Gigabyte U2442F review

The only thing that lets it down slightly is its 14in screen. Its gorgeous 1,600×900 resolution makes everything look razor sharp, but its matt finish makes colours appear quite dull and washed out, with blacks and whites looking quite grey. We didn’t have any problems with reflections, but its viewing angles were also quite poor and we didn’t have to move very far to see a considerable shift in contrast. Its contrast levels were excellent when we looked at it straight on.

We found its integrated speakers fairly mediocre. They’re certainly not the worst speakers we’ve heard on a laptop, but its lack of bass make a pair of headphones or dedicated speakers essential if you want to get the best audio experience out of your games and media.

The Gigabyte U2442F is one of the best value Ultrabooks we’ve seen for a while. It doesn’t have a fancy touchscreen or turn into a tablet, but its dedicated graphics processor gives it a huge edge over its competitors. It may not be as powerful as a true gaming laptop, but it’s roughly £150 cheaper than the Scan 3XS Graphite LG10, and certainly much more portable and comfortable to use. If you value style and don’t mind a slight compromise on power, then the Gigabyte U2442F is for you.