Z1 (VPCZ1)

The Sony VAIO Z series was Sony's top-of-the-line laptop range that was originally introduced in 2003. The VPCZ1 was released in 2010, and is the third main refresh of the Z series.

They were built very well, with carbon fiber, aluminium and plastic, and had the iconic cylinder power button unique to VAIOs. Two different lid styles were offered. The lid on the higher-end models have more of a carbon fiber look than the lower-end VPCZ1s (looks a bit like glossy SVZ models, without being glossy). We do not know if the lower-end models have a carbon fiber lid, but we are sure the others do.

The VPCZ1s were one of the first VAIO laptops to feature 1st Gen Intel Core CPUs, which was a significant upgrade over Core 2 Duo CPUs. Its predecessor, the VGN-Z, has a NVIDIA GeForce 9300M GS GPU, and people wanted better. That's why Sony included an NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M which is a significant upgrade, however it is still a mid-range card (see Daily Usage Today for more informations). They offered lightning fast Quad-SSDs running in RAID, or a standard SATA HDD for lower-end models, which took the space of the optical drive.

One of the VPCZ1's selling points was the Dynamic Hybrid Graphics System (DHGS), which allowed you to switch from the Intel GMA, to the dedicated GPU, without needing to restart the computer. There was also an automatic system which would select the best GPU depending on your current needs.

The screens on the 1080p VPCZ1 models are excellent. They look stunning and very sharp, and have an excellent color space. The keyboard is also excellent, it has a very good feel to it, and typing on it for hours on end is a pleasing experience. They also included a webcam and an ambient light sensor for automatically adjusting brightness. Speakers are good enough for watching videos or playing games, however headphones are recommended for high-quality sound needs. Battery life was good, around 4h 17min of Wi-Fi surfing in Stamina (as tested by NotebookCheck).

The VPCZ1 is a great laptop to buy used today to get into the VAIO madness, or simply to have a good, powerful enough device with a stunning design you can carry with you. Those devices are worth quite a lot now, you can expect to pay around 350€ for one, but sometimes, cheaper ones pop up.

Detailed Specs

Processor : Intel Core i5-520m or i7-620M (soldered)

Graphics : NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M (1GB VRAM)

Memory : DDR3 (max 8GB), not soldered

Storage : 4x 1.8" LIF SSDs (one module is 2 SSDs, 2 modules installed), or 2.5" SATA for HDD models (no 2.5" SATA on SSD models)

Display : 1600x900 or 1920x1080 13.1" LED backlit LCD panel

Weight : around 1.4 kg

Daily Usage Today

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