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Gigabyte PC revamps include game-ready Ultrabooks, AMD A4-based tablet (hands-on)
Gigabyte loves to pull out all the stops at Computex, and this year is no exception: the company just unveiled 11 (mostly) new laptops and tablets. According to a brochure on hand at the computer maker's demo table, the emphasis is chiefly on slimmer portables with both Haswell-era Core processors and some dedicated graphics firepower. The P34G and P35K Ultrablade models are equally 0.83 inches thick, but pack gaming-friendly GeForce GTX 760M (P34G) and 765M (P35K) video. More pedestrian Ultrabooks get a boost as well: both the touchscreen U24T (pictured above) and the non-touch U24F wield a mid-tier GeForce GT 750M. If you don't mind bulkier laptops, the Q2546N, Q2556N, U35F, P27K and P27W scale from the GeForce GT 740M through to the GTX 770M while allowing for more storage and Creative Sound Blaster audio tuning. The tablet updates aren't nearly as extensive. Most of Gigabyte's energy centers on the 10-inch Slate S10A, a spin on the S1082 with an AMD Temash-based A4-1200 processor that delivers up to 14 hours of battery life. Other refreshes are even subtler: the 11.6-inch U21M convertible is similar to the U2142, while the dockable S1185 returns virtually unchanged outside from a new Padbook nickname. Release dates and prices aren't immediately available for any of the new systems, unfortunately, but you can peek at a few of the fresh models in our hands-on photos just below. %Gallery-190058% Zach Honig and Mat Smith contributed to this report.
Gigabyte's U2142 is an 11-inch Windows 8 convertible with a lot to prove
That recent update on Surface Pro give you jitters? Yeah, us too, which is why we fully expect x86 nomads will be looking afresh at the heavier, more established classes of Windows 8 hybrids and convertibles. Gigabyte's latest entry into that crowded arena has just swung by the FCC, raising the likelihood of US availability while also showing off its 11.6-inch, 1,366 x 768 pivoting touchscreen wedded to a 21mm-thick (0.8-inch) chassis with a chiclet keyboard and large touchpad. The U2142 is built to contain a third-gen Intel Core i3 or i5 processor with integrated graphics, alongside up to 256GB of mSATA flash storage and 1TB-worth of HDD -- a double helping that brings its weight to 1.5kg (that's 3.3 pounds, or 50 percent heavier than MSI's 11.6-inch slider). CNET Asia got an early hands-in October and learned that the convertible might retail for around $999, although it's not clear what specs would come for that price, and it's also worth bearing in mind that Gigabyte has yet to garner much of a reputation for build quality -- even if that central hinge does look like something off an anti-aircraft gun.
