Gigabyte P2742G Gaming Laptop

 A Closer Look

While the P2742G Gaming Laptop has an unassuming exterior it should not be discounted in the performance arena. The only hint that a gaming heart beats within is the slight wedge shape to the LCD case. Open up the P2742G and you are presented with a 17.3″ LED backlit LCD screen capable of 1080p resolution. 

The keyboard of the Gigabyte P2742 is a Chiclets style keyboard. The keyboard provides good spacing between the keys for comfort and ease of use during long sessions. The material covering the body of the Gigabyte P2742G has a slight rubberized feel to it. 

On the left edge of the keyboard you will find the power button as well as three function buttons. The function buttons control the wireless and Bluetooth radios as well as the built in 1.3 megapixel webcam.  The right edge of the keyboard houses the iGPU button. This enables the Intel HD4000 GPU to take over for everyday tasks such as browsing the internet, office applications, etc. This is more of a power saving feature. 

The trackpad for the Gigabyte P2742G is very precise. A light touch was all that was needed to get the mouse pointer moving. Like most others that I used, I did manage to move the pointer around as I was typing. The mouse can be disabled until a reboot by using the FN key and F1. Each boot cycle will require this keystroke combination. 

 The Gigabyte P2742G has plenty of external connections. The left side of the laptop features 1 USB 2.0 port as well as the audio ports. The right side has two USB 3.0 ports and a combination USB 3.0/eSATA port. A multicard reader is located in front of the USB 3.0 ports and a VGA port is on the back. 

In addition to the USB ports on the right side, a HDMI port and a 10/100/1000 RJ 45 network port are also featured. The HDMI port is 1.3 compatible. The network port will run up to gigabit network speeds. 

Powering the Gigabyte P2742G is an 8-cell 5200mAh battery that allows the beast to live for about three hours and about fifteen minutes before it is screaming to be plugged in. Once it is plugged in the 120 watt slim brick power supply takes over. 

Popping the panels off the Gigabyte P2742G reveals the heart and soul of this laptop. The CPU and GPU are cooled by a pretty standard heat pipe laptop cooler. During our testing session with the Gigabyte P2742G I saw temps on both the GPU and CPU creep into the high 80’s. Once the Gigabyte P2742G starts to work the quiet serenity is shattered by the fan. Although the fan noise is not intrusive, it is noticeable. Two drive bays are available here. In this configuration the SSD is in bay 1 and the hard drive is in bay two. 3 memory modules can be installed.