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Review Sony Vaio VPC-Z12 Subnotebook

The Elite. It is light, with incredible performance supported by a dedicated graphics card, but will it still have a good battery life? Could this slim 13.1” laptop with its docking station, mat 1600x900 display, DVD player and HSPA module fulfill its ambition to become the perfect business all-rounder?
Sony Vaio VPC-Z12M9E/B: Exceptionally high with packed into 13.1 inches.
Sony Vaio VPC-Z12M9E/B: Exceptionally high with packed into 13.1 inches.

Based on experiences from our previous tests, small and handy business subnotebooks that have serious performance usually come in the form of the  Lenovo (z. B. Thinkpad X201), HP (EliteBook 2540p), Sony (Vaio VPC-Z11X9E/B) oder auch Acer (Travelmate 8172T-33U4G32N). In between times, the Asus has also earned some respect with its PL30JT-RO030X.

The predecessor to this model is included in our top 10 list which contains some of the best subnotebooks around: The Vaio VPC-Z11X9E/B arrived on the German market in April 2010 and managed to earn itself a "very good" rating (89%). The reasons for this were the excellent display, very good performance, a very good keyboard and a high level of finish.

At first glance, the VPC-Z12M9E/B does not really differentiate itself from its Z11X9E/B predecessor. This is neither from a technological, nor from an esthetic point of view. After a detailed study of the configuration and technical specifications given on the manufacturer’s website, we could only find only two differences: Firstly, instead of two Samsung SSDs (MMCRE28GQDXP-MVB), the Z12M9E/B now has two Toshiba SSDs (THNS064GG2BNAA). The capacity of the RAID 0 system remains the same: 2 x 64 . Secondly: There is a fingerprint reader.

In our test, we want to find out whether the performance specifications have changed as a result of the Toshiba SSDs. Has the Geforce GT 330M remained underclocked? Did Sony keep the high contrasting display of the Z11X9E/B? You will find the answers to these questions in this in-depth review.

Case

The Sony Vaio Z12M9E, with ist 13.1" display and inbuilt optical drive,  weighs in at a mere 1.406 grams. The housing is made out of carbon fiber with the palm rest constructed from aluminum. It is optimized for mobility and very warp resistant. No matter how hard we tried to bend the chassis using two hands and normal levels of force, our success was only marginal. The material is stiff and light, with its hard, metallic appearance giving off a first class impression.

The aluminum palm rest impresses with a high level of rigidity and refuses to be dented.  The same goes for the touch pad. The same cannot be said for the bottom panel which can be warped quite considerably underneath the optical drive. The lid is sufficiently rigid considering its flat construction. It can be warped by several degrees when grabbed from the opposing corners.

The two display hinges are taut.  The screen remains firmly in its chosen position and does not allow any residual movement. It can be opened with one hand without the base unit being pulled up at the same time.

The work surface is ideally suited for business/work purposes. The manufacturer chose not to go with a shiny surface for this particular model and ones hands rest comfortably on the raised and constantly cool palm rest (22 to 25 C° depending on the load).  The raised position encourages an ergonomic position which most users should find quite comfortable. 

A mere 1.4 Kilograms, high quality carbon fiber and Aluminum surfaces with no glossy finish and taut hinges.
A mere 1.4 Kilograms, high quality carbon fiber and Aluminum surfaces with no glossy finish and taut hinges.

Connectivity

ExpressCard34 for accessories
ExpressCard34 for accessories
Docking station underneath
Docking station underneath
Dual card readers SD & HG Duo
Dual card readers SD & HG Duo

All the connections can be found on the right, left and front side of the housing. There are no connections at the rear due to the lid’s low mounting position. The VGA connector is located on the right hand side next to the DVD player. Thanks to Sony’s precise positioning, even a large VGA adapter will not foul the opening of the CD tray. You will not find a FireWire (i.LINK) port here, but one can install one using the ExpressCard34. The same goes for USB 3.0.

A peculiarity of the Sony laptops is the presence of two card readers (SD, HG Duo). The wired Ethernet connection can transfer data on a Gigabit level. The WLAN also features the fastest available standard (Advanced-N 6200). Just like its predecessor (the Z11) one also decided to install a 3G module (Qualcomm Gobi 2000 HSDPA).

