Dilemma - Sony FZ or Dell Inspiron 1520!

Greetings,

I am pretty sure I will run into some biased opinions in this forum, but I would really appreciate any advice given as to my following choices.

I have already ordered the Inspiron 1520: Midnight Blue, Duo 2.0 ghz, 2 gb ram, 8600 GT (DDR2), and 160 gb HD - All for around $1200.

After hearing a lot of issues with the inspiron (Grainy display, headphones) and deciding the Inspiron is not the best looking laptop out there (Bulky/big) I have decided to take a look at the Vaio FZ.

I would be ordering the Viao FZ: Silver-black, Duo 2.0 ghz, 2gb ram, 8400 gt, and 200 gb HD - All for around $1600.

A few questions I have regarding the FZ:

I will be using this laptop for school (Carrying it around a lot); So how portable is it?

The biggest sacrifice (Not including the $400 extra) with changing my laptop would be with the graphics card...Can this FZ run Oblivion / Medieval 2 total war pretty well? Will this run AutoCAD well?

I believe this laptop comes with a 1 year warrenty; is this true?

Will this laptop last me 4-5 years?

I am a long time Sony fan because of their durability and sleek design. Would it be in my best interest to switch to the Sony FZ?

Thank you all.

 

It should run Oblivion on some settings at medium. I am not sure of Medieval 2 though. AutoCAD should run fine as well. The laptop weight/portability is a little self-rated. Some people are stronger then others and will have a different opinion. The laptop does come with a standard 1 year warranty and the laptop life is also self-rated but I would say 3-4 years.

 

I was looking for a 14.1" laptop for school, but I decided on the FZ because of it's portability. I have no doubt that it'll last several years.

 

i have one FZ190 with an 8400GT and i can run:
oblivion
lost planet
C&C 3 tiberium wars
DIRT
halo 2
Guild Wars
fifa 2007
company of heroes

some of them in mid resolution and some of them in high resolution... im prety shoure it can run medieval 2 total war

 

8400mGT
3dmark06 score = 2575

 

FZ190 great for portability, verry light and thin notebook

 

I was thinking of an FZ140 since Circuit City has them at 1150. People really like Sony displays. However I hear a lot of complaints about Sony reliability these days. They have had massive recalls for camera sensors as well as battery recalls for notebooks. I was reading a guy who services notebooks and he said he sees a massive amount Sony's having issues and that its hard to find parts. I have an HP now thats ok but I dont care for the screen even though its made by LGPhilips. It shifts colors like a cheap mood ring. I dont even mean to single out HP because laptops in general seem pretty weak for displays. Sony gets the best reviews on that with the exception of another makers that uses S-IPS panels instead of TN like everybody else.

 

Who uses S-IPS?

 

Lenovo - just on some models ($)

 

fz would have been "it" if it wasn't for the batt life/. plus i can't afford sony replacement parts, (ie 250) dollars for a battery

 

I did take note of the many battery life remarks concerning the Sony's. Maybe a BIOS update can fix? Toshiba did that once. Maybe the Sony screens are nicer because they use up more power. It might be worth it in that case.

 

The 1520 has good specs but it's just so ugly and unportable....there's no way I could look past that.

 

I just got back from looking at the FZ 140. I bought a HP last week and thought of exchanging it when I head good things about Sony screens. Well the screen seemed about the same as the HP (DV6565US). WHat I didn't like was the build quality on the Sony. The outer case shell was nice but the keyboard and mousepad felt very cheap. The mouse buttons make a horrible clicky clack sound (the HP is silent) that would make me feel self conscious ina class etc. I don't like Dell 1520 either so I guess I would get a D630 or D830 if I was getting a Dell. Overall though I am liking the HP's best outside of a $2000 laptop with a S-IPS display.

 

yeah, when i looked at the fz i just couldn't handle the quality of the keyboard after using a thinkpad t40. The build seemed solid, at least the bottom casing, but again the mouse buttons were cheap. But one thing that really turned me off, was the the screen bezel showed a significant amount of flex, so I was really suspicious as to the quality of materials used, I'm just not used to so much flex.

 

Thanks for that find! Unfortunately that model on Circuit city does not come with the 8400 GT or a 2.0 ghz processor.

Bad news is, my Dell Inspiron 1520 has shipped (2 weeks early). I can indeed return it once I receive it.

