The VAIO FZ is another range of highly configurable laptops from Sony (meaning that you can choose up to 4BG RAM and a processor from the Intel T7100 1.8GHz Core 2 Duo up to the T7700 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo). The Sony notebook has a clean and simple design. From the matte black and silver plastics to the flat keyboard keys the FZ is a design that lacks the flashiness of the glossy, multi-colored notebooks (if you want a colored Sony, look at VAIO CR). The fact that it uses the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100 (Intel 965 chipset) which shares the notebook’s system memory, may be a good reason to choose the best available processor in the configuration. The built-in wireless 802.11 a/b/g/n is also standard, no matter of you options.

VAIO FZ has a WXGA 1280 x 800 screen of 15.4 inch. The display features fairly bright and even backlighting with eight levels of brightness, rich color and excellent contrast, and average performance of viewing angles. The keyboard on the VAIO FZ is quite nice with almost no flex, keys (flat keys) have minimal travel with excellent cushion and response, and there are dedicated keys for home, end, page up, and page down. The touchpad is nice, responsive and large, having the same problem as all other VAIO’s: noisy buttons. On this model the dedicated media buttons are located above the keyboard and beneath the speakers.

Instead of using a single 5-in-1 memory card reader, the FZ uses a separate reader for the MemoryStick Pro card and another reader for the SD card. The rest of the ports are just fine, although there are only 3 USB slots. With the speakers located on the top of the interior in this way FZ tends to direct the clear sound at you and make for a reasonably enjoyable listening experience. The VAIO FZ runs extremely quiet with the 2.0GHz Core 2 Duo processor and temperatures are likely kept within acceptable limits thanks to a rather large copper heatsink visible through the vent on the left side. However, even with the screen brightness set to less than half, wireless on, and power settings set to maximize battery life, the laptop powers down in less than 3 hours.

Sony VAIO FZ Specifications