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Gigabyte U2442V and U2442N ultrabooks hands-on video

Gigabyte U2442V and U2442N ultrabooks hands-on video

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A hands-on preview of Gigabyte's new ultrabooks, the U2442V and U2442N.

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Gallery Photo: Gigabyte U2442V and U2442N hands-on photos
Gallery Photo: Gigabyte U2442V and U2442N hands-on photos

It's day one of CeBIT 2012 and we've gotten to grips with a pair of new ultrabooks from Gigabyte, the U2442V and U2442N. Both come with Intel Ivy Bridge processors, a choice of HDD or SSD, and a switchable Nvidia GeForce GT640M graphics card with 2GB of dedicated memory. Both sides of the ultrabooks are littered with ports, including two USB 3.0, two USB 2.0, HDMI, and a single Thunderbolt port. The N model comes with a standard voltage processor, whereas the V model will be low-voltage.

Gigabyte U2442V and U2442N ultrabooks hands-on photos

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They're attractive machines, if a little on the chunky side, but one wonders if a machine with a discrete graphics card and a hard disk can really be defined as an ultrabook. Naming issues aside, the laptops were very responsive, the displays have good viewing angles and the trackpads were a step above most ultrabooks we've come across. Build quality however wasn't stellar. While the lid is made of brushed aluminum, inside it's a distinctly plastic affair. The keyboard is backlit and well spaced but suffers from some of the worst flex we've seen on a laptop, and the hinges were loose and wobbly — a problem that would only get worse with time. Both the U2442V and U2442N should be available globally towards the end of May with a starting price of around $1,000.

Vlad Savov contributed to this report.