m11x vs sony vaio z ingame preformance

ive reading up on both notebooks, ive already pre-ordered the m11x and i was wondering if the sony vaio will have better in game benchmarks due to the stronger cpu. being that the m11x can be overclocked to 1.73 tho the vaio has the turbo boost option. anyone have any thoughts becuase to be honest the thought of the sony z having better ingame preformance bothers me after i spent close to 2000 on an m11x lol

thought id ask the experts thanks guys!

 

I was in the same boat.

For a performance spec Vaio Z (The 2010 edition) you wont be forking over anything less than $4,000.

The mod page is up on the US website.

To get the Full HD screen you must purchase a Special Edition laptop, so unless your paying 4500 for that, you'll be stuck with a lower res screen also.

Great portable monster the Z is, but the price is there to match it.

 

thank you for your response Blaze! do you think some games will be better on the m11x and some on the sony z being that some games are more gpu reliant and some fair better with a more powerful cpu?

 

What high res screen? I appears from this link that they are all 1600x900.

http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs...=10551&langId=-1&cmsId=zseries#specifications

Display

* 13.1" Screen1
* 1600 x 900 Resolution
* LED Backlight

For 1950 I could have a pretty damn slick laptop. Granted, if I spend 250-350 on an SSD for my m11X, I am still 850 cheaper on the alienware. Hard to justify 2 m11x's for the price of the Z.

 

the 850 is a bit of a difference my friend but very good argument tho the m11x does have smaller dimensions so i guess we are talking about two different classes of laptops so it makes sense that the m11x wouldnt be as powerful in everyday use. but when it comes to gaming preformance i think they may be on par with each other what do you guys think?

 

vaio has an i5, while the m11x has a low-voltage processor. if they have the same nvidia card, then the vaio z will come out on top

 

Damn you are right. For the special edition signature. Then again, 13.1 inch screen with 1920x1080... thats crazy talk.

Display

* Back Light Technology : LED
* Resolution : 1920 x 1080
* Screen Size : 13.1"4
* Technology : Full HD

 

Yeah, the signature series carbon edition:
http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs...44649998&N=4294954789#/Glossy Carbon Fiber Z/


Sexy laptop, but large price tag, lol.

@ Mightymax, your right, there will be slight differences, but all in all the Alienware price for price is a better deal. The vaio signature series for the highres screen is very expensive, it does look a little sleeker IMO, but in the end I opted for a M17x-R2, LOL! Just cause the price vs. performance is stupidly greater on the 17" laptop - but then thats just a whole different category =]

If you brought a SSD for the Alienware also, you've got it made, you would be on par with the Vaio Z, the differences would be highly negligible... the vaio is just too expensive.

 

The Z is an utterly ridiculous laptop.

I give Sony all the credit in the world for designing such a good looking, portable, and incredibly powerful laptop.

I've already ordered an m11x because I love the look and feel of Alienware products, but I'm sorry, the m11x doesn't hold a candle to the Z (and it shouldn't, considering the Z is so much more expensive).

You lose a bit in graphics, but you make up for it with an immensely more powerful all around computer (not even an ULV mobile i5/7, WOW).

Honestly for right now, the Z is overkill to me. For someone with the cash, it's a helluva computer. But my cash went into the m17x that I maxxed out, and my m11x will perfectly compliment that purchase.

But had I another 4 G's to drop on a computer, make no mistake, I'd take the Z. If that helps anyone with the cash make up their mind.

 

keep in mind the sony z is a larger laptop not by much but it is a different class 11.6 inch vs a 13inch

 

That doesn't matter to me, nor should it to most people. The difference in size is small, and can you really argue a larger screen?

The Z is also lighter and thinner.

My ul30vt feels no different than carrying a netbook (it's VERY slim and light), and yet I get to enjoy a 13.1inch screen.

But don't get me wrong, I love the m11x. It's exactly what I was looking for right now.

I'm just giving Sony their due credit.