Front: CardReader SD & HG Duo, headphone and microphone sockets
Front: CardReader SD & HG Duo, headphone and microphone sockets
Left: AC, Kensington, RJ45, HDMI, 2 x USB, ExpressCard34
Left: AC, Kensington, RJ45, HDMI, 2 x USB, ExpressCard34
Rear: No connections
Rear: No connections
Right: USB, DVD player, VGA
Right: USB, DVD player, VGA

Sony offers a special docking solution for the  Z12/Z11 models. The Vaio VGP-PRZ10 docks itself to the underside oft he 13.3" laptop and duplicates the following connections: USB, 1x GB LAN (RJ-45), 1x 15-Pin D-Sub VGA, 1x DVI-D. The DVI-Port is therefore the only additional interface that is provided. This docking solution will set you back 175 Euros.

An interesting feature, is the 3 way button to switch between the  Intel GMA HD (in i5-520M) and the dedicated Nvidia GeForce GT 330M. Which one of these is active, is indicated with a discreet LED light (includes automation). Sony does not favor the use of the Sony Nvidia Optimus, and has chosen for a Multiplexer (for 13.1” TFT and VGA, HDMI only works with active GT330M), as seen with many former hybrid-graphics-solutions. The result is, that this Subnotebook suffers from the known drawbacks of "Switchable Graphics", which would be the flickering screen when switching modes (lasts a few seconds), and the necessity to end applications which use the graphics card (this includes Google Chrome!).

Input Devices

Keyboard

The free standing buttons are a great distance from each other and are also a good size (14x14mm).  The pressure point and key stroke are very noticeable. The keysstroke prominent, but not hard. The input surface does not give way and is definitely ideal for heavy use. The keys have a grippy feel to them and appear to have a thin rubber coating.

Very positive:  The clearly displaced arrow keys and the extremely large Enter and Shift keys make a good impression. The keys are easily found without looking and typos are a rarity.  Sony decided not to include a number pad in favor of key size. Those who wish to use a number pad can do so by pressing the Fn+Num keys and using the highlighted numbers on the letter keys.

Touchpad

While moving over the large, mat surface area, one notices that the Synaptics touchpad is very precise. Unlike many of its counterparts, this touchpad solution is accurate right up to the outer edges. The pad cannot be switched off using the Fn key, however the Multi-Touch Pad (Synaptics V7.4), does recognize the use of two fingers (zooming, scrolling, browsing).

Keyboard
Keyboard
Arrow keys
Arrow keys
Touchpad
Touchpad

Display

The 13.1“ WXGA++, non reflective display which is provided with the Vaio Z12M9E, impresses with its 1.600 x 900 pixel resolution (16:9). The Sony panel (SNY06FA) has an anti-reflective coating. Even on such a small laptop, the high resolution makes working a comfortable and organized experience. Generally, large Excel documents, website back-ends and company applications will have no problems fitting into this level of resolution.

The resolution is pleasing, but the highlights are the contrast, illumination and viewing angles. All of the following measurements are identical too the Vaio-VPCZ11X9E/B, which has exactly the same type of panel (SNY06FA). We would recommend that you read our review of the VPCZ11X9E/B to see the measurements concerning the visible color spectrum.

Our subjective impression of crisp colors was confirmed with a measured contrast of 773:1. Together with an evenly distributed illumination of 91 percent as well as a wide viewing angle, makes working with this display an enjoyable experience.

314
cd/m²
307
cd/m²
307
cd/m²
307
cd/m²
309
cd/m²
312
cd/m²
286
cd/m²
291
cd/m²
296
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
Maximum: 314 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 303.2 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 91 %
Center on Battery: 309 cd/m²
Contrast: 773:1 (Black: 0.4 cd/m²)

The brightness of the LED lit screen can be adjusted automatically with the ambient light sensor. The sensor adjusts the lighting of the screen according to the brightness in the room. The sensors turn the illumination to full under direct sunlight. During our measurements, we turned the ambient light sensor off (in the Vaio Control center). We measured an average value of 303 cd/m². The brightest point reached an impressive 314 cd/m².

The purpose of the sensor is to save energy and to reduce eye strain. Implementing a power saving feature at this point is sensible as the LED lighting requires 3 to 5 Watts of power. In addition, a TFT screen which is too bright in relation to its surroundings can cause eye strain.  We found there was no need for additional, manual adjustments.

