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Magyar2021 VAIO SX14 review: The $2500 USD Core i7 Ultrabook
Vaio isn't fooling around with cheap laptops. After reviewing the insanely expensive Vaio Z earlier this year, the manufacturer is at it again with yet another high-end model called the SX14. This 2021 model introduces a few significant changes when compared to the 2019 SX14 model and so the user experience between the two models will not be exactly the same.
Configurations range from the Core i5-1155G7 with 16 GB RAM and 512 GB PCIe4 NVMe SSD for $1250 USD up to the Core i7-1195G7 with 32 GB RAM, 2 TB SSD and touchscreen for $2500 USD all with vPro support. Each SKU comes with the same 1080p IPS panel. The pricier Vaio Z comes with faster Tiger Lake H35 CPUs and improved colors in comparison.
The SX14 competes with other 14-inch flagship office or prosumer subnotebooks like the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7, Huawei MateBook 14s, Dell Latitude 9420, or the HP EliteBook 840 Aero.
More Vaio reviews:
Potential Competitors in Comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 87.2 % | 11/2021 | VAIO SX14 VJS144X0111K i7-1195G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 1.1 kg | 17.9 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1080 | |
| 89 % | 07/2021 | Dell Latitude 9420 2-in-1 i7-1185G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 1.5 kg | 13.94 mm | 14.00" | 2560x1600 | |
| 86.9 % | 10/2021 | Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro 14IHU5 i7-11370H, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 1.4 kg | 16.9 mm | 14.00" | 2880x1800 | |
| 89.8 % | 08/2021 | HP EliteBook 840 Aero G8 3E4Q6AA i7-1185G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 1.2 kg | 17.9 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1080 | |
| 83.8 % | 02/2021 | VAIO Z VJZ141C11L i7-11375H, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 1 kg | 16.9 mm | 14.00" | 3840x2160 | |
| 88.6 % | 10/2021 | Huawei MateBook 14s i7 i7-11370H, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 1.4 kg | 16.7 mm | 14.20" | 2520x1680 |
Case — Same Executive Look
The chassis remains identical to the 2019 SX14 for better or worse. It's visually a premium design that still compares well against the latest Lenovo ThinkPad or HP EliteBook, but skeleton is comparatively thinner and more prone to warping. The edges of the base and lid twist more readily while the keyboard center and outer lid will visibly flex when applying pressure. A bit of creaking is audible as well.
The system is lighter than it looks due to its aforementioned thin and flexible skeleton. The Latitude 9420 2-in-1, for example, is smaller in every dimension and yet it is 400 grams heavier. It's a surprisingly portable 14-inch laptop even if it may not be the smallest in its size class.
Connectivity — Big Port Changes
Port options have changed significantly from the 2019 SX14. Most notably, both the proprietary AC barrel port and legacy VGA port are now gone in favor of dual USB-C ports each capable of Thunderbolt 4, DisplayPort, and Power Delivery.
For whatever reason, Vaio refused to tell us the version of the HDMI port in use here. Our own tests have shown that the port is capable of outputting to a 4K external monitor at 60 Hz meaning it is at least version 2.0.
Communication — Upgraded to Wi-Fi 6
Webcam
Maintenance — Different Internals
The bottom panel requires patience to remove as it is secured by no less than 17 Philips screws. The keyboard deck can then be removed since the motherboard is upside-down unlike on most other laptops. Be wary of the fragile ribbon connecting the keyboard deck to the motherboard when servicing.
Users cannot upgrade RAM as the modules are soldered.
Accessories and Warranty
The retail box includes a wiping cloth in addition to the usual AC adapter and paperwork. The standard one-year limited manufacturer warranty applies.
Input Devices — Larger Clickpad Than Before
Keyboard
Key feedback sits in between the softer Razer Blade 14 and crisper HP Spectre series. The keyboard deck tends to flex more on the Vaio, however, which leads to spongier key feedback especially towards the center.
Touchpad
Vaio has increased the surface area of the clickpad from 8 x 4.5 cm on the 2019 SX14 to 11 x 6.2 cm on the 2021 model. The dedicated mouse buttons remain as well, but they are thinner, lighter, and closer to the front edge of the notebook.