As of now my only main concern is how much performance (gaming-wise) I'm losing going from a 8600 GT (DDR2) to a 8400 GT (GDDR3)...Any further suggestions?

I am really hoping to get the best durability / performance / visual look out of this.

Thanks a lot.

 

The FZ140 uses the XBRITE Eco display, which is not as good as the XBRITE HiColor that is available on the higher end FZ's such as the FZ180.

I do think my Dell 1520's keyboard and touchpad buttons are better than those on the FZ180 I saw at CompUSA. The FZ180 keyboard does flex a bit, and the buttons are clicky as you say.

The HP's I've seen all get rather warm under the touchpad and surrounding area. Other than that, I think they're OK. I've just been dismayed not to find any laptop display that's as good as my NEC 20WMGX2, which is S-IPS. The best I've seen so far is the Sony XBRITE HiColor, and I'm probably going to return my Dell 1520 and get an FZ190.

 

Tima I have the NEC 20wmgx2 as well and that's probably why laptops look so awful to me. My lappy plugged into my NEC looks great. But the lappy screen can't render 60% of what I see on NEC and using a photo to compare both simultaneously is a distressing experience. My photos on NEC and my notebook look like 2 different things. I expected less quality from a notebook but its even worse than I thought. If I had to pay mega bucks for a Sony XBRITE I would just skip them and get a Lenovo S-IPS (they make a few). In any event, my tour of Sony products (in forums and in stores) leaves me reluctant to buy anything form them. The FZ 140 had the lousiest keyboard in the store imo (it does retail for 1400+ after all; its not supposed to be in-your-face junky).

 

I just checked out Lenovo, and the only model I found that offers "FlexView" (IPS) is the T60, which is based on the previous generation Centrino platform. It's expensive, has underpowered graphics, and doesn't appear to offer integrated Bluetooth, which I do want. Frustrating!

 

Best Buy has them for $1150 as well this week. I haven't seen the other FZ models in action but the 140 isn't worth upgrading much imo. I would rather get a HP or a Mac for the same $1150. I would guess your gaming dilema depends on what you play. Half Life 2 is cpu intensive while Oblivion and such depends a lot on the GPU. I would think the display used would matter too. Right now, a great C2D CPU, mobo, and vid card would cost you 7 or 800 USD. Add a top of class NEC 20wmgx2 S-IPS and thats another 475. So for about 1200 you could smoke any laptop. Maybe thats offtopic from what you asked but I just don't see laptops being any good for games beyond a mediocre level.

 

The sony vaio FZ's sold in circuit city, best buy come with a 200GB 4200 rpm hard drive which would be too slow in loading vista. Even the 5400 rpm hard drive loads vista like a turtle.

 

I have the 4200rpm drive and did a fresh Vista install. It loads in about 20-30 seconds.

 

Since it seems Best Buy has them, I will go over later on today to take a look (I'm very curious as to how bad the keyboard looks). I really want to stay away from IBMs because they look awful in my opinion...Hopefully I'll find something!

Thanks.

P.S. Would anyone know how the 8400 GT would compare to the 8600 GT (The one found in the inspiron would only have DDR2 memory - Around 2/3 the power of the normal 8600 GT)?

 

On the first page he said his 8400GT got 2500 in '06, most of the ddr2 8600GTs are getting 2900-3100 so not that far off. DDR3 8600GTs are pulling 3700-3900s. But that's 3dmark, hardly real world testing.

 

Are you kidding? I am telling about the time from microsoft os loading icon to the fully loaded desktop (no cpu/ HD activity)

 

this thread is missing a poll. i'll vote for FZ. screw dell

 

After much thought, I will be returning my Inspiron 1520 as soon as it hits my front steps.

The FZ does look sleek and professional, albeit the keyboard / mouse pad looks hideous...Does a white keyboard look any better? From looking at laptops, HP seems to have the most visually appealing ones...

I wouldn't dump Dell just yet; I'm still interested in their XPS M1330 line.

Thanks.

 

Here's a new review on the Sony FZ.

 

It took about 3 minutes to boot up when I first got it (with all the bloatware installed). A fresh install does wonders for boot speed, even with a slow drive.

 

Thanks. Unfortunately the tested unit did not include the 8400 GT and the test scores were horrendous.

