Specifications, Configurations and Pricing

Our review system features an Intel Core i7-3610QM, an NVIDIA GTX 660M with 2GB of vRAM, 8GB of DDR3 RAM, a Blu-ray writer with BDXL support and a 256GB solid state drive partitioned into two partitions. Why they would do this is beyond me. It comes with Windows 7 Home Premium and Microsoft's Windows 8 Upgrade option.

Our exact review configuration is not for sale in the United States; however, one that has nearly everything except for the 256GB solid state drive is listed at $1294. The $1294 model features a 128GB mSATA SSD and a 750GB 7,200 RPM HDD. The GIGABYTE notebooks are all quick-ship models meaning that they are produced at the factory, sold to distributors who then sell them to the final customer.

Due to this, customization is not an option, though they have a few different configurations available. Of course, some upgrades can be done by the customer. These upgrades would include switching out the hard drive or upgrading the RAM.

The picture at the top of this page shows the different specifications that the GIGABYTE P2542G is available to come with. The main differences between the models will come in the form of storage configuration and RAM amounts.

Packaging

Due to this being the second, third, or fourth review of this system, the packaging has been pretty badly beaten up by all of the reviewers opening and closing the boxes. It's not picture worthy, however, through it all, including multiple shipping trips, the laptop has survived without a scratch.

Similar to the iBUYPOWER Valkyrie, the laptop arrived in a box inside a larger outer box that was filled with peanuts. This shipping configuration helps guarantee that the system arrives undamaged. Inside the inner box, the laptop has the traditional foam support so as to protect from vibrations, drops and other shipping-related damage.