 

haha very true im not saying i dont agree with you i do love sonys products and they did do a very good job with the z if they didnt i wouldnt have sparked up a debat

 

Yup no worries man. It's a tough call, but once I sell my ul30vt I may have to try and save up the cash to make the m17x, m11x, AND Z somehow coexist in my computing world.

I don't own a desktop, the m17x is my primary/gaming PC, the m11x is going to strictly be for on the go gaming/ a toy, and the ul30vt is currently my school computer. Trust me, if I can pony up the cash, I'll be replacing my Asus with the Z at some point.

 

Web page is down right now but it's $1899 for i5 2.53ghz/3.06ghz turbo, GT330M, DVD Burner, WWAN, 4gb RAM, 128GB SSD. That is a hell of a machine for 1899. HD Display is a waste to me 1920x1200 on a 13" is going to be ridiculously small for any kind of text the standard 1600x900 is plenty and the standard screen is supposed to be gorgeous.

http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs...52921666065650&categoryId=8198552921644702498

Check out this review if you haven't seen it yet:

http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/11/sony-vaio-z-series-vpcz114gx-s-review/

That is the best part it's same form factor and it's actual smaller measuring the volume but virtually the same size as the 11x and it's much lighter at only 3lbs yet it has a 13" screen. This laptop is just a work of art LOL

I was in same boat I already ordered an 11x but I am going to sell it on ebay and get the Z instead, it is just too amazing to pass up for me.

 

The fact I only spent $830 on my M11x ($150 in coupons + 10% EEP) means I can't compare these two computers given the Z would cost $1,000 more lol

 

it is a nice machine no doubt i was considering it but im going to use it just for gaming the m11x will outpreform the z in most games not by much but O well lol the z is a lil expensive. hmm i wish i could afford an m17x

 

3dmark score is mostly identical 6100 for 11x 6200 for Z but with the CPU in the Z you will probably see less dips in FPS during cpu intensive parts of games like L4D when all the zombies come out if you watch that youtube vid http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1BdWINKHuk you can see it drop down to the low teens when all the zombies come out and the cameraman tries to hide the fps LOL

If you've got the money the Z is a better deal for what you get imo, configured similiarly they come out pretty close in price unless you got in on all the epp coupons the 800 dollar deals for the 11x are pretty hard to pass up LOL For me personally I was going to throw an SSD into the 11x anyway so that raises the price up to 1300ish even with having gotten the epp deals. I'm willing to give up the extra 5-600 for bigger screen, thinner, lighter etc but if all you want is a base spec 11x the difference is quite substantial money wise 850-1000 is alot easier to swallow than 1900 all at once so I would probably go with m11x in that situation as well.

 

If you have 2grand then buy the Sony Vaio, it is that simple. I paid 750$ for the m11x with the SU7300,4gb, bluetooth, 250gb 7200rpm. But if I was given a choice of either a free m11x or Vaio Z I would def get the Z.

 

The sony is nice but price for performence the M11x is the better laptop.

 

The Z has a 9300m GS. Do you really think that's going to cut the mustard for a large majority of games out there? The 9300m GS is essentially a slightly slower 8400m GS. If you want to play older games (i.e. 3+ years) I'm sure it'll do fine. But anything from the last couple of years forward it will struggle.

I don't think these two laptops can even be compared. $1800 base price vs $800 base price? If you need a powerful CPU, then the M11x isn't for you, period, but I wouldn't say the Sony Z is a good option either since you can find notebooks, perhaps slightly larger, with a decent CPU for a lot less.

I find this Sony Z quite sexy and appealing, but it's too expensive for my tastes even if I did have enough money

 

You might wanna click on the links for the new Z specs with the i5/i7. The Z with the 9300m GS is last years model

 

Dude the Z has a 330m

 

The Z also has an SSD which will also enhance its performance (if it works as advertised). To make the M11x comparable in price, you have to add in the cost of an SSD upgrade.

I like the M11x and think it's a fine machine. My laptop has to do double duty as a gaming unit and business unit so the alienhead on the cover and stealth design make the few hundred more for the Z a no brainer. The real quesiton is "are there any other options to the Z or the M11x on the horizon"?

