The Vaio F-series started at the beginning of 2010 with the Geforce GT 330M, Sony VGP-BPS22A which couldn't keep up with the very common ATI Radeon HD 5650, although it was a direct competitor. Sony has replaced the DirectX-10.1 GPU with a DirectX-11 suitable one. The performance unfortunately stayed similarly weak, as the following three gaming tests show.

Risen

Using most mid-range notebooks the Sony VGP-BPS21A/B fantasy game is just about playable with medium settings (1024 x 768). An HD 5650 for example achieves around 33 fps. Our tested device can keep up with 32 fps, but only provides a weak performance overall. High detail settings are unthinkable.

The GeForce GT 425M is suited to playing most current games smoothly with a resolution of 1366 x 768 using at least medium detail settings. Hardware intensive games such as Risen, StarCraft2, and Mafia 2 can no longer be played with details set to high. The shortly tested AMD Radeon HD 6550M showed a better performance for these games,Sony VGP-BPS21 for example Risen (+22%). The red banner under (details/resolution) max. says: Playing with native full HD is not possible with the GT 425. For this Sony VGP-BPS21A professional class graphics cards such as the Geforce GTX 460M or the Radeon HD 6970M would have to be used.

The multimedia notebook almost has the whole Sony VGP-BPS21/S spectrum of current ports available. Next to Ethernet and VGA, there is also HDMI on the left. Those that are still missing an interface, can include this using the ExpressCard34 shaft. This won't be necessary for USB 3.0, since two ports are contained on the right side.

The fast transfer of data is not only possible via the blue USB 3.0, but also FireWire and eSATA. Camcorders or external hard disks can be connected to the iS400 port (FireWire). People that work with large images or videos will know to appreciate fast data transfers.

Those that envision the F13 with a complete assortment of cables will notice disadvantages when it comes to the placement of a mouse, or at least with the mess of cables on the desktop. Interfaces at the back of the 16 inch notebook would be more practical for many users. There is no docking station for the Sony VGP-BPS21/B F-series.

Sony has included two card readers to allow reading of Sony Memory Stick HG-Duo cards as well as the usual SD memory cards. This is sensible since HG-Duo is the memory card format of several digital single-lens reflex cameras, high-end digital cameras, and digital camcorders. The VGA webcam with a mere resolution of 640 x 480 pixels (0.3 MP) is a disappointment.

The LED backlight on the full HD display Akku Latitude E5510 brightens the panel up to 220 cd/m² in the middle. The average level lies at only 199 cd/m², and the illumination is not even at 78 percent.

During November of the past year the 16.4 inch notebook that goes by the name of Vaio VPC-F13Z1E/B came through our tests. With a four core Core i7-740QM, 8 GBs of RAM, 7200 rpm Seagate hard disk, and a GeForce GT 425M it was a multimedia device tuned towards performance. The best thing was and still remains: The 1920 x Akku Latitude E5410 1080 pixel containing display panel (full HD), which was non-reflective, and offered good contrasts along with an extended color space.

This was still not enough for a rating of Good in our opinion though, primarily due to the irregular noise levels, noticeable whistling sound, high power consumption, and short battery run times. The result was an 80% rating, which was likely a disappointment for many Vaio fans. The current price for the F13Z1E/B: Akku Latitude E4310 1410 Euros.

The sister model VPC-F13L8E/H that stands before us today has a similar sounding name, but the price and configuration have changed considerably. For the apparently attractive price of 930 Euros it is available in shelves. Once again there is full HD (this time reflective) Akku Latitude E6510 and a GeForce GT 425M. The rest of the configuration has been trimmed back a little, but hasn't changed for the worse dramatically: Core i5-480M (2 x 2.66 GHz), 5400 rpm Toshiba hard disk, and the Blu-ray burner (BD-RW) has turned into a reader (BD-ROM).

We dared to complete an entirely new test, since the case in titanium gray has also changed its appearance and surfaces, as well as the Akku Latitude E6410 display panel. Was the disturbing whistling sound only a problem with the quad-core sister model? Does the performance suffer as a result of the slower HDD? Has the panel got good contrast levels? Our review will answer these questions. Further information regarding similar notebooks can be found in the following reviews:

The ambient light sensor influences the brightness of the backlight LEDs when activated. The Akku Latitude E6500 sensor adapts the brightness to the ambient lighting conditions (eye protection, energy efficiency when battery powered), and a manual activation via the Fn buttons isn't necessary. Under sunlight the sensor sets the brightness to its maximum. The ambient light sensor was deactivated via the Vaio Control Center for our measurements and Lenovo Akku outdoor images.

