X300-11S vs Sony Vaio FW11ZU

Narrowed it down to 2 and am tending toward the Sony FW11ZU:

2.5GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Mobile T9400, 4GB 800MHz DDR2 RAM, ATI Radeon Mobility HD 3650 256MB graphics, 16.4in 1600 x 900 TFT, 300GB hard disk, Blu-ray writer, 802.11abg + draft-n wireless, Bluetooth 2.0, Gigabit Ethernet, 3-in-1 card reader, 3 x USB, HDMI, VGA, 1.3mp webcam, Windows Vista Ultimate, 384 x 258 x 39mm, 2.9kg




Toshiba Qosmio X300-11S

- Operating System: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium
- Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo P8600 2.40GHz 3MB Cache (1066MHz FSB)
- Graphics: Nvidia GeForce 9700M GTS 512MB
- Memory: 4GB DDR3 RAM
- Hard Drive: 320GB SATA (5400RPM)
- Optical Drive: DVD Super Multi Dual Layer Drive
- Screen: 17.0" WXGA+ TruBrite LCD Widescreen (1440x900)
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth 2.1 + Enhanced Data Rate
- Wireless LAN: 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g & 802.11n
- Ethernet LAN: 10/100/1000
- Sound Controller: High Definition Audio
- Speakers: 5x Harman Kardon Stereo Speakers + Bass Speaker
- Expansion: 54mm ExpressCard Slot
- Card Reader: SD Card, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, MultiMedia Card, MultiMedia Card Plus & xD-Picture Card
- Camera: 1.3 Megapixel
- Security: Biometric Fingerprint Reader & Kensington Lock Slot
- Connections: 4x USB 2.0, 1x i.LINK (IEEE 1394), 1x eSATA, 1x HDMI, 1x VGA, 1x RJ-11, 1x RJ-45, 1x Microphone & 1x Speakers/Headphones
- Battery: Lithium-Ion
- Dimensions: 412.0mm x 306.0mm x 62.5mm
- Weight: 4.3kg
- Warranty: 1 Year



Which is better as I need to make a decision asap. Thanks.

 

wow the x300 looks awesome never seen it before..i myself got the fw and its great!

 

Basically goes down to

Media (Sony) VS Gaming/Lighter Media (Toshiba)

its all about your needs

 

Indeed, if I needed a blue ray burner ASAP for a good price with a notebook and not planning to do much 3D gaming, then the SONY looks great and light. Though I can't say I trust their batteries all that much lol.
If no need for such a burner or even a BR drive, then the Toshiba is clearly the winner.

 

Thanks for your input.

I will be using for some heavy applications (not games per se) but graphing programs etc which are resource hungry graphics wise as I understand it. BR is not essential, in fact, I have very few in my collection. Mobility is an issue. I need to be able to transport the machine regularly and battery should be decent.

Cheers.

 

There are some recently released rumours about the nvidia graphics cards, including the 9 series, that if it is true, you might want to avoid any such.
Since you want a lighter system too, perhaps you should look at the Sony model as the safer solution.

http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquirer/news/2008/08/12/nvidia-g92s-g94-reportedly

 

Yes I did read about that. Although I do get an extended warranty in case things go pear shaped! =P

 

I have the X305-Q701, and I love it, I play all the newest games (sans Crysis), watch upscaled videos, and hold network video confrencing while playing games....The Toshiba Qosmio X305-Q701, even with it's weaker processor, is a multimedia beast...I have overclocked my Nvidia 9700M GTS from the get go, with no problems, even stress testing it all week, while leaving it online as a media server for my friends and I...no problems....nothing but performace from this beast....I dont think everyone takes into account that the basis for faulty video cards, pretty much extends to everyone, as all cards are more prone to fail at higher temperatures...I guess it's an oversight for most...Also, the HD 3650 is a mid-range card at best, so if you choose the sony, be prepared to make some sacrifices...

I guess if your in the market for an overpriced word processor/ video player, then the Sony is the way to go...

 

I would go with the Sony if you don't want your NVIDIA graphics card to die. If you are gaming though, the NVIDIA card (while it works) should be somewhat better.

@cq842000: Sorry to derail this thread, but is your avatar the guy from the Liberty Medical commercial that sends you diabetes testing supplies? If so, I must have had an awesome guess

-J.B.

 

Are you one of over ten million Americans, afflicted with Diabeetus?

By the way his name is Wilford Brimley...and, "somewhat better", is a malicious understatement my friend.... I've pushed this card, and it's temps as far as one could imagine, and possibly a little further, trying my best to cause a fault, or force a fail.....to no avail, dont beleive the hype, I have an HD4850 in my desktop, and this mobile nvidia card keeps pace very well...I really think more people should learn that insufficient airflow, and heat dissipation in notebooks causes failure...but hey, somebody has to take the fall...better the eyes than the head...

