Sony VAIO SZ2 Review (pics, specs)

Background

The VAIO SZ is Sony's latest thin and light range of notebooks, available in a range of specifications all with dual Intel / nVidia graphics and Intel dual core processors.

Sony VAIO SZ2 (view large image)

I opted for the flagship SZ2VP model with the following specifications:

• Intel Core Duo T2600 -- @ 2.16Ghz per core
• 1GB DDR2 RAM
• 120Gb 54000RPM hard drive
• 13.3" LCD with LED backlight, running at 1280 x 800 resolution
• Dual Layer DVD +/- RW optical drive
• Switchable Intel GMA 950/nVidia GeForce 7400 graphics

Being the limited edition prestige' model, this was only available to purchase through Sony Centres or Sony Style online. After a visit to my local Sony Centre and being told a very vague "we might be able to get one for mid September" I decided to pursue the online method!

Build and Design

Sony VAIO SZ2 setup (view large image)

My first thoughts on unpacking the SZ were "wow...it's small!" This is my first laptop, yet with the top level VP' only weighing in at 1.69 kilos (3.7 lbs) I was very pleased with the size and weight of the unit.

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The VP features a carbon fibre top casing, yet there is much discussion as to how much carbon fibre is actually present in the laptop! The casing does not feature the weave' you would expect from this material, yet it still provides an interesting effect and also contains blue metallic particles visible in certain light conditions.

The palm rest and keypad area have a brushed aluminium finish which makes a great change from the plastic of many other machines and gives great aesthetic appeal.

There are a total of 5 switches located above the keyboard; two shortcut switches, a wireless on/off switch, power button and the graphics switch. It's a shame you can't turn off wifi/Bluetooth independently with hardware switches but it is easily done from the software utility.

VAIO SZ2 right side view (view large image)

VAIO SZ2 left side view (view large image)

VAIO SZ2 front side view (view large image)

VAIO SZ2 back side view (view large image)

Screen

The LCD features LED backlight technology, which gives a very thin screen and lid -- only around 5/6mm thick. Whilst helping to reduce weight and giving a great look to the product, it does make the LCD seem slightly fragile with a little amount of twist (though probably not as much as you'd expect from something this thin).

The 1280 x 800 resolution works excellently on the 13.3" screen. Not having perfect eyesight, I was concerned about a high resolution on a smaller screen but I find it a pleasure to use with absolutely no problems.

It features Sony's X-Black technology, which gives the typical glossy effect to the screen. Not having a massive range of experience with various manufacturers, I can't really compare it to others, yet suffice to say it also seems to feature some kind of anti glare coating which is hard to describe but it seems to reduce the visible reflections from objects behind you. I am also impressed with the very large viewing angle on the screen, far more so than any other LCD's I've used.

The brightness on the screen is excellent and I find myself turning it down from the highest setting when indoors and only using the brightest setting when outside, which still gives a decent picture.

Features and Performance

I'm not a gamer yet I tend to run multiple applications at the same time, particularly resource hogs like Photoshop. The Core Duo seems to live up to the task very well though I can't say it's any faster compared to my desktop running an Athlon XP at 2.17Ghz with the same 1GB of RAM and a lowly graphics card.

The dual graphics are a fantastic feature and allow you to switch between the integrated Intel GMA 950 chipset, or the dedicated nVidia GeForce 7400 with 128mb dedicated memory. Use the Intel while running office applications to conserve battery life, or the nVidia for more extreme use. A restart is required to flick between the two chips, which is a bit of an annoyance yet it is still an excellent innovation and something I haven't come across in any other laptops.

The fingerprint reader is located between the two touchpad buttons and although I considered it a toy in the pre-purchase stage, I now consider it a godsend! It can be used for logging onto Windows, launching applications (assign an app. to each finger) or entering passwords into web windows. It does the job very well and recognises my fingers first go around 95% of the time. To check security I asked a co-worker to try and logon to my system but they were denied access even after 5 minutes of trying! While I'm sure it's not that secure, it is certainly a viable alternative to entering hundreds of passwords.