Display — 1080p 16:9 Only
Our newer 2021 SX12 uses a Sharp panel with higher brightness and contrast than the BOE panel on the older 2019 SX12. On the flip side, the Sharp panel has slower black-white and gray-gray response times for more noticeable ghosting. Texts and images are otherwise sharp and vibrant especially since the glossy touchscreen layer is so thin to keep weight under control.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 88 %
Center on Battery: 373.4 cd/m²
Contrast: 1623:1 (Black: 0.23 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 2.99 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 0.49
ΔE Greyscale 4.3 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
67.9% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
97.7% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
66.8% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.02
| VAIO SX14 VJS144X0111K Sharp LQ140M1JW55, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00 | Dell Latitude 9420 2-in-1 AU Optronics B140QAN, IPS, 2560x1600, 14.00 | Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro 14IHU5 LEN140WQ+, IPS, 2880x1800, 14.00 | HP EliteBook 840 Aero G8 3E4Q6AA AU Optronics AUO068B, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00 | VAIO Z VJZ141C11L BOE NE140QUM-N62, IPS, 3840x2160, 14.00 | Huawei MateBook 14s i7 CSOTT3 U17B MNE208ZA1-3, LTPS, 2520x1680, 14.20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 13% | 10% | 1% | 24% | 2% | |
| Display P3 Coverage | 66.8 | 80.7 21% | 76.9 15% | 68 2% | 95.7 43% | 67.8 1% |
| sRGB Coverage | 97.7 | 100 2% | 99.8 2% | 97.6 0% | 99.5 2% | 98.3 1% |
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 67.9 | 79.7 17% | 76.7 13% | 69.3 2% | 86.4 27% | 70.1 3% |
| Response Times | 15% | 43% | 25% | 27% | 42% | |
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 54 ? | 54 ? -0% | 36.4 ? 33% | 48 ? 11% | 46.8 ? 13% | 37.6 ? 30% |
| Response Time Black / White * | 46.4 ? | 32.8 ? 29% | 22.4 ? 52% | 28.8 ? 38% | 28 ? 40% | 21.6 ? 53% |
| PWM Frequency | 27780 ? | |||||
| Screen | -36% | -1% | -39% | -39% | 6% | |
| Brightness middle | 373.4 | 483.6 30% | 410 10% | 466.4 25% | 368.3 -1% | 419 12% |
| Brightness | 376 | 465 24% | 395 5% | 426 13% | 361 -4% | 407 8% |
| Brightness Distribution | 88 | 92 5% | 91 3% | 84 -5% | 90 2% | 93 6% |
| Black Level * | 0.23 | 0.32 -39% | 0.29 -26% | 0.32 -39% | 0.22 4% | 0.23 -0% |
| Contrast | 1623 | 1511 -7% | 1414 -13% | 1458 -10% | 1674 3% | 1822 12% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 2.99 | 3.69 -23% | 3.24 -8% | 2.84 5% | 3.27 -9% | 1.9 36% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 5.29 | 5.97 -13% | 5.26 1% | 4.73 11% | 5.43 -3% | 3.6 32% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 0.49 | 2.05 -318% | 0.41 16% | 2.27 -363% | 2.33 -376% | 0.9 -84% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 4.3 | 3.5 19% | 4.2 2% | 3.7 14% | 2.9 33% | 2.9 33% |
| Gamma | 2.02 109% | 2.04 108% | 2.18 101% | 2.13 103% | 2.2 100% | 2.14 103% |
| CCT | 6537 99% | 6158 106% | 6012 108% | 6886 94% | 6071 107% | 6733 97% |
| Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 76.8 | |||||
| Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 99.5 | |||||
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | -3% /
-18% | 17% /
8% | -4% /
-21% | 4% /
-16% | 17% /
10% |
* ... smaller is better
Color space covers 98 percent of sRGB not unlike on the 2019 SX14. Users may want to consider the pricier Vaio Z for even wider DCI-P3 coverage.
