4. Both 'Full HD 1080'

Dedicated graphics cards are tending to be more and more prevalent in the business-portable market segment. Sony has put one in its Vaio Z.

The Ups and Downs of Prototypes

A GeForce 9300M GS is what found favor with Sony. Fitted with 256 MB of video memory, it can display at 1600 x 900 resolution on the Z’s 13.1-inch screen. The display also has LED backlighting. The TT makes do with a GMA. But it is an Intel 4500MHD, which is the latest version of the graphics processor chip. We tested both computers using 3DMark Vantage, and both froze up during the tests. The models we tested were prototypes, so we’ll just have to wait until the final versions are out to see what the two Vaios can do with 3D graphics.

Misleading Label

In the meantime, we should mention the “Full HD 1080” sticker on the shells of both Vaios. We don’t want to accuse Sony of false advertising, but it is a tad misleading, since only the HDMI interface is 1080p. As we said earlier, the Z’s display has a 16:9 resolution of 1600 x 900, which is far from being “Full HD.” And the TT’s has a 16:9 resolution of 1366 x 768. That means that these two displays are HD Ready at best.