I ran into another dilemma (sadly). I have found the Dell XPS M1330 (Core duo 2.0 ghz, 2 gb ram, 128mb 8400 GS, Slim and light LED screen) for the same price as the Sony FZ (around $1850)...

the m1330 definately beats the FZ with the design aspect. My main question is...is the 13.3' suitable for gaming (it seems very small)? as opposed to a 15.4"

Thanks.

P.S. Does the white keyboard look a lot better then the black one (For the FZ)?

 

I have a FZ190 CTO with the 8400M GT gpu (256 mb ddr3). It performs well for gaming and video/photo editing. Here are my benchmark scores (no overclocking):
3dmark05: 4615
3dmark06: 2632
PCmark05: 5613

Though the m1330 is more compact in design, the 8400M GS does not perform as well in games (128 mb ddr2). 13 inch isn't bad for gaming..but I would probably recommend a bigger display. It really depends on what you plan on doing with your notebook.

I personally prefer the white keyboard option, however both color schemes are nice.

 

Thanks a lot for the information GoSensGo. How much did your machine cost you? Can I safely assume that if I did not purchase it with the Blu-Ray option the test results would not change? Would the XPS M1330's LED screen be even better then the FZ screen (Best looking screen I have seen in person)? I apologize for being so indecisive, but I just do not want to look back and regret my choice.

All I am looking for is a perfect combination of durability (4-5 years), sleekness (is this a word?), and performance (gaming, movies) in a laptop (all in a reasonable price of course).

Thanks again.

 

It is pretty hard to beat the Sony screen, particularly for a Dell. Of course, there's also quite a gap in performance between the 8400M GS and GT. While I can see that the XPS1330 is even lighter and more compact, I do not find my FZ particularly bulky and being able to enjoy a DVD with vivid colors and at decent viewing angles is a plus.

 

Citricacidcycle, thanks for the performance information!

Since you already have a Vaio:

Do you find the keyboard to be clunky (It was decent to say the least at my local best buy)? How about the mousepad?

Do you find the lid scratches easily (mentioned in a review)?

I highly look forward to seeing the display (1280 x 800 I believe).

 

Definitely go with the FZ. I ordered a 1520 and was very disappointed with the screen graininess. Frustrated, I went to best buy to look at other laptop screens and I saw the FZ. I was blown away by the screen. I am now returning my 1520 and I am strongly considering the FZ.

One question: Have any of you noticed any back-light bleeding on your FZ's? This is a major factor for me since I will be watching movies on my laptop, and back-light bleeding is very annoying during dark scenes (or with any dark picture for that matter).

 

Don't worry about being indecisive, you have to make an informed decision for your purchase. My unit costs $2349 with bluray ($400 less without bluray). The performance will be the same with or without bluray option. I can't say if the M1330 screen is better than the FZ190's, but from what I've see and heard, the M1330 led's screen looks like a regular lcd but saves on a bit of energy. What I can say is that the FZ190 hi-color screen is the best one that I've seen (that includes the led screen of the vaio SZ).

If you are looking for good gaming and movie performances I would go with the FZ because: 1. 8400M GT is much better than GS model for gaming 2. A 15 inch is better for gaming and watching movies than a 13 inch screen (movies looks awesome on the FZ screen - excellent color, crisp images, and excellent viewing angles). The M1330 is smaller and lighter than the FZ, however, I don't find the FZ to be heavy nor bulky but rather pretty light and sleek.

I haven't had any problems with scratches on the lid but I generally take care of my notebooks. The keyboard is good and I don't have any problems with the touchpad. Though some users have complained about the "loosey" left touchpad button (it doesn't really bother me).

Overall, I'm quite happy with my FZ190 and I would recommend custom building the notebook if you have the opportunity to as you will receive a built in bluetooth controller. I decided to stick with the basic 80gb 5400rpm hard drive option, after which I replaced the hard drive with a 160gb seagate monentus 7200.2 hard drive.

Good luck!

 

If you're interested in quality, go Sony.

And that was my 100th post.

Also, the CR screen is very impressive.

 

I do not think Sony laptops are worth the extra money. Save you money and get a Dell or HP. If you want to spend more on a more durable and reliable laptop, I recommend the Thinkpad or Latitude series. If I had to choose between those to laptops, the Dell Inspiron is cheaper.

 

Yeah, if you don't mind having a sub-par screen, get the Dell. You get what you pay for.

 

I personally believe the problems with the 1520 are exaggerated and overblown. I am not denying that there are some people who have a right to complain though. However, when I have had problems w/ Dell notebooks in the past, they have quickly fixed the problem and sent it back, and I have been very pleased with my Inspirons.