 

So you imply that the Qosmio has good airflow? The temps are in the 60sC right? I mean for default clock speed under load.

 

Actually i applied arctic Silver 5 to both the cpu and gpu, which makes the cpu 32 celsius idle, and 40 celsius under full load(both cores), it dropped the GPU temps as well, to around 50 idle, and up to 86 at load with overclock, until the fan kicks on...

 

Do you remember how much they were before you did that? Without overclocking?

 

Yes I do, the cpu idled around 42, and hit 48 under load, while the gpu idled at 54, but hit around 88 under load....

 

Hi CQ- actually the X300 I could get has the P8600 CPU @ 2.4Ghz so may get some more performance out if it.

The Sony has 2.5+ Ghz so is somewhat higher, but on 3dmak something scored a few hundred points lower. In other words, could the CPU make up for the GFX and therefore allow the system to play games/graphics etc just the same? Thx

P.S. how do you find the display quality?

 

Actually it depends on a number of things...the graphics card takes the cpu offload route in gaming, with the exception of OpenGL, which Vista does not support... I would also say that on die cache (L1, L2, L3, etc) in the processor, plays as big a role in computational crunching as the clock frequency itself... As well a difference of 100mhz on processors with the same amount of cache, wouldnt really make that much of a difference..though it is well known that the ATI 3650, is NOT a very capable card when it comes to gaming...however if you'r just going to use the laptop for video editing/ graphic manipulation(editing) then that card should be fine. If it is gaming that your planning on, then like I said before, be prepared to make some sacrifices with the Sony.

With all that said, it all ultimately comes down to personal preference with most. I personally prefer Sony's quality over most other brands, but hey, to each their own. Whatever your purchase ends up being, I hope you gain years of satisfaction and enjoyment from it....

 

Thanks cq. Sony is indeed better quality, that's a given generally withe their products.

I tend to find Toshiba love playing with aesthetics more than Sony.

I would be more inclined to go for the Tosh, but am a little concerned with the flashy look of it. Do you think it's a little too loud or possibly tacky looking?

 

Oh my...that can't be good. Could you feel that heat on/from the rest of the machine?
88=not low.

 

actually the heat would jump up and down, which leads me to beleive that with a firmware update, that problem could be solved, however I am looking into alternatives until then...

 

Actually I hated the rogue red at first, but it grows on you really fast when others look at it with envy, and respect...

 

sorry cant say i like the red ....or the bulkiness or the outrageous gloss on the entire machine.

only thing i like about the tosh is the 9700GT, though i find the tosh cooling system inadequate for the GPU. DDR3 is also nice, but no significant performance boost as of yet.

Its basically about you needs:
Tosh: if you like the red and want to game demanding games a lot.

FW: if you want more portability, better look, mild gaming(3650 is more than powerful enough), and most importantly better screen.

 

Where did you find the Sony model for sale? The Toshiba model you mention is only available in Europe, so, I guess somewhere in Europe? Any link?

BTW, if you decide to get the SONY one, you will sooner or later want to replace that joke for a hard drive with a faster one. 4200 is way way too slow. I had one with my old Presario notebook and even then it was too slow.

 

Sony- https://www.sonystyle.co.uk/SonySty...2BC29B8647C57F043DA40047E10080002BC29B74)/.do

Toshiba- http://uk.computers.toshiba-europe....eriesHomepage.do?service=UK&SERIES_ID=1056665

The slower HDD did put me off too. Although having said that, they say sometimes the numbers are not accurate so who knows.

 

If I were to get the SONY one, I would definitely get another HDD and replace the one there. 4200 is too slow no matter what. The 5400 drives can be very fast and similar to 7200, but 4200 are a complete joke.

Thank you for the links, Sonystyle of course doesn't ship outside the UK, if anyone is interested in this notebook and lives elsewhere in the EU. Though overclockersuk have it and IIRC they do.

It looks like a very nice model and the BR burner is a huge plus. What is even better of course is that it doesn't have a possibly doomed nvidia graphics card inside.

Decisions, decisions.

 

Ah for those of you outside of the UK, as far as i know, this model is out in spain and germany as well. check your local sonystyle site.

 

It's worth getting an extended warranty on the nvidia based products. Avoids the headache at least if things do go wrong.

 

By the way cq, how do you find your x300 in terms of mobility and battery life. Do you think it is something you could lug around with you every day?

 

I do in fact lug it around with me, all the time, but I am the wrong person to ask that question. In terms of mobility...it performs exactly how a portable desktop should perform. I'm sure you could get roughly 1 hour and 30 minutes out of this beast, with the extended battery installed, and everything maxed, maybe not. I am of a mind though, and I know that for desktop replacements/portable desktops, the battery only serves as giving you long enough to find a wall outlet to plug it into, before it dies.