Sony Vaio EA3S1E review

The bright blue EA3S1E1 certainly stands out from the crowd, with Sony’s signature Vaio design looking just as good here as in any other colour. It’s not all style over substance however, as there’s a solid system underneath.

The Intel Core i3-370M processor is the fastest mobile Core i3 chip currently available (running at 2.4GHz), so it should have plenty of power for most everyday tasks. Paired with 4GB of memory, it managed 84 overall in our multimedia benchmarks, which is about average for a Core i3-powered laptop.

For gaming on the move, there’s a dedicated graphics card in the form of an AMD Radeon HD 5650. It has 512MB of dedicated memory, but can also borrow from the 4GB of system memory. As well as high definition video, it’s powerful enough for most games at reasonable detail settings, as a score of 37fps in Call of Duty 4 shows.

The 14in screen has a 1,366x768 native resolution, which is great for web browsing. It’s not particularly bright, though, and although this made black levels looked good, whiter images appeared slightly grey. Other than this, the backlight was even and colours looked vibrant. The glossy screen handled reflections surprisingly well, and viewing angles were also impressive. The resolution is large enough for 720p but not high enough for full HD content. For this, you’ll need to connect an external display via the HDMI port. There’s also a VGA output for older displays.

The speakers are upward facing and don’t produce the greatest quality audio. High notes didn’t distort, but it was hard to pick them out from the overpowering mid-range. The lack of bass means a pair of good-quality headphones are a sensible option for watching movies.

Like a lot of laptop keyboards, the EA3S1E uses chiclet-style isolated keys that rise up out of the keyboard tray. There isn’t a number pad, but the other keys are all full size and comfortable to type on. Plus, there’s almost no flex in the tray. The recessed touchpad is very responsive, as are the multi-touch gestures, with the dimpled surface proving excellent for precise movements. The two touchpad buttons are equally responsive, making everyday usability fantastic.

Despite using an energy-friendly Core i3 processor, the EA3S1E only managed three hours away from the mains. You can buy a larger six-cell battery, but this adds around £150 to the price.

Connectivity on the EA3S1E is fantastic; as well as a DVD re-writer there are two separate card readers, an ExpressCard /54 slot and three dedicated USB ports. A fourth USB port doubles as an eSATA port and there’s Bluetooth for wireless file transfers.

The dedicated graphics card is certainly an improvement over similarly priced laptops that rely on integrated chips. The Vaio EA3S1E also looks fantastic and is well built. It has plenty of ports and, if the bright colour scheme isn’t to your taste, it’s available in a range of subtler shades. If you can live with the mediocre battery life and slightly dim screen, it’s a great all-round 14in laptop.