The anti reflective property of the panel is the most important prerequisite for relaxing work experience under daylight conditions. The reflections are barely visible. The following pictures show the display panel when subjected to daylight. Whether looking head on, or from the side, the illumination is more than enough to provide a clear image.

Front view, direct sunlight
Front view, direct sunlight
Side view, direct sunlight
Side view, direct sunlight
Side view, sunlight from the left
Side view, sunlight from the left
Side view, Sondirect sunlight
Side view, Sondirect sunlight

The horizontal viewing angles have the greatest tolerance. The colors do not distort, the TFT simply appears less bright. When viewing from the top or bottom at more than a 15 degree angle, one notices an increasing level of color inversion.  This is a typical property of almost all TN displays.

Viewing angle Sony Vaio VPCZ12
Viewing angle Sony Vaio VPCZ12

Performance

Sony has provided the Vaio Z12M9E with a Core i5-520M (clock speed 2.4 GHz). The actual clock speed of this dual core CPU, while using Turbo Boost, lies between 2.40 and 2.93 GHz. This processor driven overclocking affects each of the four cores individually (native and virtual threads). Hyper-Threading compliments the two physical cores with two virtual ones providing applications with up to 4 cores.  The four gigabytes of DDR3 RAM (PC3-8500F) can be found in two slots behind a panel under the laptop.

System info CPUZ CPU
System info CPUZ Cache
System info CPUZ Mainboard
System info CPUZ RAM
System info CPUZ RAM SPD
System info GPUZ Intel HD
System info GPUZ GT 330M
DPC Latency Checker: Idle OK
DPC Latency Checker: WLAN On/Off OK
 
System speficifations Sony Vaio VPCZ12
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
2943
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
6755
Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
3059
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single CPUs 64Bit
3500 Points
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 64Bit
7473 Points
Cinebench R10 Shading 64Bit
3562 Points
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
13.84 fps
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
2.17 Points
Help
PCMark 05 Standard
8082 points
PCMark Vantage Result
10245 points
Help
4.6
Windows 7 Experience Index
Processor
Calculations per second
6.7
Memory (RAM)
Memory operations per second
5.9
Graphics
Desktop performance for Windows Aero
4.6
Gaming graphics
3D business and gaming graphics
5.3
Primary hard disk
Disk data transfer rate
7.5

The speed which one actually perceives, is the joint effort of the CPU, graphics card, RAM and the hard drive. We checked the application performance using the PCMark Vantage. The end result of 10.245 points is truly remarkable, as it is the 5th best result of any of our tested units. Its predecessor, the VPCZ11X9E/B had 9.491 points. This results puts the Vaio-Subnotebook just behind the gaming machines Alienware M17x (2 x HD 4870, i7-620M) and mySN XMG8.c (GTX 285M SLI, i7-620M).

The reason for this extraordinary result is the use of a fast RAID 0 system composed of two 64 GB SSDs made by Toshiba. With their reading performance of 306 MB/s (HD Tune), and fast access time of  0.2 ms, these SDDs push the HDD score in PCMark Vantage up to 24.467 points. See the section concerning the SSD memory. As a result of these fast access times, which also apply for writing, make the music, productivity and communication scores soar upwards as well. The productivity score is 11.985 points. Powerful notebooks with mechanical HDDs (7.200 rpm), are lucky to get 6.200 Punkten (e.g. HP Elitebook 8540w)

Other recently tested businnes laptops therefore now find themselves at the bottom of te PCMark ranking list: Fujitsu Lifebook S760 (620M, Intel HD: 6.178); Lenovo ThinkPad W510 (820QM, FX880M: 5.857); Fujitsu Lifebook T900 (520M, Intel HD: 5.591).

3DMark 03 Standard
16665 points
3DMark 05 Standard
11545 points
3DMark 06 Standard Score
5569 points
3DMark Vantage P Result
2229 points
Help
2x Toshiba THNS064GG2BNAA RAID 0
Transfer Rate Minimum: 264.2 MB/s
Transfer Rate Maximum: 314.5 MB/s
Transfer Rate Average: 305.9 MB/s
Access Time: 0.2 ms
Burst Rate: 472.2 MB/s
CPU Usage: 1 %

We start by asking ourselves the question wether the RAID 0 system with 2 x 64GB SSDs (Toshiba THNS064GG2BNAA), delivers a differnt performance compared to the 2 x 64GB Samsung SSDs that were in the VPCZ11X9E/B. The performance data measured by CrystalDiskMark 3.0 speak in favour of the Toshiba RAID 0 system found in our test unit.