X-Rite colorimeter measurements reveal mediocre grayscale and color accuracy out of the box. A proper calibration would bring grayscale and color deltaE values down to just 0.7 and 0.49, respectively, to fully exploit the high sRGB coverage of the panel.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 46.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 26 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 20.4 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 99 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.5 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 54 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 24 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 30 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 89 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.7 ms). | ||
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM not detected |  | ||
In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 17924 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. | |||
Outdoor visibility is comparable to the Vaio Z or Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro but worse than on the XPS 13 or HP EliteBook 840 Aero as the latter models each come with a much brighter display. Expect some level of glare no matter where you may be working.
Performance — Faster Than The Average Core i7 U-series CPU
Testing Conditions
Our unit was set to Performance mode via Vaio Control Center prior to running any performance benchmarks below for the highest possible scores. We recommend owners become familiar with this software as almost all laptop-specific features are toggled here including the keyboard backlight, USB Power Delivery behavior, IR sensor, macros, and other options.
Processor
Raw CPU performance is excellent even though results are just marginally better than many Core i7-1165G7 alternatives. The ADATA XPG Xenia 14, for example, comes with the i7-1165G7 and it's only behind by a few percentage points in both single- and multi-threaded applications. These small deltas likely won't matter much to most users.
Users may want to consider AMD Ryzen alternatives for more significant boosts in processor performance. The Ryzen 7 5700U or 5800U offer noticeably faster multi-thread performance albeit at the cost of slower integrated graphics and slightly slower single-thread performance than our i7-1195G7.
Cinebench R15 Multi Loop
Cinebench R23: Multi Core | Single Core
Cinebench R20: CPU (Multi Core) | CPU (Single Core)
Cinebench R15: CPU Multi 64Bit | CPU Single 64Bit
Blender: v2.79 BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 | 7z b 4 -mmt1
Geekbench 5.5: Multi-Core | Single-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
| CPU Performance Rating | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14ALC05 82HU002YUS | |
| HP Pavilion Aero 13 be0097nr -2! | |
| VAIO SX14 VJS144X0111K -2! | |
| ADATA XPG Xenia 14 -2! | |
| Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TM420IA -2! | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1195G7 | |
| Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 14ITL05 82A300CNGE | |
| HP EliteBook 840 Aero G8 3E4Q6AA -2! | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen2-20T7S00W00 -2! | |
| VAIO SX14 -10! | |
| Infinix INBook X1 Pro -2! | |
| Acer Spin 3 SP314-54N-56S5 | |
| Geekbench 5.5 / Multi-Core | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14ALC05 82HU002YUS | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TM420IA | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1195G7 (4241 - 6349, n=7) | |
| Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 14ITL05 82A300CNGE | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen2-20T7S00W00 | |
| Acer Spin 3 SP314-54N-56S5 | |
| Geekbench 5.5 / Single-Core | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1195G7 (1519 - 1649, n=7) | |
| Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 14ITL05 82A300CNGE | |
| Acer Spin 3 SP314-54N-56S5 | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14ALC05 82HU002YUS | |
| Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TM420IA | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen2-20T7S00W00 | |
Cinebench R23: Multi Core | Single Core
Cinebench R20: CPU (Multi Core) | CPU (Single Core)
Cinebench R15: CPU Multi 64Bit | CPU Single 64Bit
Blender: v2.79 BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 | 7z b 4 -mmt1
Geekbench 5.5: Multi-Core | Single-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
* ... smaller is better
AIDA64: FP32 Ray-Trace | FPU Julia | CPU SHA3 | CPU Queen | FPU SinJulia | FPU Mandel | CPU AES | CPU ZLib | FP64 Ray-Trace | CPU PhotoWorxx
| Performance Rating | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro 14IHU5 | |
| Huawei MateBook 14s i7 | |
| Dell Latitude 9420 2-in-1 | |
| VAIO SX14 VJS144X0111K | |
| HP EliteBook 840 Aero G8 3E4Q6AA | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1195G7 | |
| AIDA64 / FP32 Ray-Trace | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro 14IHU5 | |
| Huawei MateBook 14s i7 | |
| VAIO SX14 VJS144X0111K | |
| Dell Latitude 9420 2-in-1 | |
| HP EliteBook 840 Aero G8 3E4Q6AA | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1195G7 (4378 - 7361, n=9) | |
| AIDA64 / FPU Julia | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro 14IHU5 | |
| Huawei MateBook 14s i7 | |
| VAIO SX14 VJS144X0111K | |
| Dell Latitude 9420 2-in-1 | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1195G7 (20576 - 30422, n=9) | |
| HP EliteBook 840 Aero G8 3E4Q6AA | |
| AIDA64 / CPU SHA3 | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro 14IHU5 | |
| Huawei MateBook 14s i7 | |
| VAIO SX14 VJS144X0111K | |
| Dell Latitude 9420 2-in-1 | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1195G7 (1310 - 2026, n=9) | |
| HP EliteBook 840 Aero G8 3E4Q6AA | |
| AIDA64 / CPU Queen | |
| Huawei MateBook 14s i7 | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro 14IHU5 | |
| Dell Latitude 9420 2-in-1 | |
| HP EliteBook 840 Aero G8 3E4Q6AA | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1195G7 (38530 - 56262, n=9) | |
| VAIO SX14 VJS144X0111K | |
| AIDA64 / FPU SinJulia | |
| Dell Latitude 9420 2-in-1 | |
| Huawei MateBook 14s i7 | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro 14IHU5 | |
| VAIO SX14 VJS144X0111K | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1195G7 (3209 - 4937, n=9) | |
| HP EliteBook 840 Aero G8 3E4Q6AA | |
| AIDA64 / FPU Mandel | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro 14IHU5 | |
| Huawei MateBook 14s i7 | |
| Dell Latitude 9420 2-in-1 | |
| VAIO SX14 VJS144X0111K | |
| HP EliteBook 840 Aero G8 3E4Q6AA | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1195G7 (12142 - 18123, n=9) | |
| AIDA64 / CPU AES | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro 14IHU5 | |
| Huawei MateBook 14s i7 | |
| Dell Latitude 9420 2-in-1 | |
| HP EliteBook 840 Aero G8 3E4Q6AA | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1195G7 (30854 - 70936, n=9) | |
| VAIO SX14 VJS144X0111K | |
| AIDA64 / CPU ZLib | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro 14IHU5 | |
| Huawei MateBook 14s i7 | |
| VAIO SX14 VJS144X0111K | |
| Dell Latitude 9420 2-in-1 | |
| HP EliteBook 840 Aero G8 3E4Q6AA | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1195G7 (231 - 399, n=10) | |
| AIDA64 / FP64 Ray-Trace | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro 14IHU5 | |
| Huawei MateBook 14s i7 | |
| Dell Latitude 9420 2-in-1 | |
| VAIO SX14 VJS144X0111K | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1195G7 (2300 - 3949, n=9) | |
| HP EliteBook 840 Aero G8 3E4Q6AA | |
| AIDA64 / CPU PhotoWorxx | |
| Dell Latitude 9420 2-in-1 | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro 14IHU5 | |
| Huawei MateBook 14s i7 | |
| VAIO SX14 VJS144X0111K | |
| HP EliteBook 840 Aero G8 3E4Q6AA | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1195G7 (13455 - 35235, n=9) | |
System Performance
PCMark scores are consistently ahead of the 2019 SX14 especially in Digital Content Creation where Iris Xe can run laps around the outdated UHD Graphics 620.