Bronsky

 

Even a 330M is going to suffer in some (many) games. There will be some games that the faster CPU and everything help you in, but overall I would say the 330M will bottleneck the Z.

Personally, I can't imagine paying $4000 for something, or even $2000, and then actually carrying it around and using it. I suppose you can get a warranty with accidental damage, but heck the freaking warrenty will probably run like $600+, practically as much as an M11X. They just are not the same type of computers. One is way off the deep end of expense, and the other is aimed more at actual consumers.

Also, for that extra $1000-$3000 you are not getting that much extra performance in games or most apps. Will it be faster? Sure. But we are talking like seconds here, it might load something 30 seconds faster, or boot up in 15 seconds. For me I have no problem waiting the 30 seconds to save thousands. The price to performance ratio is just incredibly low, like every second you save is gonna cost you a crap ton of money.

I guess the worst part of all is that if you see a guy on an M11X and one on a Sony Z you are more likely to notice the M11X and think it looks really awesome. The Z just looks like every other Sony laptop. Unless you happen to be up on it and know what it is, it won't be remarkable. The M11X looks awesome though, much more unique and rare.

 

I missed the link. I didn't see anything that said it had a 330m though. And base configuration with 128GB SSD is $1900US. So if you get a 128GB ~ $350 put in yourself in the M11x, with SU7300, 4GB, You're still talking ~$1300 without any discounts. That's a $600 price difference, or almost 50% more expensive.

TBH, I don't like the fact that you don't have the option for a hard drive over SSD. Not everyone cares to spend $400 for 256GB of storage or needs the speed.

I'm not saying it's not a nice machine, but considering I spend ~ $800 for my M11x configuration, to compare it with something that costs $1900 is ludicrous. That's like buying a Dodge Caliber SRT4 for $20000 and being told that you can get a Mini Cooper S for $28000. Sure the mini looks a little bit more sleek, maybe a little bit more compact, has some nice features not in the Dodge, but you'll probably still outperform the Mini with the SRT4 by a little bit in many areas.

 

Can I ask a stupid question here? Why does everyon compare a 13" screen to an 11" screen?
These are completely different screen sizes. I want an 11" screen, why would I go to 13" if 11 is what I want?
I just don't get it.

 

I thought about that too, but the overall dimensions are about the same. I wouldn't mind seeing a 13" in the M11x (M13x then, eh?), but not 1600x900. That's too tight a resolution for that small screen size. Not to mention if your intent is to game on it, then in many instances would have to drop to 1366x768 anyhow.

 

Wait wait, you spent close to $2000 on an m11x and you cant afford a m17x??! Don't get me wrong the m11x looks sweet but, its not worth anywhere close to 2k. The price performance ratio is not very optimized in this case

 

So if a 13" screen fit in the 11x you would still rather have the 11"? Because the Z is the same size as the 11x, slighlty smaller and a lb and a half lighter. That is why most people compare the two. They are the same form factor.

Price is the biggest difference, if your going to buy a maxed out 11x with ssd and dvd drive etc to get a similiar configuration as the base Z the price is very similiar. If you are more frugal though and buy aftermarket SSD DVD drive etc... you will save 400-500 bucks getting the 11x but you don't get 13" screen or [email protected]/3.06ghz.

It's basically just boils down to the $$$ you get alot more power with the Z but you certainly don't get it for free LOL

 

Wow, opinions FTW but I really disagree strongly with the way you look at this.

First of all, price/performance ratio of the Z is NOWHERE near as bad as you make it out to be.

$1,899 for base configuration of the Z, which gets you a 16xx by 10xx resolution 13.1 inch screen, REGULAR CLOCKED i5-540m processor which is MUCH FASTER than a SU7300, better build quality and form factor (possibly the most debatable part of my comment, but to me, it's true), a MUCH FASTER SSD (the Dell/Samsung SSD sucks), the same or better battery life WITH A NORMAL VOLTED PROCESSOR! and a video card that really isn't too much behind the 335m in terms of performance. It's not as good, but it's not as far worse as some of you make it out to be. If my 210m can play WoW on medium settings with 50 FPS, I'm not too concerned about the 330m.