Samsung: 314.8 / 228.5 / 11.97 / 29.15 (Read / Write Seq. / Read / Write 4K)
Toshiba: 308.6 / 298.8 / 28.84 / 4.26 (Read / Write Seq. / Read / Write 4K)

The Toshiba RAID 0 combination performs slightly better as it can write large chunks of data at a faster rate (seq.). On the other hand, it has difficulty writing scattered 4K data packages. Reading packages of that size however, is something that the Toshiba does at a significantly faster rate. These figures explain why our test unit managed to achieve a dizzying HDD score (PCMark Vantage), of 24.467 points. That is currently the 2nd highest HDD-Score we have ever measured (after mySN MG7.c with Intel X25-M G2 SSD, 80 GB). The predecessor with its Samsung SSDs achieved a score of 17.406 points, which underlines the fact, that the Toshiba solution is better in the real world. Typical laptops with mechanical, 5200 rpm HDDs typically receive an HDD score between 3.000 and 3.500 points.

Crystal Disk Mark 3.0
Crystal Disk Mark 3.0
HD Tune
HD Tune

Gaming Performance

How we test -perforamance

An Nvidia GeForce GT 330M with 1.024 MB DDR3 RAM ist he GPU  of choice. Its  core and memory are clocked at 475 MHz and 700 MHz respectively. Sony underclocks this GPU quite considerably.  A more typical value would be 575 / 790 MHz. Because of this, the GT 330M, which usually sits in the middle of  Nvidia’s line up, can only reach the performance level of a GT 325M. This is on par with the results of our gaming test.

The graphics benchmarking tool 3DMark2006 gives it a score of  5.569 points. Under normal circumstances, the GT 330M should be able to achieve more than 6,000 points effortlessly. This results puts our test system well under the performance level of a Mobility Radeon HD 5650, which can achieve 6,000 to 7,000 points depending on the CPU which accompanies it.   

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 

Bad Company 2 requires powerful hardware. Even a standard GT 330M does not play this game smoothly at high detail. When set to a high level of detail we only measured 17 fps (1.366x768). We had the HBAO activated to improve the  illumination. Gaming was not perfect with an intermediate level of detail either, yielding 26 fps. To put this into comparison, an  ATI HD 5650 with the same CPU will achieve 44 fps under the same conditions. (Acer TravelMate 5740G-524G50MN).

BBC2: High 17 fps
BBC2: High 17 fps
BBC2: Medium 26 fps
BBC2: Medium 26 fps
BBC2: Minimum 50 fps
BBC2: Minimum 50 fps
Battlefield: Bad Company 2
 ResolutionSettingsValue
 1366x768high, HBAO on, 1xAA, 4xAF17.3 fps
 1366x768medium, HBAO off, 1xAA, 1xAF26 fps
 1024x768low, HBAO off, 1xAA, 1xAF49.7 fps

Mafia 2

In this game we only managed to enjoy the shoot outs when the level of detail was set to intermediate, resulting in 32 fps. A GT 330M with 575 MHz would achieve 38 fps. A middle of the road GPU such as the HD 5650 (Acer TravelMate 7740G-434G50Mnss, 44 fps) would do even better than that.

Mafia 2 High 27 fps
Mafia 2 High 27 fps
Mafia 2
 ResolutionSettingsValue
 1360x768high, 0xAA, 16xAF26.8 fps
 1024x768medium, 0xAA, 8xAF32.3 fps
 800x600low, 0xAA, 0xAF41.7 fps

Gaming Verdict

Although the underclocked  GT 330M might limit the game play and the frame rates, it still provides a truly impressive gaming performance for a subnotebook. Current games can also run at low or intermediate levels of detail while casual gamers will find plenty of older, or less demanding games which can be enjoyed at their highest settings.

low med. high ultra
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (2010) 49.7 26 17.3
Mafia 2 (2010) 41.7 32.3 26.8

Emissions

Air outlet
Air outlet

System Noise

Surfing the internet, writing e-mails or creating Excel tables isn’t taxing for the CPU and can be performed while the fan is running at its lowest setting (30.6 dB(A)). This includes Speed-Mode with active GT 330M.

