Sony VAIO VGN-FW31J review

As the most expensive laptop in the group, Sony's VGN-FW31J has a point to prove. And it certainly makes a fine first impression. The wide metallic grey lid is emblazoned with a big VAIO logo and the interior is finished all in silver.

It's a good-looking combination, but once you get up close it lacks the attention to detail of the gorgeous HP DV7. Both the chassis and lid feel resilient, but look a bit too plasticky.

The 16.4in display is a fraction larger than that of the MSI and Samsung models, but Sony opts for a native resolution of 1,600 x 900, which places it between the two in terms of desktop space. Image quality is excellent, with good colour reproduction making the most of HD video and photos alike.

The VGN-FW31J's isolation keyboard might feel a little dead compared with the best here, but the wide spacing between the keys, ample wristrest and sensible layout nevertheless make for comfortable typing.

Delve a bit deeper, and the Sony continues to put on a good performance. The 2GHz Intel T6400 processor sidles up alongside 4GB of memory, and it's a combination worthy of a fine 1.08 in our benchmarks. Gaming isn't out of the question either, as the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3470 graphics managed a solid 28fps in the least demanding of our Crysis benchmarks.

The good news continues with a 400GB hard disk complementing the combination Blu-ray reader/DVD writer. On the networking front, there's no stone left unturned, with draft-n Wi-Fi, Gigabit Ethernet and Bluetooth all included.

Battery life is reasonable: the Sony managed just over three and a half hours in our light-use test. And it was particularly impressive in our heavy-use test, thanks to Sony's proprietary software that limits the processor speed to just 1.2GHz while running on battery power, which means that it will survive for two hours even with the wick turned up.

It all adds up to an impressive laptop, but the Sony still doesn't win an award this month. That's because its principal rival Acer offers a larger screen, vastly improved speakers and impressive gaming performance at a lower price.

Author: Sasha Muller