This Sony Vaio laptop VPC11M1EH may be the 1st laptop we have witnessed to make use of Intel's brand new Core i3 mobile processor, and for that reason we couldn't wait to benchmark it. A good general score of 77 might not really appear much, nevertheless considering that it's equal to the speediest notebook within our recent £700 mobile computer group test, we had been duly pleased.

More extraordinary, is that its 2.13GHz Core i3-330M may be the least pricey in the brand new range of cpus; a line which also consists of mobile Core i5 and Core i7 chips with base clock speeds around 2.66GHz. Each of the unique chips are usually dual-core and also have Hyper-Threading to boost efficiency while multitasking. The majority of cpus in the range likewise make use of Intel's overclocking Turbo Boost technologies, which boosts clock speeds if your computer chip isn't operating around its maximum heat range. Sadly, the entry-level Core i3 utilized in Sony Vaio VPC11M1EH does not contain this.

Intel has went to a 32nm production process for the new processors, using more compact transistor sizes, enabling the chips to be a lot more energy efficient, using a TDP of simply 35W. Intel has also included a new graphics processor on the chip, that gets rid of the demand for a devoted graphics chip plus decreases energy usage. Sony, although, has opted to make use of a devoted graphics chip in this case alternatively – the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5470 – for the reason that integrated chip is not strong enough for playing modern day 3D games.

Provided all this, its battery score of 3 hours 15 mins had been slightly unsatisfactory. However, the battery itself is not quite large and the devoted graphics chipset negates any potential gain from the processor's onboard GPU. We have seen this like a problem when using the Sony Vaio VPC11M1EH laptop, rather than Core i3 laptops generally. That mentioned, at above three hrs, it's even now enough for infrequent mobile use.

Sony's new VPC Range is a attractive notebook computer, having a subtle two-tone style. The lid and the location above the laptop keyboard are a gentle silver colour, whilst on our design, the laptop keyboard panel and also wrist rest were finished in white. The wrist rest alone carries a glossy finish with a subtle sparkle, and it is produced of a higher quality plastic material that is comfortable to work on and also feels solidly designed.

This high quality finish and selection of intriguing materials extends throughout the whole chassis, along with attention to detail as we'd anticipate from a Vaio. As an example, the energy button carries a small LED indicator where it meets the edge of the case, so it's nevertheless visible when the lid shut. Our only concern has been the DVD drive tray, which can be flimsy as well as loose when open; a slot drive would have been a lot more in standing using the rest of the case.

The dedicated ATI graphics card assisted the Sony Vaio VPC11M1EH reach almost 20fps within our CoD4 benchmark. This isn't fast sufficient for gaming, but much less action-oriented games, like Dragon Age: Origins or Mass Effect 2 will probably function easily at reduced resolutions and with a lot more sophisticated graphics options turned off.

HD video clip will not be a problem, and there is an HDMI port for delivering to your home entertainment system. The internal audio system are relatively loud, but tinny at higher wavelengths and lack bass, so in the event you wish to get the most from movies you'd be advised to connect a good audio system.

The screen is also much less amazing as we would wished. It carries a glossy finish which will reflect overhead illumination, and also vertical viewing angles are restricted. Colours are organic and energetic, however without having LED backlighting, contrast is not as good as some screens we have witnessed recently. The backlight is not as bright as some, nevertheless it is generally even, with simply a couple of darker patches across the bottom side.

Sony used to include a good software bundle including Adobe Photoshop Elements, but that's missing from this design. You nevertheless obtain a lot of Sony utility software, although its effectiveness is questionable, and you obtain Sony's media center substitute, obtainable via a dedicated button above the keyboard, which is slick yet doesn't actually add anything that Windows' own Media Center can't provide. Another button commences the Vaio Care help software, which provides you with access to troubleshooting, backup and recovery resources.