Ultra-light, ultra-thin laptops tend to soak up a lot of the attention in the tech press, but there’s still a niche for users who need a gigantic screen on the go. If you want both in one package, the LG Gram series is your Holy Grail. The Gram 17 combines a massive 17-inch screen with a chassis just .7 inches thin and a hair under three pounds (that’s 17.8mm and 1.35kg, respectively). Normally a bit on the pricey side, Best Buy is selling the Gram 17 for just $999 today — $600 off the retail price for this boosted edition with 32GB of RAM.
The Gram 17 is all about maximizing visual space while nailing the basics. Its matte IPS display is not a touchscreen, but should block glare and more accurately show colors on its 2560×1600 16:10 surface, making it great for long sessions outside. A 13th-gen Core i7 processor offers tons of power, while 1TB of SSD space is plenty for photos and videos. The boosted 32GB of RAM is especially notable, as you don’t often see that much memory at this price point. Combined with the big screen, it makes the Gram 17 a beast for multitasking.
When PCWorld’s Anyron Copeman reviewed this model earlier this year, he called it “the best 17-inch laptop for most people,” praising its light weight and long battery life. The only major downsides were the price (handily alleviated by this sale!) and the lack of a discrete graphics card. That means that the Intel Xe integrated graphics can’t handle the latest 3D games, though high-res video and 2D games should be well within its capabilities. Check out the full review for his expanded thoughts.
This particular model of the LG Gram 17 appears to be in stock in at least some Best Buy stores, and the fastest shipping available to my northeast Pennsylvania address would get it here by tomorrow. So, if you’re desperate for a last-minute holiday gift (and you know your recipient would want a gigantic laptop), this might be a godsend.
Author: Michael Crider, Staff Writer, PCWorld
Michael is a 10-year veteran of technology journalism, covering everything from Apple to ZTE. On PCWorld he's the resident keyboard nut, always using a new one for a review and building a new mechanical board or expanding his desktop "battlestation" in his off hours. Michael's previous bylines include Android Police, Digital Trends, Wired, Lifehacker, and How-To Geek, and he's covered events like CES and Mobile World Congress live. Michael lives in Pennsylvania where he's always looking forward to his next kayaking trip.