Sony EE34: Sony Makes Budget AMD Laptops?
by Dustin Sklavos on February 22, 2011 4:43 PM ESTMiddling Gaming Even at 720p
The 720p resolution should really be the low-ball target for graphics hardware at this point, but virtually no integrated parts are really there yet. While Intel's HD graphics largely had their way with the Sony EE34's Mobility Radeon HD 4250 in Futuremark, actual gameplay promises to be an improvement.
The situation is pretty dire when even the GeForce 310M is running wild. That said, while Intel's HD graphics certainly look to fare reasonably well against the HD 4250 it's important to keep in mind that AMD's graphics hardware has vastly superior drivers and much better compatibility. The HD 4250 is probably fine for gaming at 800x600 in a pinch and at least the CPU can handle the load (unlike the E-350), but really no integrated part except maybe the delayed Sandy Bridge hardware can promise a good gaming experience on recent titles. Set the way-back gaming machine for 2005 or so and you'll be a lot happier.
Unfortunately, updating the HD 4250's drivers is going to be an exercise in futility. Much like Toshiba inexplicably chose to, Sony has also opted out of AMD's mobile graphics driver program. That leaves you stuck trying to update the video drivers for a laptop Sony seems terrified of even acknowledging on its website. If you happen to have another notebook with AMD mobile graphics in it, you can use that to download the driver package and it'll install fine on the EE34, but that seems like a silly step to even have to take.
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silverblue - Tuesday, February 22, 2011 - link
I really doubt that AMD will release a faster IGP than the 4250 on this type of platform, or even one with more shaders, simply because it detracts from the Fusion initiative. Had they not gone the Fusion route, we probably would be seeing IGPs on the same level as, say, the 3850, by now (one can hope, though Llano should easily meet that).At the very least, it'd have been nice to see a 40nm version of the 4250 and not the 55nm versions we've been seeing for a couple of years, especially since Intel is producing their HD Graphics on a lower node.
nitrousoxide - Tuesday, February 22, 2011 - link
Llano IGP has 320 shaders, and should run at really high frequency. So it's reasonable to expect Mobility 5650 (or GT425M) level performance.mino - Tuesday, February 22, 2011 - link
320 ? Umm. More like 400(+) ...duploxxx - Wednesday, February 23, 2011 - link
ain't that funny arguing about shader count while you actually don't know for sure??? :)Liano will have 160-240-320-400 shaders in notebook depending on model, now you know.
And now it doesn't run really high frequency but indeed the highend will be around Mob 5650 perf and will run circles around anything integrated Intel can offer.
StevoLincolnite - Tuesday, February 22, 2011 - link
That might be true for lower resolutions... Just remember it still has to use system memory which is slower and of higher latency when compared to a discreet cards own memory subsystem (Plus system RAM's bandwidth is shared between all components.)Only so large and complex you can make an IGP before it is essentially pointless, on the bright side compute tasks should be decent.
silverblue - Wednesday, February 23, 2011 - link
It'll handle higher loads than Brazos, though Brazos wasn't really positioned as a gaming option.A triple channel memory interface would be immensely helpful but unfortunately incredibly unlikely to happen. The real value of Llano should be proven by throwing faster RAM at it; those RAM tests which yielded very little improvement should no longer apply.
I can't see Llano achieving 5650 performance in bandwidth-limited situations, however one might argue that anti-aliasing and anisotropic filtering aren't options suited to such platforms so if you leave those out, it should perform quite well.
nitrousoxide - Wednesday, February 23, 2011 - link
1366x768 gaming isn't that bandwidth limited. My laptop runs at 1600x900 with 128bit D3 running at 800MHz. So that's only 25.6GB/s available bandwidth but still managed to run Black Ops/Need for Speed Shift at highest settings and rarely dropped below 30fps. While Llano won't be that fast to handle HD gaming, at 1366x768 (which is the standard resolution for most 14 inch laptops) it should really provide decent gaming experience.drew_afx - Tuesday, February 22, 2011 - link
Thanks for the thorough reviews on this siteit's really informative and accurate
but since a lot of people like myself visit here to
decide on which tech product to choose from,
is it possible to include a comparison chart of carrying weight?
I can see the specs on the first page, but
those i5's and i7 laptops w/ more than double the
charge capacity of sony's battery should be packing at least
a solid pound more. Efficiency wise, it would be better to compare
laptops by weight too, since power vs weight is always good comparison
in cars(efficiency of engine). As the review noted, this range of laptops is
suitable for college students who need multitasking, but don't need
gaming or video encoding power w/ more weight.
Another good measure of laptop comparison can be the
practical part of design. Does the vents on the bottom get blocked
when put on lap?(the pictures w/temps were very helpful) Is it single or dual heatsink/fan?
Is it easy to disassemble and clean vents later? Can it be
held with one hand comfortably, both when opened and closed without flexing?
any sign of lcd distortion when pressed on the back cover? hinge quality?
keyboard & mouse clicking noise level? I think one of the reasons for
apple's success in educational notebooks is due to meeting these practical design
criteria.
Malih - Wednesday, February 23, 2011 - link
interesting, it's good to include these kindof daily usage annoyances test, cause that's what we're facing everyday, it will complete the review as buyer's guideScreammit - Wednesday, February 23, 2011 - link
Positioning of the vents is one of the first things I look at when I make a laptop purchase. I greatly prefer that the main intake or outtake is not on the bottom.