Sony FZ will have a better screen than the 1520, and as bulky as the inspiron is, it will be more portable (if the weight difference is really an issue here). As the previous post said though, Sony doesn't really make budget laptops persay.

I recommend the 1520.

 

I tested out my Midnight Blue Inspiron last night, and I was quite appalled by the grainy screen (1440 x 900). Overall, the laptop has a nice clean design, but I have fallen in love with Sony screen.

I just ordered the Vaio FZ190 - Silver-white, Core Duo T7300 2.0 GHz, 160 gb HD (I believe this is 5400 rpm - Please let me know if i am wrong), Nvidia GeForce 8400M GT (I believe this is GDDR3 - correct me if I am wrong), Vista home premium, and the SuperMulti DVD+-R double layer disk drive.

Hopefully it will be the best thing to suit my needs.

Would anyone know if those specs significantly beat my current desktop; in terms of gaming / performance (HP Pavilion)?

HP Desktop (About 4-5 years old): Intel Pentium 4 3.0 GHz, 1 gb RAM, Microsoft XP, and Nvida Geforce 7600 GS 512 mb.

Thanks.

 

sorry to hear about the problem w/ your screen. I was hoping for another satisfied 1520 user...

oh well. Good lucky with your Vaio!

 

Keyboard: I personally like it. It is responsive and feels comfortable. Transitioning from an old Inspiron 5150, I think the FZ's keyboard has a more solid feel. Right now I only need to get used to small differences in layout, like accidentally hitting the Caps Lock key, when I need an a and searching for the delete key.

Touchpad: I usually have a mouse attached at all times, but from the little that I have used the touchpad I find it very responsive and precise. The touchpad mouse keys take a bit of force make audible click sounds.

Scratches: I can see that it would scratch when running into sharp objects. I usually carry it around in a Targus backpack and in the month that I had it, I haven't seen any signs of wear.

 

Most stores I hear about low quality screens on NBR are pure fiction. I heard D630's screen has inaccurate colors, but I have yet to see it. I would take all of these stories of grainy screens with a grain of salt.

 

I can assure you that the graininess on the 1520 is not fiction. Going from the 1520 to an FZ is like night and day.

 

This is the first set of Dell 15.4" WXGA+ monitors and I am guessing Dell did not test them before selling them. Dell should hang their head in shame.

 

Ha, Dell doesn't seem to care about testing or consumer preferences. 95% of their notebooks look like they came from a 1999 time capsule, which the exception of the M1330.

 

Other than the 15.4" WXGA+ screen, Dell laptops are one of the best. The WSXGA+ and WXGA sizes are the same quality as Sony screens. The current Inspiron series might be the most durable consumer laptop series and they are still far cheaper than Sony laptops. I still avoid the Inspiron series because I prefer the Latitudes, but Inspirons are at least equal to any other consumer laptop.

 

Have you actually SEEN the screen on the FZ series? I have been dealing with laptops since the days of NEC and NCR. I have NEVER seen anything that comes close to the FZ screen. I shopped around quite a bit before deciding on the FZ. I looked at all of the Dell, Gateway, HP, Lenovo brands. Nothing came close, screen wise. There are other things where the other models excel, but not the screen.

Gary

 

My local CompUSA has a small section just for Sony laptops. I could not tell the difference between the Sony and the near by Acer laptop screens. Since I am near sighted and not color blind I know it is not me.

 

The FZ180 (XBRITE HiColor) floor model at my local CompUSA indeed has a much better display than my Dell 1520's glossy 1200x800. That said, the FZ180 doesn't come close to the 20" Acer laptop at CompUSA, at least not in terms of viewing angles. I spent some more time with the FZ180 the other day, and while a big improvement over my Dell, I still noticed its brightness varying with minute movements of my head. The Vista "bear" and other videos still washed out way too easily for me to consider the display anywhere near the quality of my NEC 20WMGX2 desktop display. I concluded I won't be satisifed with any current laptop display (except maybe the Acer's, but it's too big and expensive), so why pay a premium for something that isn't great? I ended up buying an HP DV2500T to replace my 1520. It's smaller, which I've come to view as a plus, and it has a much better display than the 1520. Is it as good as the Sony? I don't know; I was unable to compare them side-by-side, and unlike the situation with the Dell, it wasn't obviously much worse than the Sony.