Also, for it to be a fair comparison, you have to configure the m11x with the SSD which adds almost 600 to the 799 base price. The Z is not offered without the SSD, so the m11x is then within a few hundred dollars of the Z and the Z has far superior specs in everything but the video card.

You're slanting your argument because you don't like the Z. I like both, and will probably own both at some point, but you're not really giving the Z the credit it deserves. In it's segment, it is unrivaled. Just like in the 11.6 and under segment, the m11x is unrivaled. But IMO, in a direct comparison, the Z is far superior to the m11x. We will see when benchmarks for both systems start popping up, but as a normal use, all around computer I'd rather have the Z.

Again why I'm getting both; the m11x as a portable gaming machine and toy, and the Z to be my main on the go computer that can still game (almost as well).

Yes, having 3 computers is probably impractical for most people, but it works for me. I'm selling the ul30vt.

 

For argument's sake, as you claim the Z is "deep end" expensive, that's incorrect for what you're getting.

You would be correct in saying the Dell Adamo is at the "deep end" of expensive, because that computer is horribly overpriced based on its totally subpar specs.

 

Eh, M11x with SU7300, 4GB RAM, Dell's 256GB SSD and External DVD drive is ~$1600.

Vaio Z with 256GB SSD ~$2300.

That's $700 difference.

Personally, $1600 is too much for the M11x to begin with.

 

haha i was thinking that too, im like did i even think to add up the options on the m17x? turns out im not too smart lol i like the form factor of the m11x tho i may get the m15x if the 5870 mobility is ever an option!

 

SaosinEngaged remind never to get into an argument with you haha

 

The m11x also has better battery life (based on the few reviews out there). They'd probably be similar with Sony's upgraded battery. But that will add to the size, weight and price.

 

The Sony Z will be better in nearly every single area except for price. Being like 2x the price of the Alienware it is not a fair comparison.

p.s. The Dell Adamo is actually pretty affordable now. Base config is $999 with a 128GB SSD. That is not that much more than the Vostro V13 if you factor in the SSD cost.

 

I am not contesting that the Z is unrivaled in its segment, only pointing out that it is in a different segment from the M11X. One is a computer that can be had with a lot of the upgrades for under $1000. One is a computer that starts at nearly $2000.

I don't want an SSD, but it provides a fine example of price/performance. Right now SSDs are ridiculously expensive, sure they start out quite a bit faster, but they still have issues with degradation, their not great size wise, and they are 10 times the price of a comparable HDD. For an average consumer it makes a lot more sense to get a regular HDD, and perhaps pick up an SSD in a year or two when they are a 4th the price.

That last paragraph on SSDs can pretty much describe the whole Sony Z. Great computer, a lot more money for the performance boost you will receive. Plus, the sad truth is that for the price of a nice Z today I can probably buy at least 2 M11Xs. In my view I would rather grab a new M11X today. Then in a year or more when they get remade with Fermi GPU and a new CPU grab another. There is just no way that single Sony Z is going to hold up well enough to make it better than a new M11X in a year, but the cost is high enough that you might expect it to.

Certainly I can recognize there are those for who the Z is a great computer though. You want/need an SSD, you want/need the new processor, you want/need some of the other Z features. In that circumstance it makes good sense. However, it still comes back that the Z is just a different market segment from the M11X. It is more business person with no thought for cost, or power user who always want the newest and best. The M11X is more of a consumer device for everyone. It is a laptop that any normal person who plays PC games can look at and say that is awesome, that is a good price, I want that for my next laptop.

 

If the i5 in the Z is a 35W chipset, it will run hot in that formfactor- not counting a 330M which will run hot as well.

 

^ It is 35w, Surprisingly according to Engadget review it runs quite cool and battery life is impressive at 6 hours for a 35w TDP CPU.

