Sony VAIO SB Series (VPCSB16FG) 2nd Generation Intel Core laptop

Sony VAIO SB Series (VPCSB16FG) review: Put simply, one of the best sub-2kg laptops on the market

PC World Australia (online)

User Reviews:

dddddddddddddd

5.0

1

Pros
size/power
Cons
screen
• • •

great built quality with a built in DVD rom and nice power. but it doesn't feel that robust in hand due to the hindge,and the 1366·768 is really out of date. those pannels should be eliminated ASAP

Dave

3.5

2

Pros
Robust Design
Cons
Poor after sales service.
• • •

I have been using VPCSB18GG for a year now. My DVD drive stopped working after 2 months of purchase. The laptop itself is downright one of the best,without any prejudice. Have used all the top class ones like ThinkPad(both IBM n later Lenovo),Dell(Inspiron,XPS) and Macbook Pro.
But beware of the after sales service of Sony.It is one the worst. It took me a month to get my drive replaced. And battery backup used to be excellent,but after a year of use it does not even give 3 hrs of life on 100% charge.

Hadi

2.5

3

Pros
-
Cons
-
• • •

I don't see any space at the side of this Notebook as air condition!!and i have seen some comments in an other site from the users of sb series that it get warmer very fast and the cooler fan work very loud!!!

Araz

2.5

4

Pros
1
Cons
1
• • •

Hi,
i don't see any space an the laptop for air condition!
I think that it will make the laptop warmer!then the user
could not use it for a long time!

Peter

0.0

5

Pros
ASUS
Cons
Vaio S
• • •

I Just prochased a Vaio S 15in. It is SO SLOW!!! the Sony install of Windows 7 is that full of Sony bloatware that it takes over 20 seconds to open a web page. I have just transfered from an Asus laptio with i7 processor and it is lightening fast compared to the Sony. I WANT MY MONEY BACK!!!

Sowm

4.0

6

Pros
Light weight, super sexy, Battery Life
Cons
Noisy Fan
• • •

Wonderful! The lightest Lappy..Absolutely love it.
Tends to get heated soon and the fan is noisy.
Overall, a great buy!

amy

4.5

7

Pros
back lit keyboard, weighs practically nothing, thin screen, fast
Cons
loud fan, cd drive makes weird noises
• • •

Just got this laptop for my birthday.
I looked everywhere for it and was told by many people (including sony) that they are no longer making them and that it shouldnt be available on the website.
I eventually found one at JB Hi Fi and i love it.
The fan is loud but i dont see this as a bad thing, just kind of annoying if playing a game.
Also I was installing a game and the CD drive was making really weird noises that never happened on my old asus.
Overall this is a great laptop and seeing as it's relatively new i'm not sure why sony would stop selling it so soon

Tanupriya

4.0

8

Pros
light sensor
Cons
single port for earphone
• • •

hi.. i hv dis model... bt i dun knw which earphone to use.. as it have only single port which is nt supporting the mic in the normal earphone.. plzz help

sadjad eskandari

4.0

9

Pros
very hot
Cons
a
• • •

hello. I did buy a sb11 last week but i cant use it. because i cant start the battery. there is a note about this problem behind of laptop but i cant understand it. please guide me to start battery. thank you

Zainal

4.0

10

Pros
Design
Cons
Battery Life
• • •

I'm unable to achieve the battery life stated in review?? Do i have to change any settings??

Elias

5.0

11

Pros
Backlit keyboard, fast, great screen, thin and light
Cons
$300 for extended battery is too much, I will just stick with the default battery
• • •

This laptop is great, I've had mine for 2 weeks and no complaints so far.
Its performance is great.
The battery life is decent, but its not that great (I don't have the extended sheet battery).
Speakers are loud, which is good.
It is a bit more expensive than similar spec'd laptops, but the others are heavier, thicker or have a bigger screen (I needed a 13.3"), therefore in the end I'd say its price is good for what you get :)