| PCMark 10 / Score | |
| Huawei MateBook 14s i7 | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro 14IHU5 | |
| Dell Latitude 9420 2-in-1 | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1195G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (5067 - 5406, n=6) | |
| VAIO SX14 VJS144X0111K | |
| HP EliteBook 840 Aero G8 3E4Q6AA | |
| VAIO SX14 | |
| PCMark 10 / Essentials | |
| Huawei MateBook 14s i7 | |
| VAIO SX14 VJS144X0111K | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1195G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (10156 - 10614, n=6) | |
| Dell Latitude 9420 2-in-1 | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro 14IHU5 | |
| HP EliteBook 840 Aero G8 3E4Q6AA | |
| VAIO SX14 | |
| PCMark 10 / Productivity | |
| Huawei MateBook 14s i7 | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1195G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (6637 - 7390, n=6) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro 14IHU5 | |
| Dell Latitude 9420 2-in-1 | |
| VAIO SX14 VJS144X0111K | |
| HP EliteBook 840 Aero G8 3E4Q6AA | |
| VAIO SX14 | |
| PCMark 10 / Digital Content Creation | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro 14IHU5 | |
| Huawei MateBook 14s i7 | |
| Dell Latitude 9420 2-in-1 | |
| VAIO SX14 VJS144X0111K | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1195G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs (4737 - 5941, n=6) | |
| HP EliteBook 840 Aero G8 3E4Q6AA | |
| VAIO SX14 | |
| PCMark 10 Score | 5117 points | |
Help | ||
| AIDA64 / Memory Copy | |
| Dell Latitude 9420 2-in-1 | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro 14IHU5 | |
| Huawei MateBook 14s i7 | |
| VAIO SX14 VJS144X0111K | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1195G7 (23332 - 57053, n=10) | |
| HP EliteBook 840 Aero G8 3E4Q6AA | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Read | |
| Dell Latitude 9420 2-in-1 | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro 14IHU5 | |
| Huawei MateBook 14s i7 | |
| VAIO SX14 VJS144X0111K | |
| HP EliteBook 840 Aero G8 3E4Q6AA | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1195G7 (24068 - 53332, n=10) | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Write | |
| Dell Latitude 9420 2-in-1 | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro 14IHU5 | |
| VAIO SX14 VJS144X0111K | |
| Huawei MateBook 14s i7 | |
| HP EliteBook 840 Aero G8 3E4Q6AA | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1195G7 (22151 - 59019, n=10) | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Latency | |
| VAIO SX14 VJS144X0111K | |
| Average Intel Core i7-1195G7 (69.8 - 114.4, n=10) | |
| Dell Latitude 9420 2-in-1 | |
| Huawei MateBook 14s i7 | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro 14IHU5 | |
| HP EliteBook 840 Aero G8 3E4Q6AA | |
* ... smaller is better
DPC Latency
LatencyMon reveals DPC issues when opening multiple browser tabs on our homepage. 4K video playback at 60 FPS is otherwise smooth and without any dropped frames.
| DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95 | |
| HP EliteBook 840 Aero G8 3E4Q6AA | |
| VAIO SX14 VJS144X0111K | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro 14IHU5 | |
| Huawei MateBook 14s i7 | |
| VAIO Z VJZ141C11L | |
| Dell Latitude 9420 2-in-1 | |
* ... smaller is better
Storage Devices — PCIe4 Standard
Much like on the Vaio Z, the SX14 employs PCIe4 SSDs from the Samsung PM9A1 series for significantly faster read and write rates than any laptop still running on PCIe3 drives. The system comes with no heat spreader, however, which may impact the longevity of the drive as NVMe SSDs are known to run very warm.
* ... smaller is better
Disk Throttling: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8
GPU Performance — Iris Xe Is Getting Better
Graphics performance is about 15 to 25 percent faster than the average laptop equipped with the same integrated Iris Xe 96 EUs GPU which is quite impressive considering the limited TDP of the Core U-series CPU. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro, for example, comes with the same GPU but a higher-power Core i7-11370H and yet the GPU in our Vaio is able to stand neck-to-neck with the Lenovo. Gaming performance is faster than any integrated Radeon RX Vega solution at the moment as well, but its advantage will vary depending on the title.
| 3DMark 11 Performance | 7381 points | |
| 3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score | 21858 points | |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Score | 5222 points | |
| 3DMark Time Spy Score | 2029 points | |
Help | ||
Witcher 3 FPS Chart
| low | med. | high | ultra | |
| GTA V (2015) | 113 | 99.3 | 32.7 | 12.9 |
| The Witcher 3 (2015) | 95.8 | 57.5 | 36.6 | 17.3 |
| Dota 2 Reborn (2015) | 136 | 96.1 | 63.1 | 59.3 |
| Final Fantasy XV Benchmark (2018) | 45.3 | 24.6 | 17.2 | |
| X-Plane 11.11 (2018) | 43.7 | 38.5 | 34.1 | |
| Far Cry 5 (2018) | 60 | 32 | 30 | 27 |
Emissions — Loud When It Needs To Be
System Noise
Fan noise is dependent on the Vaio Control Center fan setting which can be toggled between Silent, Balanced, and Performance. The system is generally quiet to almost unnoticeable if set to Quiet or Balanced, but Performance mode will induce a fan noise of just over 31 dB(A) against a silent background of 23.8 dB(A) when simply video streaming or browsing the web. We recommend avoiding Performance mode when running such undemanding applications to keep fan noise as low as possible.
