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| The LG Gram Max 17 (model 17Z90UB) is available in the Matte Bronze colorway |
It’s barely been four weeks since LG quietly unleashed the Gram Max 17, and the discount gods are already smiling. Best Buy and LG’s own online store have chopped the price down to $1,299.99 – a surprising early markdown for a laptop that only hit shelves in late March. If you’ve been eyeing a massive, featherweight 17-incher with serious internals, this might be the moment to pounce.
Let’s be honest: most “thin and light” 17-inch laptops either cost a fortune or weigh as much as a small dog. LG’s Gram series has always danced to its own beat, and the Max 17 continues that tradition. It measures a mere 0.57 inches thick (14.5 mm) and weighs just 3.39 lbs (1.54 kg). For a laptop with a 17-inch touchscreen, that’s borderline ridiculous – you can easily one-hand this thing while walking across the office.
Under the Hood: Panther Lake Inside
The real story, however, is what’s powering this slab of magnesium alloy. LG equipped the Gram Max 17 with Intel’s brand-new Core Ultra 7 355, a Panther Lake processor that packs four P-cores, four low-power E-cores, and four Xe3 graphics cores. Early impressions suggest this chip balances everyday snappiness with decent integrated graphics muscle – think smooth 4K video playback, light photo editing, and even some casual gaming.
Paired with 32 GB of LPDDR5X-7500 memory and a 1 TB PCIe 4.0 SSD, the machine feels future-proofed for multitasking maniacs. Chrome tabs? Virtual machines? A dozen Office apps? Yes, yes, and yes. The SSD occupies one of the two M.2 slots, which brings us to a delightful upgrade opportunity.
Expand Your Storage Like a Pro
LG left the second M.2 slot empty, meaning you can toss in another NVMe drive without replacing the original. If 1 TB feels cramped (and let’s face it, modern games and RAW photos fill space fast), consider adding a WD_Black SN7100 2 TB SSD. It’s currently going for $349 on Amazon – a solid price for a fast PCIe 4.0 drive that won’t bottleneck your workflow.
Pop that into the free slot, and you’ve got a total of 3 TB of screaming-fast storage. Perfect for video editors, digital hoarders, or anyone who refuses to play the “which game do I delete” game.
Ports, Display, and Real-World Quirks
Connectivity is surprisingly robust for such a slim chassis. You get two Thunderbolt 4 ports (40 Gbps, DisplayPort, Power Delivery), two 5 Gbps USB-A ports (thank you, LG, for not going full USB-C tyranny), HDMI, and a 3.5 mm audio jack. Wireless duties are handled by an Intel BE211 card, bringing Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6.0 – overkill for today, but future-you will appreciate it.
The 17-inch IPS touchscreen runs at 2,560 × 1,600 (that’s 16:10, folks – more vertical room for spreadsheets and code). Peak brightness is rated at 350 nits, with 99% coverage of DCI-P3. Colors look vibrant, and the touch response feels snappy. But here’s where I have to rain on the parade a little.
The One Big Compromise (No OLED)
At this price point – even the discounted $1,299 – I would have loved to see an OLED panel. LG practically invented OLED displays for TVs and monitors, so its absence here stings. 350 nits is fine for indoor use, but it won’t cut it for HDR content or working near a sunlit window. Competitors like the Asus Vivobook 17 OLED or even some Lenovo models offer richer contrast and deeper blacks for similar money.
Look, the IPS screen on the Gram Max 17 is good – accurate, responsive, and easy on the eyes. But “good” feels like a missed opportunity when LG could have made it “spectacular.” If you do color-critical work or binge HDR movies, factor in an external monitor or wait for a potential OLED refresh later this year.
Battery Life and Charging
The 77 Wh battery is respectable, though driving a 17-inch 1600p touchscreen is no joke. LG claims all-day runtime under light loads; real-world testing (once reviews drop) will tell the tale. Charging maxes out at 65 W via USB-C – not the fastest these days, but adequate for topping up overnight or during a long meeting.
One nice touch: the Thunderbolt 4 ports support Power Delivery, so you can use a single cable for charging, video out, and data. Keep your desk clean and your sanity intact.
Who Is This For?
The LG Gram Max 17 is a niche beast. It’s for:
- Road warriors who need massive screen real estate without back strain.
- Students juggling research papers, coding projects, and Netflix marathons.
- Prosumers who want 32 GB of RAM and upgradeable storage without soldered-in limitations.
- Anyone who secretly wishes their desktop could fold into a backpack.
If you prioritize raw GPU power (dedicated graphics) or OLED perfection, look elsewhere. But if you value portability, a giant touchscreen, and cutting-edge CPU performance, this deal is hard to ignore.
Where to Buy
The $1,299.99 price is live now at:
- Best Buy – Check availability here
- LG’s official webstore – Direct link to LG listing
There are no user reviews yet – the model is that fresh. But that also means you’re getting first-mover bragging rights. Just be prepared to be the one who tells your friends, “Yeah, I bought the Gram Max before everyone else.”
Bottom line: A month-old, sub-3.5-pound 17-inch laptop with 32 GB RAM, Wi-Fi 7, and a Panther Lake chip for $1,299? That’s a rare early-bird discount. The lack of OLED stings, but everything else screams value. If you’ve got an extra M.2 SSD lying around (or you grab the WD_Black deal above), this could be your daily driver for the next four years.
Prices and availability subject to change. Deal spotted late April 2026.
