HD 3000 in Intel’s second generation Core ‘Sandy Bridge’ processor was a pretty big step forward for integrated graphics — it adds significant gaming capabilities to thin, light, and efficient Ultrabooks, without the need for discrete graphics. HD 4000, introduced with the third and current-gen Core ‘Ivy Bridge’ processor took things one step further by doubling the performance over Sandy Bridge. With the fourth and next-gen Core ‘Haswell’ processor, slated to launch in Ultrabooks and other systems in 2013, Intel is once again doubling performance over the previous generation.

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Today HP is announcing a new variant of their premium Ultrabook, the Spectre XT TouchSmart. With the addition of a Thunderbolt port, a larger 15.6″ full HD IPS touchscreen, and Windows 8, HP is bumping the price up from the $999 Spectre XT to $1,399 for the Spectre XT TouchSmart.  The Ultrabooks are nearly identical aside from the additions and change to the price. It would appear as though HP will be selling them concurrently.

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Lenovo’s IdeaPad U310 Ultrabook hit the market not long ago but apparently not without issues. Problems with WiFi range and speed have been reported by a number of users. We’ve actually had a chance to get out hands on two U310’s for testing and both have exhibited the problem. We mentioned this issue in our U310 unboxing article, but because it’s a persistent issue we wanted to highlight it as a warning to those looking at the U310. According to several reports, the U410 Ultrabook shares the same issue.

Asus has quietly made and official announcement about their upcoming S46 and S56 Ultrabook via press release saying that the S-series Ultrabooks “are the only products in their segment to achieve a true all-in approach to features”. We saw the S46 (14″) and S56 (15.6″) during Computex back in June, but strangely Asus made no official announcements regarding their availability or even existence; it seems they were preoccupied with the exciting TaiChi and Transformer Book. Given the announcement, expect to see the S46 and S56 on store shelves soon.

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We’ve got the new Lenovo IdeaPad U310 Ivy Bridge Ultrabook on hand for testing. The U310 is the successor to the U300, it’s a second generation Ultrabook with an Ivy Bridge processor featuring HD4000 graphics. This is Lenovo’s entry level Ivy Bridge Ultrabook and can be had quite inexpensively (see the current price in the last section of this article). If you’re looking for an inexpensive back-to-school Ultrabook, the U310 should definitely be on your consideration list. You can find the U310 with a Core i3, i5, or i7 processor. Here are the specs of the model we’re testing:

Asus’ UX32VD is the Ultrabook you want if you want a Zenbook-styled device from Asus with gaming capabilities. Thanks to the discrete Nvidia 620M GPU, the UX32VD can handle a range of modern games (with the right settings). MobileTechReview’s Lisa Gade took the UX32VD out for a spin testing its ability to run Skyrim, Left 4 Dead 2, and Civilization 5.

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Intel’s Core processors dynamically adjust the speed of your Ultrabook’s CPU to give you power when you need it and battery savings when you don’t. The battery savings come when your Core processor intelligently clocks itself down to the minimum level during tasks that don’t require much power. For instance, as I write this and listen to a song in the background my processor is in ‘Energy Saver’ mode where unneeded cores are disabled to save power and active cores are clocked down. Ensuring that your Ultrabook is correctly downclocking and entering Energy Saver mode is vital to achieving maximum battery life. Inefficient programs or processes running in the background of your Ultrabook could be preventing you from getting the most from your battery; this guide will show you how to get rid of them.

Ultrabooks might not be able to play the latest blockbuster titles at max settings like a full blown liquid-cooled gaming desktop, but there’s still a heck of a lot of great titles that they can play. I’ve been using the Asus UX31E (Core i5 Sandy Bridge with Integrated HD3000 graphics) to happily play Minecraft, Tribes Ascend, Half-Life 2, Day of Defeat Source, Bit Trip Runner, League of Legends, Team Fortress 2, and plenty more. Having my Ultrabook running at peak performance means I get a competitive advantage and the most enjoyment thanks to my games running smoothly and responsively.  This guide will tune up your Ultrabook to run at maximum performance and will benefit your graphical applications even if you aren’t a gamer!

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