Sony Vaio VGN-Z31ZN
Specifications
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Average of 2 scores (from 2 reviews)
Reviews for the Sony Vaio VGN-Z31ZN
Source: V3.co.uk Archive.org version
Sony's ultraportable Vaio range has long been a popular choice for business users requiring a light yet powerful laptop. The VGN-Z31ZN is the latest in Sony's line-up and does not buck the trend in terms of performance or portability. With a two-toned grey chassis it is an instant eye-pleaser, while its miniscule dimensions (31.4cm wide x 32cm deep x 3.3cm thick) and weight of just 1.5kg make it the perfect travel companion. A highly portable laptop that performs well, but it is by no means cheap.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 08/17/2009
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: Computing Archive.org version
Sony's ultraportable Vaio range has long been a popular choice for business users requiring a light yet powerful laptop. The VGN-Z31ZN is the latest in Sony's line-up and does not buck the trend in terms of performance or portability. A highly portable laptop that performs well, but it is by no means cheap.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 08/17/2009
Rating: Total score: 80%
Comment
NVIDIA GeForce 9300M GS: Compared to the 9300M G, the GS has only 8 unified shaders but a higher clock rate. Therefore, the performance should be similar according to Nvidia. Supports
Hybrid-SLI (GeForceBoost and HybridPower) with Nvidia 9100M G and PureVideo HD (VP3).
Only some 3D games with very low demands are playable with these cards.
» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List.
Intel Core 2 Duo: This is the Core Duo and Core Solo successor with a longer pipeline and 5-20% more speed without more power consumption. As an addition to the Core Duo design there exists a fourth decoder, an amplified SSE-unit and an additional arithmetical logical unit (ALU).
The Core 2 Duo for laptops is identical to the desktop Core 2 Duo processors but the notebook-processors work with lower voltages (0.95 to 1188 Volt) and a lower Frontside bus clock (1066 vs 667 MHz). The performance of equally clocked notebooks is 20-25% lower than Desktop PCs because of the lower Frontside bus clock and the slower hard disks.
P9600:
The P9600 is a middle class dual-core CPU of the Core 2 Duo line and similar to the T9550 (except for the lower TDP of 25 vs 35W). The performance of the P9600 should be sufficient for most applications and games of 2009.
» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.
13.10":
There are hardly any tablets in this display size range anymore. For subnotebooks, on the other hand, it is the standard format.
The advantage of subnotebooks is that the entire laptop can be small and therefore easily portable. The smaller display also has the advantage of requiring less power, which further improves battery life and thus mobility. The disadvantage is that reading texts is more strenuous on the eyes. High resolutions are more likely to be found in standard laptops.
» To find out how fine a display is, see our DPI List.Sony: Sony Corporation is one of the largest Japanese electronics companies. The company was founded in 1946 under a different name and initially produced rice stoves. The company launched the first transistor radio. In 1958, the company was renamed Sony. Sony is a combination of the Latin word sonus (sound) and the English word sonny (little boy). Today, its core business is consumer electronics. The company is engaged in the development, design, manufacture and sale of electronic equipment, instruments, devices, game consoles and software. Sony operates in the following segments: Gaming and Network Services, Music, Images, Home Entertainment and Sound, Imaging Products and Solutions, Mobile Communications, Semiconductors, Financial Services and Others.
80%: This rating is not earth-shattering. This rating must actually be seen as average, since there are about as many devices with worse ratings as better ones. A purchase recommendation can only be seen with a lot of goodwill, unless it is about websites that generally rate strictly.
» Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.