CNET Sony FW Laptop Review

[TheMrScribbler]

i have this laptop for 2 years now:

Pros: good for gaming, office productivity, multimedia

cons: no backlit keyboard, you need to keep your viewing angle at the center, or else, screen fades from view, battery life is too short (the OS may also have caused this -- Windows 7)

I switched to macbook with windows7 partition in 2010 ... less connectivity hardware as a downside but great overall.

[ejnar95]

fat

[SIMul8rReviews]

is this laptop good for gaming?

[24NerF]

this bich cant review!

[coolyoungg]

can the graphics card be upgraded, like switched out?

[SIMul8rReviews]

@coolyoungg most laptop graphic cards are not able to be replaced

[shyyte]

rangaaaaaaaaa

[AkashiyaAkihiko]

so called "AppleFanboy" :P

[BritneyDigitalLive]

purchasing mine with ntel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor P8800 (2.66GHz) Genuine Microsoft® Windows® 7 Home Premium Black 500GB SATA Hard Disk Drive (7200rpm) 6GB (4GBx1 + 2GBx1) DDR2-SDRAM-800 16.4" VAIO extra-wide HD display (1920x1080) ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD 4650 graphics with 1GB dedicated video RAM CD/DVD playback/burning No Engraving Large Capacity Battery (VGP-BPL13) can't get Blu-ray anymore cause I want 500gb... are my settings good?

[didyormama]

how can you customize your settings? do you buy it from a different site? if so could you tell me? I'm buying a fw soon but I wan't to custimize like yours so I have separate video ram, cuz the normal sharing ram isn't that good..

[BritneyDigitalLive]

it's on the sony site

[didyormama]

oh; my bad.. thanks anyways!!

[realcuteguyyayiyayi]

this bitch needs to die, "the keys are like on a MacBook", macabook my ass, how about they look just like on a Vaio, as SONY was the one created the floating keyboard design. are't u supposed to be a tech site? talking non sense shit like this with no shame. fucking hate those up to no good morons at Cnet.

[SansaFuzexp]

i has this latptop with 6 gb ram with 500 gb memeopry can run CRYSIS AT VERY HIGH LOCKED AT 25FPS & AP!!!!! plays any game at max settings th e geame can go

[wrektime1]

2.53 ghz (centrino2)

4 gb ram

500 gb hdd

running in windows7

512 ATI ..

runs smooth .

[darknessgodzamorak]

999 bucks?

PERFECT!

[kaleluk31]

which is the best laptop in terms of performance and graphics

compaq 610 T5870

toshiba A300D 13x

[XamNang]

If you not thinking about price go with asus g72-a2 kickass labtop

[getyaboogieon]

This isn't a review it's a listing of specifications

[mercenarydeath]

Getting mine soon in black with:

-2.8 GHz Intel Duo Core

-Blu-ray player

-6 Gb DDR2 memory

-1 Gb dedicated graphics card

-320 GB hard drive (7200 rpm)

-Windows 7 professional

-Upgraded Battery

I hope this will last me a few years xD

[omgimazian]

shit my guess for tht would be like $ 1900

[mercenarydeath]

nope, 1500, but im only gonna get 4 gb so probably like 1250 now

[Brute55Valentine]

hey how much are you spending on all of that in that laptop! And did you customize it!

[mercenarydeath]

I'm taking off blu-ray cause i dont use it, and only getting 4 gigs ram. These and the student discount costs me $1180 plus tax, all customized from sony's website. It is an extremely well built laptop, similar to macbook. Going from 4 to 6 gigs costs like $110, which won't affect performance that much, unless you are running several major programs, and the blu-ray is useless unless you watch blu-ray dvds. Overall, the specifications would run you same amount anywhere else, but less quality IMO.

[WroclawMojeMiasto]

Sony introduced this keyboard first so this is sony vaio keyboard not macbook ;)

[pethcir]

There is nothing retro about the fw series. Not even the media keys.

