74 PCWorld DECEMBER 2020REVIEWS LG ULTRA PC 17
headphone jack,
MicroSD card slot- Right side:
Laptop lock, gigabit
ethernet, USB-A 3.1
(x2), USB-C 3.1
If processing
power isn’t a priority,
Best Buy sells a
$1,500 version of
the LG Ultra PC (go.
pcworld.com/15ul)
with an Intel Core-i5
10210U CPU that
otherwise has the
same specs. (We’ve
seen it on sale for as
low as $1,200.)
Either way, you’re not getting a
workhorse for heavy-duty media editing—a
laptop with one of Intel’s H-series processors
would be a better fit for that. Instead, you
get solid battery life for basic productivity,
especially given the discrete graphics card
inside. More on that in the Performance
section below.
The Ultra PC 17 also has a great array of
ports. While the lack of Thunderbolt 3
support is a downer, the inclusion of
ethernet is a rare treat, as is the full-sized
HDMI port for playing games or doing work
on a larger screen.
While the laptop comes with a
proprietary charger, you can enable USB-C
charging while the laptop is off through a
setting in LG’s Control Center software,
accessed by pressing Fn-F1. That same menu
also has an option to stop charging the Ultra
PC at an 80-percent battery level, which can
preserve long-term battery life if you’re
mostly using it on outlet power.
One more nice touch: The LG Ultra PC 17
chassis is held together with Phillips screws.
Removing them lets you pry open the
laptop’s bottom panel. Inside you’ll find a
spare slot for a RAM upgrade, along with
easy access to the battery.DESIGN AND DISPLAY
Like LG’s other Gram laptops, the Ultra PC
17’s aesthetic is unimpressive. TheA Phillips screwdriver and a pry tool is all you need to access the Ultra’s
innards. Note the spare slot for more memory next to the battery.