Sony Gripe

Hi guys,

Total noob to the forum here (although no laptop n00b ill have you know). I've owned several VAIOs in the last 6 years, my first being the VGN-A197XP.


Im in the business of getting a new laptop (with a max price range of £2000). Im really digging the look of the latest F series and Z series laptop, but my only gripe is the video card.

Why don't Sony stock a laptop with the latest greatest mobility graphics cards (ATI 5870 for example)?!! Like i say when i first got a VAIO in 2004, some of their models stocked the highest spec G card at the time.

I wouldn't mind paying a £200 plus premium for the better card, it would still be cheaper than splashing out an alienware for example.

Take the F12 for example. That machine would kick with an ATI 5850/5870 for example.

Anyone know if theres any plans for Sony to stock laptops with beefier G cards?


<please note I've only visited the UK sony site, so im not sure if overseas stock better spec cards etc.>

 

Sony don't make gaming laptops and never will. Huge, hulking, firebreathing, power guzzling laptops just isn't what Sony is about.

 

I believe the EC has an ATI 5650 card available. That's a step up from the GT 330m they put in most of their flagships. But the EC is a bit bigger than the F and doesn't have the option for FHD. CPU is also not as powerful, but still very good.

For what it's worth, you can overclock the GT 330m and bring it around what you'd get with a 5650 stock. But I've heard the 5650s overclock even better.

I'm waiting for the day when expresscard slot GPU enclosures become more mainstream, and one can take a monster desktop card and use it with any little ole notebook.

 

What's weird is that they would put a weaker card in their newer series. FW came with a 4650 vs the F's 330.

 

now that sounds like agreat concept

power hulking or not it would be nice to have the option to have a top of the range card. At the end of the day whats top of the range now will be lock stock in 6 months time. So the ATI 5870 equivalents will be regular joe in 6 months, and will be the type of card adopted by Sony in 6months to 12 months so why not now.

 

You mean like ViDock or DIY ViDock which we just got working with Optimus.

 

Yup, exactly like that.

But isn't ViDock only compatible with certain cards? Can you put any GPU in there? And you can't exactly pick one of these up at Best Buy, which is unfortunate. Still some time before that happens.

There is an MSI version of this that recently came out too. But I think ATI 5650 is the max card it can support.

 

There will be some better options for F next month.

 

Intel 4500MHD or HD equipped notebook + NVidia GTX4xx DIY ViDock + Optimus drivers = very good performance. Consider the i7-620M x201 benchmark results.

Can be done for US$280 or US$510 with a ViDock4 Plus.