[jsarahina]

I have my FW today. And I think it has the highest specs among FW models. Mine is VGN-FW37GY/Gray. With: - 2.66 GHz Intel Centrino 2 Technology - Core 2 Dup T9550 - Blu-ray Player and Recorder - 4 GB on-board DDR3 Memory - 512mb Dedicated Video - 500 GB Hard Disk - Windows Vista Ultimate (64 Bit Edition) - Full HD (1920x1080 pixels) Clear Bright [Rich Color] LCD - Wi-Fi A, B, G, and Draft-N I love it... especially it comes with 64 bit Vista, my computer experiences seems to change a lot. :-)

[themandude1000]

no mines a bit faster mine has a 1gb dedicated graphics card and has a 2.8ghz processor.

[AmRFuKYaH]

nope not even close

[IpodvPsp]

what was the graphic card?

[sniperk112]

i lyk the power button its like a nitrous pump lol nd da keyboard

[cabronssen]

I was told the keyboard style was first made by Sony, before Apple

[yellotheemcee]

the keyboard is totoally mac book pro poseing but its pretty ncie :D

[jsarahina]

Sony did it first when it comes to that floating style keyboard. Mac is just the second.

[JamesManes]

Selling my macbook. I need that fucking vaio

[duncan013]

me too lol.. macbooks are kinda ok, but the problem is that they arent compatibe due to the Mac OS X.. if you dont use them for professional purposes (like video, music editing etc), then windows-based computers are much better

[EpiDemic117]

You serious? I was considering a macbook. But since you said you are selling yours. I guess that means that i should go with this laptop and its awesomness :)

[JamesManes]

Yea when you buy Apple you are paying all that money for the little apple on the back.. but w/e they have good software. But damn I can't give up that Vaio. I will have mine tomorrow. :D I already sold my macbook on ebay and my Vaio will be here tomorrow.

[EpiDemic117]

i just ordered one today. Hows it treating you so far? I also got the nice sony bag to :)

[JamesManes]

Get rid of the bloatware and it is beautiful. I love it. Runs great with windows 7!

[EpiDemic117]

i thought 7 was coming out in october?

[JamesManes]

I got the Release Candidate

[Jamaica4Lyphe]

got it today!!!

[PokemonMastaGuide]

i cant WAIT ! to get this laptop

looks AWESOME!

[Monfries007]

IT got a light up keyboard?

[alwaysbeingdumb]

No IT dose not come with a light up keyboard

[EpiDemic117]

you don't really need a lightup keyboard do you? I'm looking into getting this laptop because of the sleekness.

[jsarahina]

yeah... i agree... you dont need an illuminated keyboard with sony because in my case... I have FW Series, I can type easily because the big screen lights enough the keyboard area.

[XibeiSanMa]

The latest Sony FW series are around $1,000 from Newegg, J&R, or Sonystyle. The graphics card is a Radeon Mobility 4650, the RAM size is selectable while the RAM type varies as the manufacturer is able to change it. Some models are lucky and get GDDR3 while others do not. I'd have to say it is a good deal considering what you (should) be getting: 1080p screen, blu-ray player, and an acceptable graphics card. Of course if you're a gamer there are better offerings (Asus and Sager come to mind).

[HotTexasBoi]

The latest ones have the option of a 4650 w/320 stream processors with 1GB of DDR2 RAM.

The 4670 has 320 stream processors with 1GB of DDR3, that's DDR3.

[mrjohnhuo]

yeah its bloody expensive as well.

[ddarksiderr]

That chick is a bus.

[roceller]

I have a VGN-S360 for, I think, 5+ years now. And I'm thinking of getting this as replacement.

[skatenic3459]

she scares me:(

:D nice vid

[casanovaluver]

is it good for students too?

[tipoomaster]

i really really hope they update the hardware to a Radeon 4670 before i buy this. Twice the number of stream processors as the 3670, all at a similar power draw!

[Psykocyber]

Agreed. Thats the only thing holding me back.

[tipoomaster]

The 4650 is confirmed for the summer! YAY!

[Psykocyber]

Nice, where did you read it?

[tipoomaster]

Notebookreview, i think. It may have been somewhere else.

[AceOfSpades678]

yea, i just ordered one configured with the 4650! 2.53GHz, 4 gig, 320 gig, and its only 1150$ too!