The optical drive provides pretty much every kind of functionality I could ever dream of with dual layer DVD +/- rewrite ability. My only gripe would be that the disc tray seems a little fragile, yet for the amount I use the drive this is only a minor concern. I suspect this is due to the thin form factor of the laptop.

Expresscard 34 and a PCMCIA slots both feature on the laptop, yet the Expresscard is filled with Sony's included card reader which seems to cope with all the main formats such as SD and MMC. A built-in Sony memory stick duo reader takes care of their own format, but it's a shame they shun the popular SD format to a separate reader in favour of their own cards.

Included media card reader in the ExpressCard slot (view large image)

It also seems Sony were a bit tight on room by only including two USB 2 ports, which although is adequate for myself, I'd have preferred to have seen more.

There's VGA out but no composite video for outputting to a TV, which I consider a major downside on a laptop costing £1800 ($3,000)! Also, my VGA to TV converter doesn't work on this laptop like it did on my Mac Mini meaning it will be difficult to output the image to a standard TV screen.

Heat and Noise

The laptop seems exceptionally quiet, and the fan noise is almost inaudible in anything other than total silence. I've yet to hear the fans totally shut down, but this may be because I primarily use the nVidia graphics. Shortcut button 2 is pre-set to drop fan noise and CPU clock, yet whenever I've used it the difference has been minimal.

The optical drive is far from quiet when in use and during start-up, yet again as I use it so little this is not a problem for myself.

It seems to produce a fair amount of heat when using the nVidia graphics, though no more than I'd expect from a performance orientated machine with dedicated graphics and it never gets annoyingly hot, just quite warm. Again this is something I can live with. Using the Intel graphics allows the laptop to run very cool and quiet.

Keyboard and Touchpad

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After reading various forum reports of problems with the spacebar and keyboard in general on the SZ I was very sceptical. However after using it for a few weeks it seems to have none of these problems. I neither greatly like or dislike the keypad and assume it's something I'll grow to like over time but at the moment I'm still adjusting from my full sized Microsoft Ergonomic Keyboard.

The key travel seems about right and it seems relatively quiet in operation. Being a touch typist, I still occasionally hit the wrong key but again, I'm sure this is something I will adjust to over time.

The touchpad has a slightly rough texture to it which works well, and it is easily configurable from within windows for scrolling and tapping speed, etc. Another neat feature is the ability to use the top left corner to maximise, minimise or close windows. Perhaps this is common to other laptops too, but I was still impressed by this simple feature. I later discovered, however, that I kept inadvertently tapping the top left corner while typing and this led to me closing the window I was working in! So this corner functionality has now been disabled; a shame really.

Speakers

I was all set to purchase a cheap pair of speakers to supplement my laptop, yet I think I'll leave this for a while now given the quality of the built in speakers. Peering through the grille results in what looks like a pair of tiny (half-inch) diameter drivers which result in an exceptionally clear and loud sound. Of course, there's no bass but I really wouldn't have been disappointed had the speakers had JBL or similar logos on!

External audio is provided through a 3.5mm line out socket, though the output seems very quiet when using this into my amplified external speakers. There is also a massive amount of hiss/feedback that appears only when the AC power cord is plugged in. If someone uses the external audio a lot then this will prove annoying and the Sony representative I spoke to did not have any idea what it could be. SPDIF optical output would have been nice, especially as this one of the most expensive laptops on the market today!

Battery

Doing everyday tasks as I have been for the past weeks, using the nVidia graphics and wireless and Bluetooth on I reliably get just under three hours battery life. This is using a high/mid LCD brightness setting. I expect 4+ hours easily using the Intel graphics with wireless switched off. Sony offer an extended life battery, but it is far too expensive at around £240 and increases the size and weight of the laptop considerably (see the notebook review forums).

