VGN-SR
This page is currently WIP!!
Overview
The Sony Vaio VGN-SR was a mid-high end business laptop released by Sony in 2008. It was marketed as a business laptop, and was supposed to be a cheaper alternative to the VGN-Z, offering most of the same features but at a lower price.
It featured the same dynamic graphic switching technology as the VGN-Z, although using an ATI Radeon HD 3470 or HD 4570 instead of the NVIDIA GeForce 9300M GS. Although the NVIDIA produced less heat and was more suitable in the small Z-series chassis, the optional HD 4570 actually offered much better performance in gaming, making it the ideal computer for consumers as well. The SR was constructed using a magnesium chassis and was offered in 3 colours, which were black, Platinum Silver, Titanium Grey (slightly dark grey) and Glossy Pink. It incorporated all of Sony's iconic design elements, including the cylinder power button on the side and the chiclet keyboard, which offered good feedback when typing.
The VGN-SR featured a unique top button row, featuring 5 buttons in the center that launched different applications and shortcuts and a switch button that would switch among 3 desktop environments which were Home, Office or On The Go. Depending on which mode was selected, it would launch different applications and have a different background for each. For example, if Office mode was launched, the buttons were Mute, Lock Computer, Computer, Presentation Support and Windows Meeting Space, however if Home was selected, the buttons were for VAIO MusicBox, Movie Story, ArcSoft Webcam Companion, Burn Disc, and Internet Explorer. All these buttons could still be mapped using the setting button on the right. The VGN-SR could be purchased with an optional Blu-Ray drive.
Detailed Specs
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo P8400, P8600, P8700, P8800, T6400, T6500, T6600, T9800
Graphics: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (GMA) 4500MHD, optional ATI Radeon HD 3470/HD 4570
Chipset: Mobile Intel® GM45 Express Chipset
Memory: 2/3GB DDR2 RAM (maximum 8GB)
Display: 13.3" 1280x800 LED display
Storage: 2.5" 250GB HDD, optional SSD
Weight: 1.83kg
MSRP: 700-1600 euro
Daily Usage Today
The laptop is still very usable today for basic tasks, provided you upgrade to 4GB RAM and get an SSD. The laptop should also be capable of non intense/older games, especially if you find one with the Radeon HD 4570. These are fairly cheap and common online and have good parts availability, standard batteries (VGP-BPS13) can be purchased for around £20 since they were used in many other VAIO models.