The display is not suitable for use outdoors. Akku Latitude E6400 The reflecting surface causes impaired visibility due to the reflections. Users will have to deny themselves mobile full HD entertainment.

How do things look when it comes to the application performance of the F13? The PCMark Vantage benchmark ends with 6.302 points - a considerable result. The previous Core i7-740QM system Vaio F12Z1E achieved 5.942 points. For significantly better results notebooks either have to have a brand new Sandy Bridge processor, or Akku Latitude E5400 an SSD. The first of these is included in the Acer Aspire 7750G (i7-2630QM), which achieved 7.402 Sony Akku points with a normal 5400 rpm HDD.

The GT 425M works with 1.024 MBs of DDR3 video memory. The core has a clock speed Akku Dell XPS M1730of 560 MHz, and the video memory with 800 MHz. The 3DMark2006 benchmark results in 6.695 points, which is less than the HD 6550M (7.182) and the HD 5730 (7.265). The score comes very close to the HD 5650 (6.674).

The battery life is not the strong point of the F13. Akku Dell XPS M1330 Whether idle, WLAN, DVD, or Blu-ray, the battery run times always fall short. This may be due to the 47 Watt-hour battery (4.200 mAh). The relatively small capacity is already confronted with a high power consumption of at least 16 Watts in idle (see below).

The WLAN surfing session lasting 2:18 hours (138 minutes) is still acceptable. The brightness of the display was set to 100 cd/m² for this test (medium setting). A Blu-ray or DVD movie don't last a long time. The test resulted in 104 and 118 minutes respectively (luminance 100 cd/m²). Altogether the battery life has increased by a few minutes Akku Vostro 1510 compared to the F-13 quad-core CPU, e.g. +14 minutes with Blu-ray, and +29 minutes with WLAN HP Akku surfing.

The VPC-F13L8E/H is an entertainment center, which can also be used for producing videos and Akku Vostro 1320 music due to its strong processing power. There is a Blu-ray (BD-ROM) / DVD burner, 2 x USB 3.0 ports, a FireWire port, and an ExpressCard34 shaft included. Unfortunately the ports are not ideally located. A positive aspect are the well laid out and stable input devices.

The F13 is not a gaming laptop. The Nvidia Akku Vostro 1310 GeForce GT425M has the same problems as the AMD ATI HD 5650 / 6550M: There are no performance reserves for playing games in full HD. Even high details in HD-Ready (1366 x 768) are critical for the GPU.

Those that are sensitive towards Dell Akku the noises from a laptop, will find it difficult to come to terms with the F13L8E/H, although there is no longer a serious issue with noise. In quiet surroundings there is an uneven variation of the cooling fan speed, as well as a sporadic metallic whistling noticeable. The variations and the whistling also Akku Vostro 1720 remain when under load.

There was already a lot of talk about the noise in forums in 2010. Since we also dealt with Akku Vostro 1700 the same devices in our tests, we can comment in this respect: The gravity of the cooling fan phenomenon has improved, but has remained. There is no wild whizzing, the cooling fan just turns with a moderately uneven speed, and sporadically makes a metallic whistling sound.

The old saying "you get what you pay for", also kaufenakkus.com proves itself correct in the case of the Vaio VPC-F13L8E/H. The 16.4 inch notebook in titanium gray is the most affordable version of the F-series studio laptops. The first class non-reflective display is the most important hallmark of the F-series. Although this is only the case acer laptop akku for models that cost upwards of 1000 Euros.

Those that are hoping to receive a first class display panel for 930 Euros, will unfortunately be disappointed. apple laptop akku Not only is the display reflective, but also the good contrast, and color space, as well as the wide viewing angles are not included. Merely the 1920 x 1080 imb laptop akku pixel full HD resolution has remained.

The current Core i5-480M (2 x 2.66 GHz) is fully up to date, and provides for a very good performance in conjunction with the acceptably hp laptop akku fast hard disk (5400 rpm). The step backwards from a quad-core in the more expensive F-series models is not noticeable in the benchmarks, and even provides sony laptop akku advantages in terms of the power consumption. The power consumption for example has decreased significantly, under load as well as in an idle state. asus laptop akku For this reason a 90 Watt AC adapter is sufficient.