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Inside the gram 14 2-in-1 is an Intel Core i7-8565 CPU, Intel HD Graphics 620, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. That’s quite the impressive kit, and the resulting performance is just as impressive.
Here’s how the LG gram 14 2-in-1 performed in our suite of benchmark tests:
3DMark: Sky Diver: 4,426; Fire Strike: 1,124; Time Spy: 442
Cinebench CPU: 511 points; Graphics: 52 fps
GeekBench: 5,085 (single-core); 15,290 (multi-core)
PCMark 8 (Home Test): 3,438 points
PCMark 8 Battery Life: 6 hours and 58 minutes
Battery Life (TechRadar movie test): 10 hours and 45 minutes
Of course, the gram 14 2-in-1’s integrated graphics chip isn’t going to lend itself to any sort of gaming machine, but it’s good enough for an occasional photo and video editing session and some casual gaming.
The gram 14 2-in-1 feels snappy and rarely, if ever, strained under heavy loads of multiple Chrome tabs, a YouTube video and Spotify streaming. Similarly, there was little lag when rotating the display between the various modes and switching to Windows 10’s tablet mode. It was all nearly instantaneous, as one would hope for.
There was an instance when installing multiple programs at the same time that the system seemed to slow down for a brief moment, but it was far from a common occurrence.
Real world use makes up the biggest part of the performance story, with benchmarks filling in the holes. And, in that regard, the gram 14 2-in-1 held when compared to the Yoga C930, nearly matching every test, and exceeding the C930’s Geekbench 4 results.
As expected, thanks to the Spectre x360 15T’s Nvidia GTX 1050 Ti GPU, the gram 14 2-in-1 was nowhere close to the same benchmark results. Again, that’s expected. Integrated graphics just can’t compete with the power of the GTX lineup. But, remember: you also nearly double the weight of the laptop and dramatically reduce battery life in exchange for that added performance.
Battery life
Perhaps our favorite aspect of the gram 14 2-in-1 is its battery life. With a 72Wh battery, LG claims potential battery up to 23 hours. We weren’t able to achieve that number, which is almost always the case, but we did reach 10 hours and 45 minutes in the TechRadar movie test. The C930’s battery is even more impressive, lasting 13 hours and 10 minutes in the same test. While the X360 15T powered through 6 hours and 56 minutes.
Those results translate into what’s likely a full workday of use, or at the very least more than enough power to get through a long flight that requires a few movies.
Software and features
We have to hand it to LG, there’s zero bloatware on the gram 14 2-in-1. Outside of LG’s own programs for updating software and system controls, LG kept its hands off of the software experience and that’s exactly how it should be.
The gram 14 2-in-1's fingerprint reader is hidden in the power button, that has a nice circular divot inside it. That cutout lends itself to your finger finding just the right spot on the key for a consistent scan and subsequent unlock of the laptop.
Final verdict
Indeed, you’re going to pay a bit more for the gram 14 2-in-1 than a standard laptop, but that’s par for the course with most 2-in-1 laptops, thanks to the added tablet functionality.
Outside of the speakers and the trackpad, and depending on how you feel about a mundane design, there’s little to fault here. In fact, we’re rather impressed by the laptop’s battery life and performance for its light weight.
As far as 2-in-1’s go, the gram 14 is no slouch. It’s a solid performer that can keep up with comparable machines. The screen, keyboard and battery life left us impressed and confident in its capabilities, and you should be, too.
