Sony EE34: Sony Makes Budget AMD Laptops?
by Dustin Sklavos on February 22, 2011 4:43 PM ESTConclusion: A Sound Budget Purchase
I'll come clean and say I'm not a big fan of budget notebooks, at least not in the grand scheme of things. They do serve a purpose and periodically one comes along (like this one) that actually feels like a solid bargain, but historically I prefer to recommend to people I actually like to save money and invest in a good machine that will last for some time. Most people will buy a cheap computer and beat it like [insert offensive euphemism here], get upset when it doesn't work very well anymore, and complain about it for three years until they finally tightwad up, go back to the store, and buy another cheap computer to abuse and gripe about.
I've been paid to fix those computers. I don't like doing it anymore. There are bargains, and then there's getting what you pay for. When my dad's girlfriend complains because the illegal immigrant she paid a paltry eight bucks an hour to take care of her front yard didn't do a very good job, she sounds dense. And that's what consumers who buy cheap PCs sound like when they complain that their computer isn't fast.
Now, with that said, there are also college students in the world and other people who have silly things to pay for like rent and food and who can't afford the kind of computer we might want for them, and in those instances a good bargain can go a long way. I think the Sony Vaio EE34 is one of those bargains. Where a lot of extreme budget notebooks shut off pretty much as soon as you pull the plug, the EE34 gets some pretty strong battery life. The processor is enough to get the job done, and the integrated graphics will let you play Left 4 Dead 2 and StarCraft II in a pinch. That's not too bad. People looking to get in on the Blu-ray ground floor (now that HDTVs have gotten pretty cheap) can kill two birds with one stone by buying a notebook like this one, too.
A local store had the EE34 on sale for just $499, and at that point it's such a strong value proposition that it would be fine for people who just want something "good enough" and don't expect the world. NewEgg currently has it for $629 ($579 after coupon), and at that point it does get a little bit dicey. I think I could probably still recommend it at that price given the good build quality, design, and battery life, but anywhere north of it and there are better deals to be had on Intel-based machines from other manufacturers. If you want cheap Blu-ray, though, you're not going to be able to do better than the Sony Vaio EE34.
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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.