GIGABYTE’s laptop product line includes AORUS gaming laptops and AERO creator laptops. Recently, the U series has been launched in response to the needs of mobile offices and distance learning caused by the epidemic. The first GIGABYTE U4 UD adopted a Lightweight body design of 990 grams and passed MIL-STD 810G US military regulations, adapting to various harsh environments and workplaces.
In addition, the core specifications are equipped with Intel’s 11th generation Core i7 U series processors, which are used in business Work needs, and daily audio and video entertainment are not a problem. More importantly, the price is more competitive than similar products. Let’s experience the charm of GIGABYTE U4 UD together.
| PROS | CONS |
| U4 is 990 grams | Mediocre battery life |
| Upgradeable SSD | |
| Bright display | |
| Cool during operation |
General Info
| GIGABYTE U4 UD | |
| $ | CHECK PRICE |
| Released | October 26, 2021 |
| Brand | GIGABYTE |
| Model | U4 (Intel 11th Gen) |
| Dimensions | 322×216.8×14.9~17.2 mm |
| Weight | 990 grams |
| Processor | Intel Core i7-1195G7 2.9GHz |
| Display | 14 inches |
| Resolution | 1920×1080, IPS-level anti-glare |
| Graphics | Intel Iris Xe |
| RAM | 16GB DDR4 3200 (1600MHz) |
| Storage | 512GB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0×4 SSD |
| OS | Windows 11 |
| Connectivity | USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A Thunderbolt 4 (USB4 / DP / 35W PD charging) HDMI 2.0 Micro SD memory card reader 3.5mm headset jack |
| Keyboard | Backlit Keyboard (White Color) |
| Bluetooth | V5.2 |
| Audio | 2x 1.5 Watt Speaker Dual-Array Microphone DTS:X® Ultra |
| Numeric keypad | No |
| Battery | Li-ion 36Wh |
| Power supply | 65W |
Design
The advertised weight of GIGABYTE U4 UD is 990 grams, which is quite light in the category of 14-inch laptops. However, the actual weighing capacity is only about 910 grams, lighter than the official announcement, for those who often need to carry it out. When in use, whether it is walking or taking transportation, it will not cause too much weight burden. Especially for female friends, it has the advantage of being more convenient to carry, and the thinnest part of the body is 14.9mm, which can be said to be light. At the same time, it also considers the thin design, which is more conducive to putting it in the bag and taking it with you at any time.
The thin and light design of GIGABYTE U4 UD. is friendly to female friends and will not have the burden of weight.
Although the body of GIGABYTE U4 U.D. weighs less than 1 kilogram, the body is still made of metal material, with silver-gray as the main color, coupled with a clean line design, presents a simple and generous design style, regardless of whether it is a student group, It is suitable for both social newcomers and business people. In addition, the fuselage has a solid structure and does not sacrifice lightness and thinness. The whole machine has also passed 8 major MIL-STD 810G U.S. military regulations, which means that it can still cope with various working fields or harsh conditions under the light and thin fuselage. Environmental use includes high altitude and low pressure, high/low-temperature shock, transportation vibration, etc.
Although the body of GIGABYTE U4 U.D. is light, it is still made of metal material, and it has passed the MIL-STD 810G U.S. military test, so it can still be used in harsh environments.
Display
The screen of GIGABYTE U4 UD is 14-inch, Full HD resolution, 100% sRGB color gamut, 178-degree wide viewing angle, IPS panel plus anti-glare, matte coating, which can reduce double The discomfort of watching the screen for a long time.
At the same time, the screen adopts a narrow frame design on three sides; the frame is about 4.5mm, allowing the screen to account for 83%, which is one of the reasons why the body can be relatively small.
On the top of the narrow bezel screen, there is also an HD video lens, dual speakers and dual microphone arrays, built-in noise reduction function, can filter non-vocal environmental noise, and import DTS: X Ultra audio technology to bring clear stereo Call sound effects to enhance the quality of video conferences.
In addition, the screen can also be expanded to 180 degrees, which is convenient for sharing screen content during group discussions.
The screen is 14-inch, Full HD resolution, with 100% sRGB color gamut, 178-degree wide viewing angle, and anti-glare, matte coating.
The screen adopts a narrow frame design on three sides; the frame is about 4.5mm, making the screen account for 83%.
There is also an HD video lens in the narrow border at the top of the screen, which can be used for video conferencing or connecting feelings.
The screen can also be expanded to 180 degrees, which is convenient for sharing the screen’s contents during group discussion.
Playing videos through GIGABYTE U4 UD during leisure time can also get a standard playback quality.
Performance
This GIGABYTE U4 UD is equipped with Intel Core i7-1195G7 2.90GHz processor, built-in Intel Iris Xe display chip, 16GB DDR4 memory, and 512GB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0×4 SSD as a storage device.
