
As for the touchpad, there is nothing particularly noteworthy to praise or criticize. It is large enough and accurate to use and work with, but hardware and software limitations make most of the current Windows laptop touchpads not good enough for us to rely solely on them and not use a mouse.
RAM, Drive, and Upgradability
Our LG Gram 16 2022 review unit comes with 8GB of dual-channel LPDDR5 RAM and cannot be upgraded. Indeed, 8GB is currently more than lacking, even for office needs. If you want a smooth experience and long-term use, you should consider choosing a configuration with 16GB of RAM.
About the drive, the gram laptop has a 256GB SSD, which can be removed and upgraded. In addition, there is still one more slot available. Overall the upgradeability is that the storage is comfortable. The speed of the SSD is also high with the standard PCIe Gen 4,
Performance
This year, the LG Gram 2022 is equipped with an Intel P series chip, which is known for delivering really good performance and sits between the U and H series. We were excited to try it out but were a bit disappointed when we used it. While the laptop’s performance is still strong for office tasks, photo editing, and light video editing, it did not meet our initial expectations. There is nothing to worry about for these types of activities, but they may not be as powerful as we had hoped.
The main issue is with the cooling system. The LG laptop has only one fan, the bottom air intake is very small, the air outlet is somewhat mysterious because it is located under the hinge, and the internal cooling system is also minimized to keep the weight of the device down. In our opinion, LG should consider using the U chip instead, because the Intel Gen 12 U chip is also very strong and more than capable of office needs. Alternatively, they could upgrade the cooling system, as an increase of 100-200g would not be a problem.
Due to the limitations of the cooling system, the system performance is not superior when compared to laptops running a U chip with good heat dissipation. The Intel Core i5-1240P also has a low single-core clock and low single-core performance, so it does not make a significant difference in the user experience. This chip can only truly perform at its best if it is supplied with enough power and has a good enough cooling system.
But it is also quite commendable for the LG Gram 16 2022 that whether or not the power is plugged in, the performance is still the same, ensuring good responsive performance in all cases.
Overall, the performance of the LG Gram 16 2022 is still good. It is significantly better than its predecessor and provides smooth, stable experiences with no issues to complain about. However, if you expect the LG gram with a P-series chip to be able to meet the needs of high performance, in the long run, it is completely inappropriate. In any case, it is just a super lightweight office notebook!
Battery life
The LG Gram 16 2022 is equipped with an 80Wh battery, which is almost unbeatable among ultra-light office computers. However, you should not expect too much about actual usage time because Intel Core i5-1240P has up to 12 cores, and 16 threads, and can consume stable at 20-25W in heavy tasks.
When set to energy-saving mode, mixed office use, and 70% screen brightness, we used about 5 hours, a pretty good number compared to a high-performance 16-inch laptop. Of course, if you are more economical, don’t open YouTube, and don’t use Photoshop, you can reach up to 6-8 hours.
LG Gram 16 2022 comes with a 65W adapter which is compact. Especially, LG equips the adapter with power cord number 8. With this power cable, you will be flexible in any situation, whether using a wall outlet, a floor outlet, a desk socket, or anywhere, it is not complicated like an adapter with a fixed pin. The number 8 power cord is also extremely popular, requiring the user to replace a longer cord for added versatility.
Final line
In conclusion, the LG Gram 16 2022 laptop is still worth considering if you want an ultra-light 16-inch laptop that is easy to carry and has smooth performance for office needs. The LG makes a terrific work laptop as it is compact and light, performs well, and has a very good battery life.
The laptop also offers a good selection of ports, a crisp and vivid display, and some useful software. The Core i7 variant is a bit expensive, but our LG Gram 16 2022 review unit with Core i5 starts from $999 on Amazon.com or Newegg.com, and you could always opt for the lower variant to fit your budget.
While there are many laptops in the market that are also based on the Intel 12th Gen platform, very few come close to the Gram 16’s ultra-low weight, which is what makes it special. Apple’s M1-based MacBook Air is still a strong contender at this price level, but if you need a Windows 11 machine, the LG Gram 16 2022 is an excellent alternative.