Bundled Software

This is by far and away the laptops worst feature. The amount of bundled useless software was unbelievable and performance out of the box was far below my expectations. Sony make it reasonably difficult to do a clean install, by not providing a separate windows CD (or any CD's... for that matter) in the box. They include a hidden recovery partition on the hard drive and there is an option to create your own recovery discs. The problem with recovery is that it would reinstall all the bundled nonsense!

I have a separate standalone copy of XP pro so I installed this on the laptop with no problems, using the drivers available to download from Sony's website. Though there are many forum posts relating to this issue, I had a problem free clean install and everything works perfectly.

Benchmarks:

Super Pi calculated to 2 million:

Notebook	Time
Sony VAIO SZ2 (2.16GHz Core Duo)	1m 14s
Asus W3H760DD (2.0 GHz Pentium M)	1m 33s
Dell Inspiron e1505 (2.0GHz Core Duo)	1m 16s
Lenovo ThinkPad T60 (2.0GHz Core Duo)	1m 18s
Toshiba Satellite M100 (2.00GHz Core Duo)	1m 18s
Samsung X60 (1.66GHz Core Duo)	1m 29s
Dell XPS M140 (1.86 GHz Pentium M)	1m 41s
Sony VAIO FS680 (1.86 GHz Pentium M)	1m 53s
IBM ThinkPad T43 (1.86 GHz Pentium M)	1m 45s

3DMark05:

Notebook Comparison	3DMark05 Score
Sony VAIO SZ2 (2.16GHz Core Duo, nVidia GeForce 7400)	1,851
ASUS W3V (2.0 GHz Pentium M, ATI X600	1,263
Lenovo ThinkPad Z60m (2.0GHz Pentium M, ATI X600 128MB)	1,659
ThinkPad T43 (1.86GHz, ATI X300 64MB graphics)	727
Asus V6Va (2.13 GHz Pentium M, ATI Radeon Mobility x700 128 MB)	2,530
HP dv4000 (1.86GHz Pentium M, ATI X700 128MB)	2,536
Toshiba Satellite M100 (2.0GHz Core Duo, ATI X1400 128MB)	1,660

HD Tune:

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Conclusion

I am very pleased with the SZ2VP. Is it a performance machine...is it a thin and light...is it a desktop replacement? It combines extreme performance in an exceptionally lightweight package. I was after a super-fast notebook to take to university and the weight saving is a fantastic plus.

Spending an afternoon reformatting isn't much work for the machine you have at the end, but it shouldn't be a required step.

Pros:

• High speed -- T2600 dual core runs at 2.16 GHz
• Battery life -- Expected around 4 hours with no wireless and Intel graphics
• Lightweight -- only 1.69kg (3.7lbs)
• Overall design -- the use of aluminium and carbon fibre make it stand out as something a bit special.

Cons

• Terrible pre-installed software -- It shouldn't be there!
• Lack of independent wireless switches
• No TV out -- For £1800 ($3,000), it really needs this basic feature!
• Lack of SPDIF -- Again, for £1800 it would be nice.
• Shortage of USB ports

Pricing and Availability:

Available in Europe at SonyStyle.com

 

omy... that's overkill. What a great laptop. Watch your back at University, this might be the most desirable laptop and could easily be stolen.

Great review. I'm envious.

 

Well it's certainly pretty (pretty loking and pretty expensive)! The SZ2 should serve you well in school, the portability is great. Given the cost make sure to take care of it and protect it (get a lock, consider insurance), laptops being stolen in a university setting is sadly a very common thing.

 

Nice review. I'm envious too

 

Awesome laptop! But once again way too overpriced. ASUS W7J is a very capable alternative and much cheaper too.

 

very nice review... too pricey for me

 

nice review and dreamy laptop. sony makes exceptional products and prices.

 

Nice review! You have an awesome notebook...congrats!

 

nice review, it certainly is a looker.. although I really don't like they keyboard.
if it's not too much, could you measure the depth of the palm rest? (from the end of the notebook to the bottom of the keyboard)

 

This issue is caused by the fact that your SZ isn't properly grounded. You may also experience a slight tingle while running your fingers across the metallic palm rest. I'm not sure if it applies to all SZ models, but mine had the same issue. The only way to fix this is to replace the adapter with one that has a grounded prong.

