The Gigabyte U2442N-CF2 may come from a company best known for computer components but this Extreme Ultrabook, as they call it, stacks up very well for a first foray into western markets.
Released around early December 2012, the Gigabyte U2442N-CF2 brings with it all the usual hallmarks of an ultrabook - small, light and with great performance and now also with Windows 8. Though more powerful than other typical offerings, it is great value at under $1100.
Discrete graphics, a Solid-State Drive (SSD) and 8 GB RAM means power users, business users, students who need the extra performance and those who also want to do some casual gaming will all find the Gigabyte U2442N-CF2 14" Ultrabook a satisfying proposition as it is designed for users who need a more powerful ultrabook and it comes with a two-year manufacturer's warranty.
Click here to see what others are saying...- Powerful processor and plenty of RAM
- Discrete graphics helps video editing and gaming
- Battery life may be lessened by performance trade-offs
- Not as stylish as some
The third generation Intel Core i5-3210M CPU (processor) installed in the Gigabyte U2442N-CF2 is more powerful than the ultra-low voltage Core i5-3317U common in many other i5 ultrabooks and though the inevitable trade-off is it's a little more power hungry, it strikes a good balance between performance, power consumption and affordability. The model reviewed comes with 8 GB DDR3 RAM memory which would be great for most users and is also upgradable to 16 GB maximum. Add a 128 GB SSD (solid state drive) and you have a fast machine for day to day use. Offered as an option, there is scope to add a 750GB or 1TB 3/8 inch thick x 2.5 inch conventional hard drive, so this means the connections and space are there making it relatively easy to expand storage.
A rarity in most ultrabooks to date, the Gigabyte U2442N includes discrete graphics featuring NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M graphics that adds an extra 2GB of memory of its own giving an additional power boost when it comes to hardware-accelerated video processing/editing and all but the most extreme gaming. Gigabyte's Optimus technology means it will change back to using integrated Intel HD Graphics 4000 to conserve battery life when you are mobile and don't need the extra graphics grunt. The 14" LED backlit display has a native resolution of 1600x900 (HD+) and though 1920 x 1080 (Full HD) resolution is nice, obviously compromise is necessary to keep the price competitive. It is higher than the 1366x768 usually found in ultrabooks so it's better than those for editing and watching HD content or playing games. Another concession to cost is the matt screen which has slightly reduced vividness of color depth compared to gloss TFT screens but again, most users will not find it too worrying.
Aesthetically its is OK, if a little lacking in the style department, though similar criticism could be levelled at many other ultrabooks. Well-built in a tough, metal casing the Gigabyte U2442N also has a backlit keyboard - handy in low light, a large textured touchpad and the battery has a rating of 44 Watt-hours. 13.3 inches wide x 29.2 inches long x 0.83 inches at it thickest point and weighing just 3.5 pounds (3.7 if you add the extra hard drive) makes it easy to carry around. Ports included are two USB 2.0, two USB 3.0, a Gigabit ethernet, a HDMI, a VGA, a mic-in, an earphone-out and the DC-in Jack. It also has Bluetooth V4.0, a 1.3 Megapixel webcam and 802.11b/g/n wireless the last of which supports Intel's WiDi technology so you can wirelessly connect and display to a HDTV with a suitable adapter. As with most ultrabooks this size, there is no optical drive.
Light, portable and very powerful the Gigabyte U2442N-CF2 may not be the most stylish of ultrabooks but with a better than average screen, discrete graphics and scope for adding hard drive space, it is easy to recommend, especially at the price.
Click here to purchase this product on Amazon.