[tipoomaster]

Nice! Too bad us canadians get everything late :(

[Hun0410]

u mean 3650 not 4650

[AceOfSpades678]

no.. i mean 4650... lol

[Hun0410]

well if u look in the description under the video card selection on the us site it is actually a 4570, and by the way i thought u were commenting on the model that is reviewed in this video, the canadaian site has 4570 in the selection as well as the description

[AceOfSpades678]

lmao i think you need to look again.

Graphics Card ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD4650 graphics card with 512MB vRAM-good for games and movies ATI Mobility Radeon™ HD4650 graphics card with 1GB vRAM-great for games and movies [add $50.00]

More Info

[Hun0410]

Look in "More Info", u will fond this:

"With ATI® Radeon HD 4570 graphics with 1GB or 512MB of dedicated video RAM, you'll experience the power of HD. Additionally, ATI Radeon™ HD 4570 graphics processors deliver break-through efficiency from cutting-edge technology and new energy-saving features that can help lower your energy costs and enable cool, quiet PCs."

[AceOfSpades678]

yes, on the first day, they accidentally put the 4570, which was originally for the NW series in in the FW customization, which is where that error came from. Don't worry, they already slated the 4650 to come out in the summer for the FW. The current option isn't a mistake. It is NOT the 4570.

[Hun0410]

Are you sure? I'm gonna be ordering an FW490 soon in Canada and the canadian site just has 4570 1Gb. Also, what do you mean by summer release. Is it available right now? I need to have my laptop shipped within a week cause I'm leaving the country very soon.

[AceOfSpades678]

its out right now. You should try looking at the premade ones. There should be one for 1150 or 1350$ with the 4650 in it. I'm not sure if you can get it within the same week but it'll be faster than the customized ones.

[AceOfSpades678]

its 1 gig onboard video ram. New model version for the summer, pre-ordered

[Catacylsm]

It looks really nice to be honest.

I must say Sony are great, and the screen technology is most definately the best in the world in my oppinion.

I have an old fe21s and after having a litre of some juice spilt over it and it being battered to death, it still runs like it did from day 1, (4 years ago baby!)

I would have got this if i didnt find the Advent 6555 for sale in uk, but now i regret buying the advent as its already broken :(

[S197V6TT]

Also one more thing.. Don't believe the reviews that the Ati Radeon 3650 is not that great.. It is in fact an astonishing little graphics chip with 512MB of dedicated video memory, and it can hold its own, when settings are adjusted properly. I am very impressed with the whole setup. Much better than I expected for the price.. The original price is $1049, and I got it on sale for $899..

What a steal!! LOL!!

[S197V6TT]

The 8GB memory upgrade will run about $320 and the Q9000 Quad Core chip is about $380.. So yes, I got a great deal on a great Laptop, and adding another $700 bucks to this laptop is well worth it.. The FPS are already great, increasing the memory will improve this, and adding 2 more cores will make this laptop a Legend in the Laptop World. I also read somewhere that the Sony Vaio's can run Mac OS 10. Might dual boot it!

[nhouck27]

You can just order the base model with 2GB then upgrade to 8GB with aftermarket ram for around $85. Much cheaper if you don't mind generic RAM, which works just as good. If it ever fails you can just replace it 4x for the same cost of the Sony RAM.

Same with the hard drive. Get the 160GB and then take it out and swap for a 500GB for $90 from newegg instead of paying for one from Sony.

[S197V6TT]

I recently purchased the Sony FW300, with the P8600 2.4GHZ @ 1066FSB, and memory is PC6400 @ 400MHZ.. It comes with the Ati Radeon 3650.. Let me be the first to tell you, that the FW300 can handle all new Games, and uses DirectX 10.1 folks! That's right, 10.1, with shader model 4.1.. The Laptop is amazing. One of the best kept secrets Sony has produced.. The graphics are incredible.  I plan to purchase a Q9000 at upgrade the memory to 8GB.. The Q9000 is Quad Core, and it will support it!

[haha61xdxd]

the sound on the sony vaio FW... is pretty average, its pretty low.