 

Its a UK machine so should have the grounded adapter.

 

From the second picture it looks like yours does have the Carbon Weave top and not the Black Carbon top that caused all the confusion.

The two tell tale signs are:

- The top is clearly a different colour to the camera housing
- You can clearly see lines running accross it.

My SZ2VP has this. Having had the SZ1VP before which had the Black Carbon top, I spotted this straight away.

 

Sorry, I should have mentioned the adapter instead of the plug. I don't know what the UK SZ adapter looks like, but if it has a figure-8 C8 socket similar to mine and the one pictured below then it's a class II device and isn't actually grounded. Here's some info about IEC 60320 connectors: http://www.accesscomms.com.au/iec320.htm

 

NP I understood what you meant

The UK adapter (atleast my one) is a 3 pin one, not the figure of eight one.

Infact I haven't had the "figure of eight" type adapter on any UK notebook for years. That includes Dell, Toshiba, Sony, IBM, Panasonic and a few others I can't even remember.

Have spent so much time searching for the 3 prong leads when I dig out a notebook, its something I unfortunately know very well I have so many of the two prong leads lying around but can never find the 3 prong ones when I need them.

As you'd expect I haven't experienced any of the grounding issues (although I haven't tried the sound output properly, just the occaisional MP3).

 

A grounded power supply may solve the issue, but the audio disturbance is also partly a design flaw of the laptop and/or power supply. I had the same issue with my previous HP, but my present Thinkpad produces the cleanest sound I have ever heard from a laptop.. . and plugged in, its just like its running on batteries . And just so you know, i use my high sensitive Westone UM2 for testing it.

Things such as proper isolation of the audio channels and proper PCB layout etc. all affect this issue.

 

Hi guys, cheers for the comments!

I took out insurance with vaio cover - www.vaiocover.co.uk which seemed very reasonably priced and also covers accidental damage.

As to the palmrest, it measures approx 100mm from the base of the keyboard to the edge of the laptop.

Hope that is of some help!

As to the grounding issue, yes it does have a three pin plug!! So that's pretty annoying!!

And I'm still annoyed at the lack of video out and SPDIF... I guess SPDIF optical would have reduced the noise on the audio line!

 

I want to buy a light-weight, non-glossy notebook and this is a beautiful machine, with incredible features, so, I was almost convinced, however, it’s immensely overpriced and I was just frightened by the lack of quality. I tried 5 SZ2 and all had keyboard defects – it just makes me wonder, if they can’t get the keyboard right after all the complaints, how can I trust Sony?

 

Nice review. It will be helpful in deciding between the SZ and the EGL30.

 

@those who have a SZ2VP
I would like to clarify if this top of the line model has a different (cool looking) top case cover in comparison to e.g. the SZ2XP?

@Vaio users/owners in general
How does the waranty work? Is is enough to have a notebook with a valid serial (as this is the case with Thinkpads for example) or do I need a receipt, that I have actually bought the machine?

Thanks a lot!

 

Nuno, my keyboard seems fine...!

 

Just in case you didn't know a new model of the SZ series has come out. The VGN-SZ390 and the VGN-SZ340.

See them here.
http://www.sonystyle.com/is-bin/INTERSHOP.enfinity/eCS/Store/en/-/USD/SY_BrowseCatalog-Start;sid=j7YK6fECws8IwrQpr2MA4r4SHfKGpX1e57g=?CategoryName=cpu_VAIONotebookComputers_SZSeries&Dept=computers

 

Is the new SZ GeForce7400 still 256MB?

 

Even newer versions are available at Sony's business site. They feature a larger hard drive and Windows Vista Business:

http://b2b.sony.com/Solutions/subcategory/notebooks/sz-series

 

Well done on that review mate!

I think I'd want to give the RAM and upgrade but I like how the card reader plugs into the express card slot rather than taking up "case space."

I'm also quite impressed with the SuperPi result! Well done again on the review!