When subjected to the heavy loads required by Power-Users, the noise levels vary between  38 and 41.3 dB(A). This level of noise can no longer be ignored, but it is still quite acceptable. We managed to generate these noise levels when demanding a constant level of performance from all 4 cores (Prime95), or when using 3DMark2006.

A stress test using Furmark and Prime95 makes all 4 of the threads in the  i5-520M run at 100 percent, as well as the shaders of the GPU. This brought the fan up to its highest level reaching a maximum of 52.1 dB(A).

Noise Level

Idle
30.6 / 30.8 / 30.8 dB(A)
HDD
30.6 dB(A)
DVD
34.9 / dB(A)
Load
41.3 / 52.1 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light    (15 cm distance)
Stress test: CPU max 97, GPU max 87 degrees
Stress test: CPU max 97, GPU max 87 degrees

Temperature

At idle, the noise levels are just as low as the temperatures found on the housing. The average surface temperature is around 24 degrees Celsius and the base plate is equally impressive with an average 25 degrees.

When put under maximum load for several hours the temperatures increase noticeably, but never reach a critical level. At this point in time we measured 43 degrees Celsius in the immediate vicinity of fans exhaust port. These are still impressively low figures for a small Subnotebook with a powerful Core i5-CPU and dedicated GPU.

The CPUs temperature sensors reached a maximum of  97 degrees (stress test). It only reaches 40 degrees when used for light office work. The GPU did not exceed 87 degrees. Despite the high values, the computer never crashed or required a forced restart during a stress test which lasted several hours.

Max. Load
 34.6 °C
94 F
30.1 °C
86 F
24.8 °C
77 F
 
 32.1 °C
90 F
31.8 °C
89 F
24.3 °C
76 F
 
 25 °C
77 F
25.2 °C
77 F
23.7 °C
75 F
 
Maximum: 34.6 °C = 94 F
Average: 28 °C = 82 F
23.5 °C
74 F
30.2 °C
86 F
42.8 °C
109 F
23.6 °C
74 F
30.1 °C
86 F
27.6 °C
82 F
24.1 °C
75 F
24.4 °C
76 F
23.9 °C
75 F
Maximum: 42.8 °C = 109 F
Average: 27.8 °C = 82 F
Power Supply (max.)  53.1 °C = 128 F | Room Temperature 21.7 °C = 71 F
(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 28 °C / 82 F, compared to the average of 30.7 °C / 87 F for the devices in the class Subnotebook.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 34.6 °C / 94 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 42.8 °C / 109 F, compared to the average of 39.4 °C / 103 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 23.8 °C / 75 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 25.2 °C / 77.4 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 (+3.1 °C / 5.5 F).

Speakers

The mini, stereo speakers, which are positioned above the keyboard, deliver a very high pitched sound. The volume isn’t particularly high either, but on a positive note, that prevents any distortion at the hightest level. We connected a pair of Yamaha speakers (YST-M20SDP) to the front mounted audio-out jack, which produced very good sound without any background noise.

Battery Life

This 13.1" subnotebook is supplied with a 58 Watt battery. (5.400 mAh). This is enough to keep the Vaio going for three hours (191 minutes) when surfing the Web using WLAN. This time was taken while using the Stamina Mode (Intel HD) with the brightness set to approximately 100 cd/m². The battery life is increased substantially when performing office tasks with the brightness reduced. This was the result of our Reader-Test which ran for 366 minutes (reading text with brightness set to minimum; 6 hours).

Its predecessor, the VPC-Z11X9E/B (520M, GT 330M),  also managed 3 hours (190 minutes) in the WLAN test. For those who prefer to surf using the inbuilt Qualcomm 3G module with  HSPA or UMTS, can also expect to have three hours. Our test using the D1 network ended after 178 minutes.

DVDs can be enjoyed for about three and a half hours (223 minutes), which is enough for 2 movies. Once the battery is drained, you will need to wait 3:12 hours (193 minutes), for the battery to be reach a full charge.

