Notebooks with hidden power

OUTSIDE style covers a package with plenty of punch.

Notebooks with hidden power

OUTSIDE style covers a package with plenty of punch.

Blade / Razer

$2699, razerzone.com

Rating: 4.5/5

THE Blade looks like a gaming computer - the glowing green keyboard and Razer insignia give its intentions away - but it's far from a typical model. While you might expect giant cooling fans and a hefty base, this sleek system features discreet vents, a mere 1.6cm profile, and weight of just 1.8kg, making it one of the most subtle gaming rigs around. The 14-inch PC is powered by a fourth generation, 2.2GHz Intel Core i7 chip, 8GB RAM, Windows 8, and uses a 256GB solid-state hard drive for faster boot speeds. Three USB 3.0 ports also feature, along with an HDMI connection, 1.3-megapixel webcam and crisp LED-backlit screen with anti-reflective coating. Games must be streamed or downloaded (there's no optical drive) and internet connections wireless (no Ethernet port) but this Blade is a sharp choice.

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Zenbook UX301 / ASUS

From $1799, asus.com.au

Rating: 5/5

The latest Zenbook makes an immediate impact with a deep blue, brushed metal top covered in Corning Gorilla Glass 3, and a slimmed-down, 1.5cm profile that belies its power. It features a new Intel Core i5 or i7 chip and 4GB or 8GB RAM running Windows 8. Its 13.3-inch screen is also impressive, with 10-finger touch sensitivity, In-Plane Switching for wide viewing angles, a full high-definition resolution or the option of a jump to 2560x1440. Naturally, these upgrades come at a price. Users should be aware there is no optical drive, Ethernet port, just two USB 3.0 connections.

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Satellite u50t / Toshiba

$1399, mytoshiba.com.au

Rating: 4/5

THIS notebook is proof you can get a lot of computer for $1400. The Windows 8 machine offers a bright, 15.6-inch screen that is sensitive to the touch, immediately eliminating some operating system frustrations. It also features enough ports that you could call the u50t a desktop replacement. They include two USB 3.0 ports, one USB 2.0 connection, space for an HDMI cable and an SD memory card, plus an Ethernet port. The PC offers reasonable, though not cutting-edge power with a 1.6GHz Intel Core i5 chip, 4GB RAM, 2GB video card and 750GB storage, but its appearance is worthy of note. The u50t offers a brushed metal exterior, is just 2.1cm thin and weighs 2.3kg, though users must provide their own DVD drive.

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Split x2 / HP

From $1299, hp.com.au

Rating: 3.5/5

RUMOURS of a 13-inch Apple iPad may be incorrect, but HP offers its own take in this hybrid Windows 8 computer. The Split x2 is so named for the screen's ability to separate from the keyboard in an instant for tablet use. A step up from the similar but smaller Envy x2, this model offers a 13.3-inch screen, a third generation, 1.5GHz Intel Core i5 chip and 4GB RAM, plus added storage. The base features a 500GB hard drive, complemented by 128GB solid-state storage in the screen/tablet above, as well as two USB ports and an HDMI connection. The Split x2 is no lightweight, at 2.2kg, and its screen resolution hasn't increased from 1366x768. It is a competent, well-constructed hybrid computer, however, that would serve those looking for a Windows 8 tablet and notebook well.

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Chromebook C7 / Acer

$399, acerstore.com.au

Rating: 3/5

PROVING Google's discount, internet-reliant notebooks weren't just a fad is this machine, the second Chromebook from Acer. The new edition is 30 per cent thinner, more powerful, and offers a bigger screen and a faster drive and connections. Its diet clearly pays dividends for users as it has delivered a 1.47kg laptop that is just 1.9cm thin but, arguably, the main improvement has been to its battery life and power, with up to 8.5 hours now possible out of a single charge and grunt from Intel's new Haswell Celeron 2955U chip, 4GB RAM and a 16GB drive. Sadly, its screen is still dull and poor from an angle, its touchpad tricky, its offline usefulness limited, and it doesn't come with a mobile internet option.