In terms of the internal structure, in addition to the 8GB DDR4-3200 on Board motherboard, a SO-DIMM slot is provided for expansion.
The maximum support is 8GB DDR4-3200 so that GIGABYTE U4 UD can be flexibly upgraded to the maximum 16GB memory condition. Built-in 2 M.2 slots, one supports PCIe Gen 4, the other is PCIe Gen 3 & SATA, users can create the most suitable specifications according to their needs and budget.
GIGABYTE U4 UD has a built-in Windows 11 system, so there is no need to worry about system upgrades.
As for the display chip equipped with the Intel Iris Xe internal display chip provides basic graphics computing performance.
It uses 3DMark’s Time Spy test mode to simulate the test conditions of the DirectX 12 game environment and obtains a performance of 1,351 points; in the 3D Mark Night Raid test, Used to test the performance of the internal display, scored 10,466 points, indicating that it can maintain an average performance of 70fps at a low to the medium performance setting at 1080p resolution and play games such as “Absolute Force: Global Offensive.”
The OpenCL test under Geekbench 5 scored 15,051 points, and Vulkan scored 15,272 points. Used to play “League of Legends,” at 1920×1080 resolution, stable and smooth performance above 90fps, it is no problem to download some games of Xbox Game Pass to play.
Using GIGABYTE U4 UD to play some popular games is not a problem. You can also download Xbox Game Pass games to play.
Connectivity
Usually, thin and light laptops are most afraid of sacrificing the configured I/O ports because of the lightness of the body. However, GIGABYTE U4 UD still provides a full range of I/O ports; no matter if you want to use it at a fixed point or carry it out, you can easily connect to other devices at any time. Expand the usability of GIGABYTE U4.
The input and output configurations of GIGABYTE U4 are evenly distributed on the left and right sides of the main body, including USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A, USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A, Thunderbolt 4 (USB 4 / DP / 35W PD charging), HDMI 2.0, Micro SD memory card reader, 3.5mm headphone jack, especially the USB Type-A port, is available on both sides, no matter which side of the external device, it is very convenient.
The output port on the right side of the fuselage has a USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A, 3.5mm headset jack, Micro SD memory card reader, and power button.
The output port on the left side of the fuselage has a charging hole, HDMI 2.0, USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A, Thunderbolt 4 (USB 4 / DP / 35W PD charging).
Since HDMI 2.0 and Thunderbolt 4 are configured simultaneously, 2 external 4K screens can be selected for fixed-point use. In addition, Thunderbolt 4 also supports 35W Power Delivery (PD) fast charging, which can charge up to 45% of the power in 30 minutes. Easy to find rescue.
In fixed-point use, you can connect an external 4K screen through HDMI 2.0 and Thunderbolt 4 and output through a large screen, which helps to increase the work rate.
Complete I/O port configuration, which can be connected to various devices to expand practicality.
Thunderbolt 4 supports 35W Power Delivery (PD) fast charging, which can be charged to 45% of the power within 30 minutes.
Keyboard / Touchpad
The keyboard is a standard full-size island-style keyboard with a ten-segment brightness adjustment backlight design. The brightness can be adjusted by 10% each time it is adjusted according to environmental requirements. It is also water-repellent and safer to use.
The feel of typing is not much different from that of ordinary writing notebooks. Long-term typing is not a problem. The one-piece touchpad below supports gesture operation and multi-touch functions.
The size ratio is moderate, and it can be easily matched when typing. The touchpad is used for operation.
The keyboard is used with a moderately sized touchpad, making it easy to use without an external mouse.
Equipped with a standard full-size island keyboard and has a water-repellent design.
The keyboard backlight provides a ten-segment brightness adjustment, and you can adjust the brightness according to your needs.
The one-piece touchpad is moderate size and supports gesture operation and multi-touch functions.
The particle design is added on both sides of the keyboard, and the product name of GIGABYTE U4 UD can be seen.
Battery
The battery specification is 36WHr. When the wireless network and Bluetooth are turned on, the screen brightness is about 40%, and the keyboard backlight is turned off, using PCMark 10 Office mode to simulate the use of general Office mode, the battery life is measured for 10 hours and 2 minutes, and the battery life is very good. , Work for half a day outside; you can handle it without carrying a charger.
The built-in Control Center 3.0 application can set the LED keyboard backlight and cooling fan. There are also quiet, power-saving, entertainment, and high-performance modes to choose from. If you want to save more power when you go out, you can quickly use Control Center 3.0 Quick setting.
Conclusion!
Finally, look at the overall performance of GIGABYTE U4 UD from the appearance design, specifications, performance, I/O ports, and cost-effectiveness. Although it is not a flagship device, it is a cost-effective ultra-light and thin laptop. It will be very suitable for the student population.