 

Charge 193 min
Charge 193 min
Idle 366 min
Idle 366 min
Load 98 min
Load 98 min
UMTS 178 min
UMTS 178 min
DVD 223 min
DVD 223 min
Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
6h 06min
WiFi Surfing
3h 11min
DVD
3h 43min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 31min

The impression that was achieved  from the battery life test was confirmed by the measurements we obtained concerning the power consumption. The Z12M9E is very frugal.  The (lowest), consumption at idle was 7.5 Watt (Stamina mode bzw. Auto; Intel HD). The maximum consumption at idle was 15.2 Watt. During which all power consuming components were active (wireless, max. screen brightness and performance).

It’s a different story when under load and with the Geforce GT 330M switched on. Now in Speed Mode, running 3DMark2006 demands 53.5 Watt and climbed to 76.2 Watt during our stress test. The small 90 Watt power supply (291 grams), is well suited and reaches a maximum of 53 degrees Celsius while under heavy load.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.4 / 0.7 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 7.5 / 11.2 / 15.2 Watt
Load midlight 53.5 / 76.2 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.

Verdict

From a technical and esthetic point of view, there are no dramatic changes between the VPC-Z12M9E/B we tested, and its VPCZ11X9E/B predecessor. This, as far as we're concerned, is good news. The performance figures are very similar, but we did manage to measure an improvement resulting from the Toshiba RAID 0 SSD setup (Z12M9E/B). We believe the new model number was motivated by product policy and was not really necessary.

This product policy does have a monetary benefit for its customers however. The Z12M9E/B is available from 1779 Euro where as one had to invest 1870 Euro for its predecessor. These prices seem to be dynamic however and are slowly closing in on each other.

The  Vaio Z12M9E/B has definitely deserved its „very good“ rating. It packs a serious punch with its powerful Core i5-520M (2 x 2.4 GHz, Turbo Boost, Hyper Threading), and the Geforce GT 330M (underclocked). It is however, the Raid 0 setup with two 64 GB Toshiba SSDs, that turn this 13.1” subenotebook into a real power house. The  Z12M9E/B places itself among the elite in the benchmark rankings of the PCMark Vantage and PCMark05.

For business users, the plus points are the docking station, the high quality input devices, the in-built in 4G-Modul, matt display and excellent level of finish. The battery life of 3 hours (WLAN web surfing), is appropriate but not particularly great. The noise levels are audible but acceptable. It is only under load that it may become irritating.

For those who think the Vaio Z12 would be perfect, but find the 1,800 Euro price tag discouraging, we would recommend the Acer Travelmate 8472TG. This 14” business machine, with matt display and i3-Prozessor, will set you back 850 Euro. The editors liked the performance, battery life and the docking station.  The Geforce GT330M is not underclocked either. For those who want an even longer battery life and can live without the SSDs, we would recommend the Asus PL30JT-RO030X as an interesting alternative for 900 Euro.

Vaio VPC-Z12M9E/B: Top performance in the 13-inch category and acceptable battery life of three hours.
Vaio VPC-Z12M9E/B: Top performance in the 13-inch category and acceptable battery life of three hours.
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In review:  Sony Vaio VPCZ12
In review: Sony Vaio VPCZ12, by courtesy of:

Specifications

Sony Vaio VPCZ12 (Vaio VPC-Z Series)
Processor
Intel Core i5-520M 2 x 2.4 - 2.9 GHz, Arrandale
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M - 1024 MB VRAM, Core: 475 MHz, Memory: 700 MHz, DDR3, 188.80
Memory
4 GB 
, DDR3
Display
13.10 inch 16:9, 1600 x 900 pixel, Sony LCD, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel HM57
Storage
2x Toshiba THNS064GG2BNAA RAID 0 , 128 GB 
, Intel Raid 0 2x64GB SSD Toshiba THNS064GG2BNAA
Soundcard
Realtek ALC889
Connections
1 Express Card 34mm, 3 USB 2.0, 1 VGA, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, 1 Docking Station Port, Audio Connections: Line-Out, Microphone-In, Card Reader: MMC/SD/Memory Stick, 1 Fingerprint Reader
Networking
Intel 82577LC Gigabit (10/100/1000MBit/s), 802.11a/b/g/n (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/), Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, Qualcomm Gobi 2000 HSDPA
Optical drive
Matshita DVD-RAM UJ892AS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 32.7 x 314 x 210 ( = 1.29 x 12.36 x 8.27 in)
Battery
58 Wh Lithium-Ion, VGP-BPS20/B 5400mAh
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: 0.3MP 640×480
Additional features
VAIO Transfer Support, VAIO Update, VAIO Smart Network, 24 Months Warranty, Fingerprint Reader
Weight
1.406 kg ( = 49.6 oz / 3.1 pounds), Power Supply: 291 g ( = 10.26 oz / 0.64 pounds)
Price
1899 Euro