The Vaio is louder than most other Ultrabooks when running higher loads like games on Performance mode. Witcher 3, for example, induces a fan noise of almost 50 dB(A) compared to only 41 dB(A) or 32 dB(A) on the Dell Latitude 9420 2-in-1 or Huawei MateBook 14s, respectively. If on Balanced mode, this ceiling would drop to a more manageable 39.6 dB(A) instead at the cost of reduced performance and warmer core temperatures.
Noise Level
| Idle |
| 24.3 / 24.3 / 31.3 dB(A) |
| Load |
| 36.6 / 51.5 dB(A) |
 | ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min:  , med:  , max:  Earthworks M23R, Arta (15 cm distance) environment noise: 23.8 dB(A) | ||
| VAIO SX14 VJS144X0111K Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1195G7, Samsung PM9A1 MZVL22T0HBLB | Dell Latitude 9420 2-in-1 Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1185G7, WDC PC SN530 SDBPNPZ-512G | Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro 14IHU5 Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-11370H, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-1T00 | HP EliteBook 840 Aero G8 3E4Q6AA Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1185G7, SK Hynix PC711 512GB HFS512GDE9X073N | VAIO Z VJZ141C11L Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-11375H, Samsung PM9A1 MZVL2512HCJQ | Huawei MateBook 14s i7 Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-11370H, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noise | 10% | 10% | 19% | -2% | 9% | |
| off / environment * | 23.8 | 25.4 -7% | 24.6 -3% | 24.1 -1% | 26.1 -10% | 24.3 -2% |
| Idle Minimum * | 24.3 | 25.4 -5% | 24.7 -2% | 24.2 -0% | 26.1 -7% | 24.3 -0% |
| Idle Average * | 24.3 | 25.4 -5% | 24.7 -2% | 24.2 -0% | 26.1 -7% | 24.3 -0% |
| Idle Maximum * | 31.3 | 25.4 19% | 24.7 21% | 24.2 23% | 29.9 4% | 28.4 9% |
| Load Average * | 36.6 | 25.4 31% | 30.8 16% | 26.9 27% | 36.3 1% | 31.7 13% |
| Witcher 3 ultra * | 49.6 | 41.3 17% | 33 33% | 27.9 44% | 43.7 12% | 31.7 36% |
| Load Maximum * | 51.5 | 41.3 20% | 46.4 10% | 29.9 42% | 55.4 -8% | 46.8 9% |
* ... smaller is better
Temperature — Warm Bottom
The left half of the laptop will always be warmer than the right half due to the asymmetric cooling solution within. In contrast, other high-end Ultrabooks like the HP Spectre or Dell XPS 13 tend to have symmetrical cooling solutions and so they are usually warmest toward the center instead. The bottom panel can get quite toasty at almost 50 C since it has no ventilation grilles while the keyboard hot spot tops out at only 34 C compared to almost 44 C on the older 2019 SX14.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 36.2 °C / 97 F, compared to the average of 35.9 °C / 97 F, ranging from 21.4 to 59 °C for the class Subnotebook.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 50.2 °C / 122 F, compared to the average of 39.4 °C / 103 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 20.7 °C / 69 F, compared to the device average of 30.7 °C / 87 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 25.6 °C / 78.1 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(+) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.3 °C / 82.9 F (+2.7 °C / 4.8 F).
