Sony VAIO VGN-Z31VN/X review

£2048
Price when reviewed

The Sony VAIO Z-series is one of the smallest laptops we’ve ever seen, but it still tries to cram in everything you’d expect on a full-size notebook. Its 1.47kg weight is far less than most notebooks, and it’s light enough to barely be noticeable when slung in a bag. The 33mm thickness is another reason why the Z-series is ideal for frequent travellers, as long as you’ve got a well-padded bag for added protection.

Sony VAIO VGN-Z31VN/X review

The VAIO’s chassis should be able to withstand regular transport, too. The thin screen lid flexed easily but there was no sign of distortion on the Windows desktop when we prodded and twisted it. And the build quality elsewhere is beyond reproach – the wrist-rest didn’t flex as much as we’ve seen in machines twice or three times the size.

Sony’s now-familiar Scrabble-tile keyboard layout is excellent, proving just as comfortable as it did in the preceding Z-series, the VAIO Z21MN/B, and more comfortable than the scrabble-tile keys of the MacBook Air. The trackpad is decent, too: large enough to not prove restrictive, and with two responsive buttons.

The 13.3in screen, with its native resolution of 1,600 x 900, offers plenty of desktop space. The audio output is also surprisingly good for such a diminutive notebook, with the pair of small stereo speakers pumping out decent bass and a clear mid-range.

What’s most impressive, however, is the sheer grunt this seemingly lightweight machine is able to deliver. It’s equipped with a 2.66GHz Core 2 Duo P9600 instead of the low-power CPUs favoured by the MacBook Air, Lenovo X301 and Toshiba Portege R600, and the new part is also a step up from the 2.4GHz P8600 CPU included in the VAIO Z21MN/B. The result, unsurprisingly, is much more capable performance: the Z scored 1.45 in our benchmarks – twice as quick as all of its main rivals, and quicker than the 1.31 scored by the last VAIO.

And, thanks to dual graphics chips, this power doesn’t come at the cost of battery life and portability. Using the Speed/ Stamina switch above the keyboard you can quickly swap between the Intel integrated graphics and the more powerful Nvidia GeForce 9300M GS chip; don’t expect mind-blowing gaming, though: in our low-quality Crysis benchmark it achieved only 6fps.

In Speed mode the VAIO lasted just over two hours in our heavy use test and 7hrs 4mins in our light use benchmark. Flick over to the Stamina settings however, and you can turn this laptop from mobile powerhouse to indispensible business tool – we saw the VAIO last for a remarkable 9hrs 10mins in our light use test. The Nearest contenders, from Toshiba and Lenovo, last for six and a half hours: good, but not a patch on the Sony’s all-day lifespan.

The VAIO’s tiny frame manages to pack in plenty of decent components besides the CPU and pair of graphics chips. A 320GB hard disk is far larger than the 128GB SSD drives offered by Apple and Lenovo’s rival ultraportables, but it’s a trade-off between capacity and an SSD’s speed and reliability. If you’re not going to use all the space provided by the Sony, then an SSD model may be a better option in a machine that, inevitably, could take a few knocks.

The Sony matches the ThinkPad X301 for connectivity: both machines are kitted out with draft-n wireless, Bluetooth and an HSDPA modem, ensuring that it’s possible to stay connected even without a wireless hotspot in sight, and a TPM module will be a welcome addition for business users.

Warranty

Warranty1 yr return to base

Physical specifications

Dimensions314 x 213 x 33mm (WDH)
Weight1.470kg
Travelling weight1.8kg

Processor and memory

ProcessorIntel Core 2 Duo P9600
Motherboard chipsetIntel GM45 Express
RAM capacity4.00GB
Memory typeDDR3
SODIMM sockets free0
SODIMM sockets total2

Screen and video

Screen size13.1in
Resolution screen horizontal1,600
Resolution screen vertical900
Resolution1600 x 900
Graphics chipsetNvidia GeForce 9300M GS/Intel GMA X4500 HD
Graphics card RAM256MB
VGA (D-SUB) outputs1
HDMI outputs1
S-Video outputs0
DVI-I outputs0
DVI-D outputs0
DisplayPort outputs0

Drives

Capacity320GB
Hard disk usable capacity297GB
Spindle speed5,400RPM
Internal disk interfaceSATA/150
Hard diskToshiba MK3252GSX
Optical disc technologyDVD writer
Optical driveMatshita UJ862AS
Battery capacity5,400mAh
Replacement battery price inc VAT£0

Networking

Wired adapter speed1,000Mbits/sec
802.11a supportyes
802.11b supportyes
802.11g supportyes
802.11 draft-n supportyes
Integrated 3G adapteryes

Other Features

Wireless hardware on/off switchyes
Wireless key-combination switchno
Modemyes
ExpressCard34 slots0
ExpressCard54 slots0
PC Card slots0
USB ports (downstream)2
FireWire ports1
PS/2 mouse portno
9-pin serial ports0
Parallel ports0
Optical S/PDIF audio output ports0
Electrical S/PDIF audio ports0
3.5mm audio jacks2
SD card readeryes
Memory Stick readeryes
MMC (multimedia card) readerno
Smart Media readerno
Compact Flash readerno
xD-card readerno
Pointing device typeTouchpad
Audio chipsetRealtek HD Audio
Speaker locationAbove keyboard
Hardware volume control?no
Integrated microphone?yes
Integrated webcam?yes
TPMyes
Fingerprint readeryes
Smartcard readerno

Battery and performance tests

Battery life, light use550
Battery life, heavy use120
Overall application benchmark score1.45
Office application benchmark score1.61
2D graphics application benchmark score1.47
Encoding application benchmark score1.20
Multitasking application benchmark score1.52
3D performance (crysis) low settings6fps
3D performance settingMedium

Operating system and software

Operating systemWindows Vista Business
OS familyWindows Vista
Recovery methodRecovery partition

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