 

The Vaio VPC-Z12M9E is a handy 13.1-incher
The Vaio VPC-Z12M9E is a handy 13.1-incher
and two card readers: SD and HG-Duo.
and two card readers: SD and HG-Duo.
A surprise on the bottom side:
A surprise on the bottom side:
A Docking Port.
A Docking Port.
There is only one maintenance opening on the bottom:
There is only one maintenance opening on the bottom:
for the DDR3-RAM.
for the DDR3-RAM.
Because its energy demand is high,
Because its energy demand is high,
Sony supplies a 5.200 mAh battery.
Sony supplies a 5.200 mAh battery.
Therewith we can surf in the internet via HSDPA-module for more than three hours.
Therewith we can surf in the internet via HSDPA-module for more than three hours.
Thanks to the matte, bright display, this is also possible outdoors.
Thanks to the matte, bright display, this is also possible outdoors.
But, you should not forget to take the power adapter with you.
But, you should not forget to take the power adapter with you.
It only weighs 291 gramme.
It only weighs 291 gramme.
Where are recovery media? The user has to burn such himself.
Where are recovery media? The user has to burn such himself.
But also, analogue audio-ins and outs
But also, analogue audio-ins and outs
and a WiFi-switch.
and a WiFi-switch.
The Vaio F12 does not only have USB-ports
The Vaio F12 does not only have USB-ports
with AR-coated display
with AR-coated display
and thin and slim case.
and thin and slim case.
It is light: 1.406 gramme
It is light: 1.406 gramme
No ULV, but standard notebook hardware: i5-520M and Geforce GT 330M.
No ULV, but standard notebook hardware: i5-520M and Geforce GT 330M.
Switch between Intel HD and GT 330M (no Optimus).
Switch between Intel HD and GT 330M (no Optimus).
Typical Vaio: the cylinder shape (Power On)
Typical Vaio: the cylinder shape (Power On)
dominates the look.
dominates the look.
The power switch gleams and dims in stand-by.
The power switch gleams and dims in stand-by.
It looks neat with only few hotkeys: Assist, software launch and Vaio-tools.
It looks neat with only few hotkeys: Assist, software launch and Vaio-tools.
An ambient light sensor controls the brightness of the display.
An ambient light sensor controls the brightness of the display.
The hinges successfully support the thin lid.
The hinges successfully support the thin lid.
It houses a webcam.
It houses a webcam.

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Pros

+Great processing performance
+Extremely fast "hard drive"
+No hard drive noise
+3D performance at the press of a button
+Integrated 3G module
+Very bright display
+Good contrast and viewing angles
+Mat, non reflective screen
+Solid, good quality housing
+Clearly arranged input devices
+Low power consumption (idle)
+Low heat radation
 

Cons

-Average battery life
-Not much connectivity
-Very loud under load

Shortcut

What we like

Great display with fine resolution and wide viewing angles

What we'd like to see

A longer battery life would be great, but, it is indeed sufficient.

What surprises us

The RAID 0 SSDs change our view in terms of good system performance. Flash clearly outperforms its rotating colleagues.

The competition

Acer Travelmate 8472TG: 14-incher with GT 330M; Asus PL30JT-RO030X: i5-520UM alternative with 6 hours battery life; Lenovo Thinkpad X201: 12.1-incher with i5-540M; HP EliteBook 2540p: massive built, rich in connectivity; Acer Travelmate 8172T-33U4G32N: 11.6-incher with i3-330UM

Rating

Sony Vaio VPCZ12 - 12/04/2010 v2(old)
Sebastian Jentsch

Chassis
88%
Keyboard
92%
Pointing Device
89%
Connectivity
78%
Weight
92%
Battery
82%
Display
90%
Games Performance
74%
Application Performance
91%
Temperature
90%
Noise
82%
Add Points
94%
Average
87%
88%
Subnotebook - Weighted Average
Sebastian Jentsch, 2010-09- 5 (Update: 2013-06- 6)