| VAIO SX14 VJS144X0111K Intel Core i7-1195G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs | Dell Latitude 9420 2-in-1 Intel Core i7-1185G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs | Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro 14IHU5 Intel Core i7-11370H, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs | HP EliteBook 840 Aero G8 3E4Q6AA Intel Core i7-1185G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs | Huawei MateBook 14s i7 Intel Core i7-11370H, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs | VAIO SX14 Intel Core i5-8265U, Intel UHD Graphics 620 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heat | -14% | 0% | -22% | -4% | -3% | |
| Maximum Upper Side * | 36.2 | 43.4 -20% | 39.4 -9% | 39.2 -8% | 41.1 -14% | 38.7 -7% |
| Maximum Bottom * | 50.2 | 48 4% | 51.4 -2% | 51.2 -2% | 45.4 10% | 42 16% |
| Idle Upper Side * | 21.4 | 29.8 -39% | 21.6 -1% | 33 -54% | 25.3 -18% | 26.2 -22% |
| Idle Bottom * | 27.8 | 28 -1% | 24.6 12% | 34 -22% | 26.5 5% | 27 3% |
* ... smaller is better
Stress Test
When under Prime95 stress, the CPU would boost to 4.4 GHz for just the first second or so before falling and stabilizing at 3.2 to 3.4 GHz and 94 C. Core temperature on the Vaio is warmer than on many other Ultrabooks with slower U-series CPUs including the ADATA XPG Xenia 14 and Asus ZenBook 14 where CPU temperatures would stabilize at 90 C and 68 C, respectively, when under similar testing conditions. Sustained PL1 performance appears to be at 32 W on our Vaio.
Running Witcher 3 would result in stable GPU and memory clocks of around 1300 MHz and 2000 MHz, respectively, similar to what we observed on the Framework Laptop and XPG Xenia 14.
Running on battery power will not significantly impact performance. A 3DMark 11 test on batteries would return almost the same scores across the board.
| CPU Clock (GHz) | GPU Clock (MHz) | Average CPU Temperature (°C) | |
| System Idle | -- | -- | 32 |
| Prime95 Stress | 3.2 - 3.4 | -- | 90 |
| Prime95 + FurMark Stress | 1.8 - 2.4 | 800 - 1100 | 68 - 78 |
| Witcher 3 Stress | 1.8 - 4.5 | 1200 - 1400 | 74 |
Speakers
VAIO SX14 VJS144X0111K audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (90.1 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 28.8% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.3% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.3% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (6.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (19.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 57% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 36% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 44% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 49% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 11.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (14.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (10.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 5% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 93% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 3% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 96% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Energy Management — Quite Demanding
Power Consumption
Power consumption is generally higher than most other Ultrabooks save for those with discrete Nvidia MX GPUs. Idling on desktop would consume between 10 W and 15 W compared to half that on the Dell Latitude 9420 2-in-1 or IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro. This trend continues when running higher loads like games as well to show that the higher-than-average graphics performance recorded above comes at the cost of higher-than-average power consumption. Perhaps unsurprisingly, overall consumption is very close to what we measured on the Vaio Z.
Power consumption can be as high as 6 W to 20 W when the system is turned off or on standby mode since USB sleep-and-charge is enabled by default on the Control Center menu.
We're able to record a maximum draw of 66 W from the small (~7.7 x 4.5 x 2.8 cm) 65 W AC adapter when running Prime95. The battery will not recharge when running such extreme loads.
