Gigabyte P34G review

The touchpad was fine for navigating the desktop, but we multitouch gestures were fiddly to execute. Pinch-zooming was particularly difficult to control, and swiping from the sides for Windows 8 shortcuts was also temperamental. We liked the button bar along the bottom, though, as this was easy to use and gave good feedback when we clicked through our files.

The P34G has a good selection of ports for a 14in laptop. As well as two USB3 ports and two USB2 ports, there’s VGA and HDMI inputs for connecting the laptop to an external display, a Gigabit Ethernet port, an SD card reader and a combined headphone and microphone jack. You’ll want to use this to connect a proper pair of speakers, as its integrated speakers were very tinny and had no bass whatsoever.

Battery life was average, which was a little disappointing considering the portability of the P34G. The laptop lasted just 4 hours and 17 minutes in our light use test with the screen set to half brightness, and playing games will drain it sooner.

The Gigabyte P34G isn’t cheap, but at this price it beats the competition. The Best Buy-winning Scan 3XS Graphite LG155 is cheaper, but it’s slower than the P34G and has a much thicker chassis. It’s a shame the P34G’s contrast isn’t better, but we’re willing to overlook it in the face of its outstanding design and phenomenally powerful hardware. If you value portability and want the best hardware money can buy, the Gigabyte P34G is for you.