[Atoweha]

Does this computer have a good video card? its like some ATI with 500MB

[twmulloy]

"not quite stereo sound..." what is she talking about, so it's not quite distinctive left and right audio channels? so it has 4 speaker onboard to emit monoraul sound? do your homework. it IS stereo sound and simulated surround sound. maybe not thx certified movie theater sound... but definitely stereo sound.

[Steve10578]

Maybe she meant that compared to dedicated home theater set ups don't expect it to sound like one because the speakers are not that far apart.

[FichDak]

she meant not quite surround sound genius

[tipoomaster]

I'm stuck...Should i get this or the Studio XPS 16? The Vaio clearly is the better looking, but the Dell is much more cost effective and has better hardware for the price.

[mangosango]

I'd say get the sony. I can't attest to dell build quality, but I've had a sony for ~3 years now and I've dropped it out of a moving car, from a desk, and several other places and it still works 100% ok

[BrendanMurphy31]

The studio xps 16 is better. The screen on the xps is a rgb 1080p led screen and alot of review sites say its the best laptop screen available. And the dell is very good looking aswell. It also has a better graphics card

[nhouck27]

This laptop has the 1920x1080 screen as an option, just like the Dell XPS has 2 screen size options. The base model XPS does not have the 1080p screen.

[BrendanMurphy31]

Resolution wise there the same yes but the studio xps 16 has the RGB diodes witch means each color is independantly lite giving a far greater color gamit

[UltimateAppleFanboy]

This laptop is alot cheaper, i got it a few months ago from Best Buy for 650 dollars and i really enjoy it. if you can find it at this price id get it.

[watdafxupwitu]

do PC's get viruses?

[bamedgar]

If you do not install an antivirus and go to sites that you are not supposed to be going to then yes.

[JacobRoot89]

I really dont mean to be mean here, but of course they fuckin do. because of the amount of people who use PC's, there are more viruses written for them then the Mac.

[tipoomaster]

Only when combined with stupid users.

[tipoomaster]

Huh, the video poster was "UltamateAppleFanboy"...If he says the Vaio is good it must be!

that said, the features in Canada are lacking compared to the American ones :-(

[nudyseabass]

selling my hp and should have this bad boy in a week

[rossinickskier101]

i hate on the new laptops the keys they suck you cant type fast

[ahsan101]

I love it too. Just wish i had the fullHD screen. Cant tell if this one has one though. Might be the xbrite hicolor though :?

[anil605709]

on the video, the sticker said "full hd 1080", I think.

[NRD08]

Im using one now :) its a beautiful and powerful laptop, I use Photoshop CS4 and After Effects CS4 with no problem at all and my Windows Experience Index is 5.5

[jeepo88]

NRD08: Thank your god for saying that, you're a wonderful man. That's exactly what I was wanted to find out. I will be using Photoshop, Dreamweaver, and Flash CS4....and your comment made me comfortable now, but can you tell me the specifications of your laptop?

[NRD08]

my Specs: Intel Core 2 Duo 2.93GHz

4GB of Ram

320GB Hard Drive

ATI 3650 512mb

Blu-Ray Reader

/

and thanks for you're reply

[iddy302]

ah crap! help me!!! u guys seems to knwo your stuff. i want a sony vaio laptop. ill be using my photoshop CS4, Flash 8 not CS4 yet and want to watch HD movies and HD tv shows on mine aswell as using paintshop pro simultaneously, but i alos need it to be good enough to do my heavy IT work that i get from college. any suggestions on what type of sony vaio i should get, my budget is around 4-600£... personally i want one that has a large RAM!! pleasee get bck to me!! :)

[NRD08]

you should buy this one mate, the video card on this laptop is amazing, I can play crysis smoothly.. so dont worry about any heavy apps

[wohjai]

How did you get an Index rating of 5.5? I have the same laptop. The only difference is that I run the P8700 while you have the T9800 I'm assuming? My lowest Windows Experience Rating comes in the gaming graphics category, which sits at 5.1, making my overall score 5.1. So unless if somehow you got a higher graphics rating due to the higher cpu, I don't see how this works. What are your 5 ratings?

[tarifuddin]

im buying the sony FW21E tomorrow! that laptop looks slick!!