Also, I've had the BIOS update from day 1, and the fan does not get that loud at all. Whilst you can hear it when you start using the laptop more intensely (e.g. playing a graphics heavy game), it isn't distracting. When the laptop is not being used intensely, it is actually a lot quieter than any other laptop I have used or seen.

lk

4.0

12

Pros
DESIGN AND PERFORMANCE
Cons
PRICEY
• • •

IT IS A M/C WITH LOOKS ,PERFORMANCE. LIGHT WT ,AND ALL LATEST HARDWARE PRICE IN INDIA RUPEES 59000/=

Thomas

5.0

13

Pros
Performance!!!
Cons
Fan noice
• • •

Just bought one with the i7 processor today. And yes the fan went on already by browsing internet and also when I updated windows.

I found this BIOS update (see comment from Dominik in the bottom of the page) and I also find it to have worked. The fan does not come on as easy as before, but maybe I need a couple more days to say..
Even when the fan is running it is a price I am willing to pay for the performance of this laptop.

Does anybody know if it supports the 6 gbps sata connection to an ssd drive?
I am planning to get a Corsair F120 ssd tomorrow or wait till the OCZ V3 arrives next week. The OCZ is capable of 500+ mbps, but by 6 gbps connection, which I dont know if the vaio supports?

Cheers

Ellie

0.0

14

Pros
Design and light
Cons
Fan and noise
• • •

I was dead on serious about this notebook . Yes it looked like a nice fit to the next generation z. However and a strong however I played with it for all 5 min. In the Saturn store in dusseldorf. And after 5 sec of holding down the left arrow key to scroll through photos in windows photo viewer the fan came on like gan busters and the machine was noisy and got I instantly hot to fry an egg. As mentioned by other reviews above , yes I would have to agree major design flaw. In addition, with a heavy hand the keyboard sinks into the laptop . The top mag design dosnt cut close to what they tired to copy from apple, this is also a major design error. Must see it to believe it. Additional notes: the mouse keys won't last for heavy clickers. Buyers beware , looks great but will be the worse purchase ever! Don't buy!!!!!

Ngoc

4.0

15

Pros
fashionalble, light, the time to using battery
Cons
noisy & hot
• • •

I'm going to buy this model in the begining of April. But I heard from you, this model is very hot & very noise when you run heavy application on it.

Please give me your advise
thanks a lot

Rob

1.5

16

Pros
Looks, weight, feel
Cons
Overheating from bottom, noise
• • •

I got this new Sony VPCSB16FG 3 days ago. At first I was taken back by how good it looks and how light it feels. However, the unit quickly overheats as the fan vents are located on the bottom instead of the sides. So, if you're placing it on a flat surface or lying down and placing it on your lap, you will quickly feel the extreme heat. The fan also comes on with the slightest bit of overuse and let me tell you it is very loud. I took it back to the Sony store and got a refund. There is definitely a design flaw here. How is the machine supposed to cool itself if the fan outlets are located on the bottom of the unit and most often is blocked when placed on flat surfaces..!? Give me a break and don't waste my time SONY.

kokakolia

0.0

17

Pros
Screen, Keyboard, Design, Build Quality, Performance, Size, Weight, Battery Life
Cons
NOISE
• • •

I just got the laptop 1 week ago. It's really a perfect laptop in terms of : Screen, Keyboard, Design, Build Quality, Performance, Size, Weight, Battery Life...

Only one problem : the fan noise. During web browsing the fan is silent. However, during heavier tasks such as light gaming, the fan is as loud as a plane taking off. So I got my unit replaced at the sony store, and the problem persists. So I got a refund.
I suppose, it's not surprising knowing that the air vent is half blocked by the screen hinge, so the fan has to work twice as more. I rate this notebook terrible, because a problem like this should not be tolerated on an expensive modern laptop

twig

4.0

18

Pros
Matte screen, backlit keyboard, superior battery life and extra video card for performance.
Cons
port locations and 5200rpm harddrive
• • •

Do want!

Gloria

4.0

19

Pros
Battery life & performance
Cons
Not much, probably positioning of ports
• • •

Having all of the ports on one side is a bit of a bummer...but aside from that, terrific notebook

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