The Gigabyte U2442T-CF1 ($1,299) is a high-end ultrabook with a third-generation Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of memory, discrete Nvidia GeForce GT 730 graphics, and both a 128GB SSD and 750GB hard drive. Those are the specs of a power user system, for someone who wants speedy performance on multimedia tasks and some 3D prowess for playing the occasional game. There are a few tradeoffs to be made to keep the system under $1,500, and it is up to you to see if those tradeoffs are worth it. Are they? Read on, dear reader.

Design and Features
The U2442T-CF1 is a fairly standard looking ultrabook, with a brushed metal dark silver lid and matte bright silver keyboard deck. The black backlit keyboard contrasts nicely with the bright silver keyboard deck, which makes the keys more hunt-and-peck typing friendly than the largely monochrome keyboard on the high-end ultrabook Editors' Choice Acer Aspire S7-392-6411. The keyboard is comfortable and reacts quickly to touch typing, without any keyboard flex. The system measures about 0.8 by 13.5 by 9 inches (HWD), and weighs in at 3.93 pounds. This is notably heavier than systems like the Acer Aspire S7, the Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (Mid 2013) ($1,099) (2.91 pounds) and Sony VAIO Pro 13 ($1,250) (2.30 pounds). It is one of the heavier high-end ultrabook systems we've seen, but that is relative since mid-1990s laptops tipped the scale at over eight pounds.

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In addition to the comfortable screen and keyboard, the U2442T-CF1's adequately sized trackpad is also responsive with multi-touch compatibility. The trackpad has a single-piece physical mouse button below the trackpad, which can be reassuring to users that need a familiar tactile experience when using the PC. The system has speakers mounted under the perforated keyboard deck just below the screen, and they sound fine for video and music. The 14-inch screen has a glossy glass cover with a decent amount of blank space on the bezel to facilitate Windows 8 gestures.

This brings us to our first issue with the U2442T-CF1: It comes with a 1,336-by-768 resolution screen. While that is the current minimum resolution for most Windows programs, it seems to be a bit snug on a system that's priced over $1,000. For example, the Acer Aspire S7 and Sony Vaio Pro 13 both have 1,920 by 1,080 resolution screens (full 1080p HD). Granted, the Sony and Acer use Intel HD graphics exclusively, while the Gigabyte also has Nvidia GeForce graphics, and we'll see the effect that has below. The U2442T-CF1 has enough screen space for 720p HD videos, but if you need to view large portions of web sites or excel spreadsheets, you'd want a higher resolution screen.

The U2442T-CF1 comes with 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, but lacks 5GHz 802.11 a/g/n compatibility. This is an issue if you use a dual-band router with 802.11n or 802.11ac. The system comes free of bloatware, similar to the Vizio 15.6-inch Thin + Light Touch (CT15T-B1) ($1,350). On the start screen, the only additions beyond what comes on every Windows 8 system are the Microsoft programs Skype, Fresh Paint, and an ad for Microsoft Office. The sole extra on the start screen is Gigabyte's SmartManager control panel, which has touch-optimized buttons for volume, brightness, power mode, Wi-Fi and Blutetooth radios, and mute. The control panel also has on/off switches for the camera, backlit keyboard, touch screen, Smart Turbo, and Smart Cooling. This makes the U2442T-CF1 a great choice for the user who hates to uninstall scads of bloatware when they first start up a system. The U2442T-CF1 comes with a two year warranty, twice that of rivals.

Performance
The U2442T-CF1 comes with a third-generation Intel Core i5-3230M processor, 8GB of memory, Nvidia GeForce GT 730 graphics, a 750GB data hard drive, and a 128 GB SSD boot drive (C:). As a result, this is one of the faster systems on the market. The SSD boot drive lets it keep up with other SSD-powered system, including the Acer Aspire S7-392-6411 and Dell XPS 12 ($1,199) on the day-to-day PCMark 7 test.