| Off / Standby | 6 / 19.5 Watt |
| Idle | 3.3 / 13.9 / 15.9 Watt |
| Load |
54 / 66 Watt |
   
| |
| VAIO SX14 VJS144X0111K i7-1195G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, Samsung PM9A1 MZVL22T0HBLB, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00 | Dell Latitude 9420 2-in-1 i7-1185G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, WDC PC SN530 SDBPNPZ-512G, IPS, 2560x1600, 14.00 | Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro 14IHU5 i7-11370H, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, WDC PC SN730 SDBPNTY-1T00, IPS, 2880x1800, 14.00 | HP EliteBook 840 Aero G8 3E4Q6AA i7-1185G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, SK Hynix PC711 512GB HFS512GDE9X073N, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00 | VAIO Z VJZ141C11L i7-11375H, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, Samsung PM9A1 MZVL2512HCJQ, IPS, 3840x2160, 14.00 | Huawei MateBook 14s i7 i7-11370H, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, Toshiba XG6 KXG60ZNV512G, LTPS, 2520x1680, 14.20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | 8% | 11% | 28% | -30% | 6% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 3.3 | 4.6 -39% | 4.8 -45% | 3.2 3% | 9.5 -188% | 4.4 -33% |
| Idle Average * | 13.9 | 7.8 44% | 7.9 43% | 5.4 61% | 13.7 1% | 8.7 37% |
| Idle Maximum * | 15.9 | 8.2 48% | 8.6 46% | 6.9 57% | 14.4 9% | 9.6 40% |
| Load Average * | 54 | 47.9 11% | 46.5 14% | 38.9 28% | 54.3 -1% | 46 15% |
| Witcher 3 ultra * | 46.6 | 38.8 17% | 43 8% | 37 21% | 46.1 1% | 42.2 9% |
| Load Maximum * | 66 | 87.1 -32% | 67.4 -2% | 66.5 -1% | 65.5 1% | 87.6 -33% |
* ... smaller is better
Power Consumption Witcher 3 / Stresstest
Battery Life
Battery capacity has increased from 38 Wh on the older 2019 SX14 to 53 Wh on our latest model. Consequently, our battery life results are now several hours longer at almost 9 hours of real-world WLAN usage.
Charging from empty to full takes about 90 minutes. Any of the two USB-C ports can be used for charging.
| VAIO SX14 VJS144X0111K i7-1195G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, 53 Wh | Dell Latitude 9420 2-in-1 i7-1185G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, 60 Wh | Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro 14IHU5 i7-11370H, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, 61 Wh | HP EliteBook 840 Aero G8 3E4Q6AA i7-1185G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, 53 Wh | Huawei MateBook 14s i7 i7-11370H, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, 60 Wh | VAIO SX14 i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620, 38 Wh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | 56% | -12% | 54% | 40% | -13% | |
| Reader / Idle | 2046 | 1721 -16% | 889 -57% | 1487 -27% | 605 -70% | |
| WiFi v1.3 | 532 | 699 31% | 502 -6% | 685 29% | 618 16% | 339 -36% |
| Load | 58 | 146 152% | 73 26% | 151 160% | 95 64% | 96 66% |
| H.264 | 693 | 390 |
Pros
Cons
Verdict — Minor Changes That Add Up
From the outside, the 2021 SX14 doesn't seems like a huge upgrade over the 2019 SX14. The story is flipped when looking at the motherboard inside as Vaio has changed nearly everything about the hardware from its cooling solution to the ports and processor. Users are not only getting a faster laptop with even faster graphics than before, but the newer model manages to integrate both a larger capacity battery and more copper heat pipes to compensate for the higher power demands while maintaining a very low weight of just 1.1 kg.
The lightweight 2021 Vaio SX14 brings significant internal improvements and changes from its 2019 predecessor. The loud fan noise and flimsier base and lid when compared to popular alternatives from Dell, HP, or Lenovo remain difficult to ignore.
Major drawbacks remain identical to the 2019 SX14 since there are no major exterior changes. Both the base and lid flex more easily when compared to alternatives like the Huawei MateBook 14s, Lenovo Yoga series, Dell XPS 13, HP Spectre x360 14, or Razer Blade Stealth. Fan noise is also noticeably louder since the SX14 utilizes only one small fan compared to two on many other flagship Ultrabooks.
The 2021 model has also dropped some features that were present on the 2019 version. Legacy VGA, SD card reader, and 4K panel options have all been dropped on this latest revision.
The highest-end Core i7 SKU is two times more expensive than the lowest-end non-touch Core i5 SKU ($2500 vs. $1250) even though both come with identical 1080p displays. For most home or office users, even the entry-level Core i5 option will likely be more than enough in terms of performance to be a respectable alternative against popular prosumer models from Dell, HP, Lenovo, or Microsoft.
Price and Availability
The 2021 Vaio SX14 is now shipping directly from the manufacturer starting at $1250 up to $2500 USD depending on the configuration. The model is not yet widely available through other major online retailers as of this writing.
VAIO SX14 VJS144X0111K
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11/03/2021 v7
Allen Ngo
Pricecompare
