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Review: Gigabyte P34G

by Parm Mann on 4 October 2013, 15:30

Tags: Gigabyte (TPE:2376)

Quick Link: HEXUS.net/qab3pr

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Conclusion

...this is a laptop that pairs powerful CPU and GPU components, plays the latest games and has an excellent 1080p display, all packaged in a well-crafted 14in chassis

It's rare for a gaming laptop to tick all the right boxes. Performance, portability, style, battery life, the display and the keyboard are just some of the factors that typically partake in the juggling act.

At first glance, Gigabyte's P34G comes close to striking all the right notes, and the specification reads like an enthusiast's dream. A quad-core Intel processor, dedicated Nvidia graphics, SSD speed, HDD capacity, a full-HD display, and a 14in chassis that's both thin and stylish.

There's plenty of appeal, but it's in use that the Ā£1,160 machine's two major shortcomings come into sharper focus. CPU performance, sadly, isn't up to scratch when running on battery, and though that limitation could perhaps be overcome through a firmware update, we don't see any immediate fix for the laptop's lacklustre battery life.

A shame, really, as those are two rather large hurdles to get over, and we suspect battery life will be the deal-breaker for some. If, however, you're willing to live with those trade-offs, this is a laptop that pairs powerful CPU and GPU components, plays the latest games and has an excellent 1080p display, all packaged in a well-crafted 14in chassis. The P34G is almost the perfect gaming laptop. Almost.

The Good

Stylish design
Thin for a gaming laptop
1080p AHVA display
Wide viewing angles
SSD and HDD storage
Comfortable backlit keyboard
Quad-core CPU and dedicated graphics

The Bad

CPU sluggish on battery
No touchscreen option
Limited battery life

HEXUS.where2buy

The Gigabyte P34G laptop is available to order from Overclockers UK.

HEXUS.right2reply

At HEXUS, we invite the companies whose products we test to comment on our articles. If any company representatives for the products reviewed choose to respond, we'll publish their commentary here verbatim.



HEXUS Forums :: 7 Comments

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Those bloody stickers they cover laptops with… why is this still a thing??
Nice review Hexus. Considering it for my laptop upgrade
Hmm, reads like it's shiny shiny shiny but then falls over on battery life, CPU speed on battery and to some degree GPU performance vs a 765M. Such a shame that nothing quite ticks all the boxes, W230ST feels plasticky because it is plastic but it has the performance and screen size, Razer Blade has the battery life and thickness but a terrible display, this has the case, keyboard and price about right but lacks battery life. I guess I'll just stick with my W110ER and wait to see if anyone does anything interesting (apple retina macbook maybe).
A great comparison machine would have been the MSI GE40 ($1299). Other reviews have shown that model to get over 8 hours of battery life with similar specs. However, it has weak speakers and a 1600x900 screen.
My main problem with this laptop …
I have yet to see a Gigabyte laptop in the wild in a retail store. It looks nice in photos, is well specced and the reviews are quite good, however nothing can replace an actual ‘hands on’ experience.
One of the reasons Macbooks probably sell so well is that there are (obviously) the Apple stores, the resellers and then the general sections in other outlets such as Curry's and once you have had a Mac you know that the next update model is likely to be evolutionary rather than revolutionary (though not always the case).
The same could be said of Sony's Vaio's. Once you have had a Vaio you kind of know what a Vaio is going to be like.
My pet hate on laptops is flex in the keyboard and the feel of the keystroke. No matter how good the review on a site such as Hexus the keyboard feel is very much an indivduals own user experience.
Unless Gigabyte get their models out into stores its unlikely they will ever shift them in large numbers.