Sony Vaio Z2: Everything is Peripheral
by Dustin Sklavos on February 13, 2012 12:55 AM ESTApplication and Futuremark Performance
Sony's decision to use a full-wattage Intel Core i7 dual-core mobile processor in the VAIO Z2 instead of the 17W CPUs notebooks with these kinds of dimensions usually enjoy means you can expect the Z2 to perform consistently at the top of the heap where application performance is concerned. Add the AMD Radeon HD 6650M in the Power Media Dock to the equation and suddenly you'll also see the Z2 go on a tear in Futuremark's tests. Note that we're focusing on the ultraportable market here, so there are certainly faster laptops around; they're just not available in a sub-14" form factor.
Or at least it should. In PCMark 7 we can see from the Computation score that the Z2 is clearly running the HD 6650M properly (Computation employs Intel's Quick Sync), but the 6650M seems to have a deleterious effect on scores across the board. I have to wonder if PCMark 7 doesn't just outright favor Intel's integrated graphics: notice how every other system with a dedicated GPU clusters at the bottom of most of the charts.
PCMark Vantage proves to be a little more even-handed and scores line up where they ought to be, with the HD 6650M offering an improvement to the Z2's user experience.
Unlike PCMark 7, our application tests reveal no difference in performance between having the Radeon on hand or just using the integrated graphics. These tests are purely CPU bound.
Predictably, the 3DMarks enjoy a substantial boost in performance from switching over to the dedicated AMD Radeon HD 6650M. Unlike the Radeon HD 6470M in Sony's VAIO SB, the 6650M is a definite and notable improvement on Intel's integrated graphics.
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epyon96 - Monday, February 13, 2012 - link
Please keep the imperial system and give us both.Metric system is useful for math but it is hard to imagine visually.
silverblue - Monday, February 13, 2012 - link
Speak for yourself... I've grown up with both. :)Plattypus - Monday, February 13, 2012 - link
Hard to imagine visually for 4.55% of the population. The world doesn't revolve around the united states.flamefox777 - Monday, February 13, 2012 - link
"Hard to imagine visually for 4.55% of the population. The world doesn't revolve around the united states."That's sooo cute in a naive and innocent sort of way! ^_^ It's always so adorable when someone from the other part of the world tries to convince people (all who know better) that the world isn't centered on the USA. ^_^
So, we have 4.55% of the population? We'll go with that. Google tells me we also put out about a $14.58 Trillion GDP -- that's 32.74% of global GDP. China, in the number 2 slot, does $5.88 Trillion.
You watch our movies and television, you buy our crap, take our handouts, talk (bad) about us. You're on our Internet, going to our sites and talking about our stuff (some of you even learned English just to do so)...
Kinda hard to argue the world doesn't revolve around us. I guess It's debatable. Cute when someone tries, anyway. "Our country is important too!"
Please do stop becoming so Americanized, though. We need vacation spots. XD
I agree, though, for the rest of the population not lucky enough to be in the greatest country in the world, you could include the metric system. It's quick an easy to do, and there's no arguing it's better in every way. It is ethnocentric to ignore their pleas. We wouldn't want to be ethnocentric, now, would we? XD
In it for the trollololz! XD
InsaneScientist - Tuesday, February 14, 2012 - link
I'm not gonna touch most of that post with a 10ft pole. lol...However, I do have to take issue with your math.
US GDP is about $14.58T, that we agree on.
World GDP is somewhere in the neighborhood of $63.04T right now, though.
14.58/63.04 = 23.13%
Definitely still a HUGE part of the world production capacity... but we're not quite as high as you said. ;)
Penti - Tuesday, February 14, 2012 - link
You also has a trade deficit of 558 billion US and does export less goods then China. Funny about numbers... Germany is also a larger exporter then the US. Per capita even the fallen down former power of United Kingdom does export more stuff. China and Germany has more production capacity however you look at it. Which of course makes the US far less then a quarter of the world market/production and rather at 8-9%. That doesn't mean there aren't important companies there, dominating in it's fields, sheer size and government founded research and procurement makes sure of that, but it doesn't make it some god given gift to mankind. Your also one of the biggest markets, but that doesn't mean everybody should join the fight for it.It all depends on how much air your GDP is made up with. That air is of course basically taken from other countries.
flamefox777 - Tuesday, February 14, 2012 - link
Tell you what, Penti, you just manipulate those numbers however makes you feel good about your country or whoever you're rooting for. I want you to feel warm and fuzzy about your little country. Sure, sure; it's our government funding that makes our companies great or whatever. Justify our dominance however you want.The sour grapes are so cute! ^_^ I just want to pinch your widdle cheeks! ^_^
XD
In it for the trollololz! XD
jay_kay - Tuesday, March 6, 2012 - link
aww, it's always so cute to see a cry baby who gets offended by a simple fact ^_^USA is the greatest country in the universe, but unfortunately they don't make the bulk of the population on earth. The majority of the people who read the articles here are from outside USA. isn't that sad? :-(
but the good thing is that the previous comment actually made you spend some time to search and learn a bit about your country. Now you know more about your country kiddo. your daddy is gonna be so proud about you ^_^
C'mon, he didn't say anything bad about your country at all. I admire USA, a great country. But ironically, it is the least important people, people who are next to useless to the growth of USA who talk like this and people start thinking that Americans in general are idiotic. The guy on top of you just said something about you guys being just a part of the world population, no need to feel so insecure. ;-) and it was a few percentage of your population that made your country great. Great men and women created industries, created jobs, paved way for fast growth and development with the help of other Americans. A few useless morons, who can be totally useless, just because of the virtue of being an American, think they are great.
I see you mentioned China there. Wow, this kid knows another country's name now! btw, China is growing faster than USA. it will inevitably overcome USA in the near future. Maybe you can help your country, by doing something other than writing how great your country is. Do that quick before you lose your job to some chinese or Indian.
and btw, there's a country called England. That is where English came from. People speak English because of them. they conquered many parts of the world. You should thank them. :-D
Death666Angel - Monday, February 13, 2012 - link
/signedA lot of articles have metric measurements but just about as many don't have it. Baffling to me.
Nfarce - Monday, February 13, 2012 - link
What, you mean you can't find a simple free conversion site on the web? REALLY? I don't whine about it when reading a European website and do a conversion. Sheesh you lazy people.