"With all that Sony has managed to fit into the Z we were expecting extremely warm temperatures from the bottom of the chassis and the palmrest, but the system actually ran quite cool."

http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/11/sony-vaio-z-series-vpcz114gx-s-review/

 

why on earth is this even a comparison? The Sony is more expensive, bigger chassis (more room for these hotter parts), built for a different purpose. YES it will have faster overall computing, but the gaming performance is going to be similar because its driving a higher res screen with a slower GPU. Pushing a lot more pixels with at 1080p then you do at 720p.

The CPU will have the crap bottlenecked out of it by that n330... the question is will it bottleneck in games higher, or lower then the M11x can go? We'll see. I think in games it will break even.

Guys, now lets compare the M11x to a desktop with an i7, crossfire, dual 128GB SSD in RAID as a boot drive, and 8GB of RAM which do you think will be faster at games?

 

It is the same form factor (not a bigger chassis), and lighter by a lb and a half, that is why people always compare them LOL That discussion has been beat to death though surprised you haven't seen it.

 

Thank you. Very well said. Enough on the comparisons, it just doesn't make sense. I was thinking the same thing considering the price difference, in a year, sell my M11x for $300-$400 take that put it towards a new one, most likely with an SSD at that time, newer CPU and GPU, probably about $1000, and it'll still be cheaper than the Vaio Z, and better performing with the new hardware.

 

Performance in games will probably be a wash.
CPU dependent games will perform better on the SONY and GPU dependent games will perform better on the M11x.
I think more games are more GPU dependent then CPU dependent these days.

 

an m11x that is close to 2000 is not worth it IMO. one of the most alluring things about it for me was the low price point, which you completely hurled out the window.

 

if you spent 2k on your M11x you need to be examined head to toe, possible neutered.

 

Man I was thinking that before too but I don't think so anymore. I just realized 6200 3dmark06 score for the Z was at 1280x1024 on Engadget and 6100 3dmark06 score is at 1280x768 for m11x. 3dmark 06 automatically defaults to 1280x768 on a 1366x768 screen because it cannot display 1280x1024.

So after doing research closest comparison for Z is i7 720QM @ 1.6ghz/2.8ghz with 240m scoring 7367 3dmarks06 compared to the 6100 of 11x. That is a pretty significant difference and that is with processor at lesser mhz and with a lesser 240m vs 330m. It starting to seem like Z will smoke 11x in games too.

Normally that would be exciting news to me but my TV just blew up so I jumped back on m11x bandwagon figured I would just stick with m11x with normal HD etc... because I have to spend another 2 grand on a damn TV now.

So now I want Z again LOL, I know I won't be happy with 11x, it's just the way I am with computers, if I dont have the best I am not happy :/ I know it's stupid, shallow, superficial but I can't help it. Now I am having to spend 2k for new tv, 2k for Sony Z plus I already ordered 11x for 1k this is really starting to hurt spending so much money

I might end up cancelling 11x if it is still possible instead of trying to resell on Ebay, even though I think I could make a couple bucks on Ebay it is just alot of money to lay out in such a short period of time on top of bills and everything else....

Sorry I am rambling LOL Really happy on the one hand and really bummed out on the other.

 

Do what you gotta do haze. If you're not 100% satisfied with spending on your money on the m11x, then you should go for the Z. For me, I am 100% satisfied with my m11x purchase because it's not weak sauce like a netbook and it's not that huge.

 

Yea man, I kinda wish I never heard about the Z lol It's funny how if you don't know about something it doesn't bother in the least bit but once you hear about it all of a sudden can't live without it, at least with me that is how it always ends up working lol

 

You should seriously wait for people to get both their M11X and Sony Z computers before doing anything. That way you can see actual benchmarks. Would suck to shell out another 2K to find out the Z doesn't perform noticeably better in games (as I suspect will be the case for 95% of games).

 

^^agreed... if you arn't 100% sure you want the m11x over the sony z, then def wait for some user benchmarks... mine will be in soon and I will run whatever benches and games you want to see till I'm blue in the face I'd rather you be completely happy with your purchase than for you to regret buying one or the other... I'm sure you'll find a load of peeps willing to bench either system till your sure of what you want

Happy Lappy Hunting