Review: Gigabyte U2442

Specifications, screen and usage

Comfortably under an inch-thick at its fattest point, Gigabyte does well on the I/O front, with an SD card-reader, two USB 3.0 ports, full-sized HDMI and a power inlet on the right-hand side. The unused port is reserved for an updated model with Thunderbolt connectivity, we believe.

Gigabit Ethernet and HD15 outputs offer usage versatility, while two USB 2.0 and audio and mic ports are expected on all laptops.

Perhaps more than the aesthetically pleasing styling, it's what's inside that separates the Gigabyte U2442 from cheaper Ultrabooks. In its premium form, and as reviewed here, the laptop is outfitted with a 3rd Generation Intel Core i7-3517U chip. This dual-core, quad-threaded chip runs at up to 3.0GHz, depending upon load, and, while not immediately impressive on paper, its 17W TDP is a very good fit for a premium Ultrabook.

The Core chip boasts integrated HD 4000 Graphics as standard, but Gigabyte ups the ante by shoehorning in an NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M 2GB discrete video card. Playing alongside the integrated graphics through the use of Optimus Technology - which picks the preferred GPU for a certain type of application, usually in the context of battery life - absolute gaming potential is impressive for a slimline machine.

Keeping the U2442 in the fast lane is a 128GB mSATA SSD, and there's even room to include a secondary 9.5mm drive for greater storage. Already configured with Intel's Rapid Start Technology present on the H77 chipset, the Ultrabook also supports Windows 8 Fastboot.

Elsewhere, the laptop offers many of the usual additions. These include a 1.3-megapixel webcam, integrated Wireless-N and Bluetooth, onboard HD audio and a 64-bit install of Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system.

Relative sleekness and clean lines come at the 'cost' of the U2442 using an integrated, non-user-replaceable battery. And simple user upgrades are kept to solely changing the memory modules. Accessing other components is fiddly and painstaking, as it requires the entire chassis to be disassembled.

Screen, sound, and general usage

Gigabyte offers the laptop with a standard 1,366x768-resolution panel and an 'HD+' 1,600x900 screen. If you can, opt for the higher-resolution panel, specified here, for this 14in, 16:9-format screen; the pixel density is just so much nicer for day-to-day work. The display is clean, crisp and just about right to our peepers. The matte finish fends off unwanted reflections and, with an eye on battery longevity, even a 30 per cent brightness is sufficient for most applications.

As good as the screen is, the twin speakers, firing out from a grille situated just below the screen, fail to impress, lacking both heft and clarity at the top-end. We've yet to hear an Ultrabook with genuinely decent sound, to be fair, and Gigabyte's effort is middling. Anyone after serious punch is best-advised to use a set of quality cans instead.

Load up Windows 8 and there's a refreshing lack of bloatware. Browse the web or initiate regular tasks and the CPU's fan remains switched off. The power-frugal nature of the chip also means that the fan rarely, if ever, kicks up when watching a high-definition movie. But the CPU and GPU's fans, quite expectedly, do announce themselves when full-on gaming with the GT 650M graphics card. The bottom of the chassis heats up to around 50°C, especially on the upper-left-hand side (where the GPU sits) and a steady stream of rather warm air is expelled through the two vents below the screen. We didn't notice any stability-related problems during an hour-long gaming session, though wouldn't want it sat on a lap for more than a few moments.