Sony VAIO AW Series VGN-AW170Y/Q - Core 2 Duo T9400 2.53 GHz - 18.4" TFT

Description: The Sony Vaio AW170Y/Q is an 8.8-pound, mainstream consumer notebook computer.Compared to other general-purpose notebooks on the market, it is expensive at around $2,815.The 18.4 inch widescreen has a native resolution of 1920 x 1080, which is outstanding compared to most laptops.Runs on the Intel Core 2 Duo CPU.This configuration has a 500GB hard disk and 4 GB of memory.Features nVidia GeForce 9 series graphics with 512MB of video RAM.

Pros: Has a 2.53 GHz CPU speed, which is considerably faster than some similarly priced notebooks.Also, this notebook has a 500GB hard drive, which is considerably larger than some similarly priced notebooks.The built in Bluetooth connectivity will let you pair headphones or sync your mobile contacts.Includes an HDMI port so you can easily output the notebook's audio and video to a compatible TV or monitor.The built-in fingerprint reader will speed up the log in process while adding a strong layer of data protection.This is one of the few notebooks featuring a superior sound system, even including an integrated sub-woofer.

Cons: Has only 2.5-hour estimated battery life, which is somewhat shorter than some similarly priced notebooks.For example, the HP Compaq 8710p, a 7.5-pound notebook at around $2, 800, has 4.3-hour estimated battery life.

Suitability: A mainstream consumer notebook, suited for general mobile computing.If you have a wireless network at home, wirelessly browse the Web from any room in your house with this Wi-Fi enabled notebook.The excellent battery performance will keep your system running longer without plugging in.Play HD movies on this notebook with the Blu-ray optical drive.With 512MB of dedicated video RAM, this machine will do very well compared to most other notebooks, when it comes to multimedia applications and games.

Value: In general, this notebook's price seems hard to justify, with respect to its features.For example, when it comes to screen size, the average price of general-purpose products with a similar screen size is quite a bit less -- in fact around $1,514.

Suggestions: (1) Given this device's Wi-Fi capability, you may want to get a wireless access point for your home, so that you can browse the Web more conveniently from any room.(2) To get the most out of this laptop's Bluetooth capability, you could have a Bluetooth-enabled headset, smartphone or other device, and be able to link it wirelessly to your computer within a range of 20-or-so feet inside the same room.

CNET's Product Briefs are generated by a software tool that combines product specifications with knowledge of our editorial experts. They do not reflect hands-on assessment or labs testing. For more information about how we create Product Briefs, contact us.

• Manufacturer: Sony
• Part Number: VGN-AW170Y/Q

• General

• Platform Technology Intel Centrino 2
• Built-in Devices Subwoofer, Stereo speakers, Bluetooth antenna, Wireless LAN antenna
• Embedded Security Fingerprint reader
• Width 17.2 in
• Depth 11.4 in
• Height 1.6 in
• Weight 8.8 lbs
• Notebook type Gaming laptop
• Screen type Widescreen
• Wireless capabilities IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11 n (draft), Bluetooth

• Processor

• Processor Intel Core 2 Duo T9400 / 2.53 GHz
• Multi-Core processor technology Dual-Core
• 64-bit processor Yes
• Data bus speed 1066 MHz
• Chipset type Mobile Intel PM45 Express

• Cache Memory

• Type L2 cache
• Cache size 6 MB

• RAM

• Installed Size 4 GB / 8 GB (max)
• Technology DDR2 SDRAM - 800 MHz
• Memory specification compliance PC2-6400
• RAM configuration features 2 x 2 GB

• Environmental Parameters

• Environmental standards RoHS

• Storage Controller

• Storage controller type Serial ATA
• Storage Controller / Serial ATA Interface Serial ATA-150
• RAID level RAID 0

• Storage

• Floppy Drive None
• Hard Drive 500 GB - Serial ATA-150 - 4200 rpm
• Hard Drive (2nd) 500 GB - Serial ATA-150 - 4200 rpm
• Storage Removable None
• Hard drive type Portable

• Optical Storage

• Type BD-RE - Integrated
• CD / DVD read speed 24x (CD) / 8x (DVD) / 4x (BD)
• CD / DVD write speed 24x (CD) / 8x (DVD±R) / 4x (DVD±R DL) / 4x (BD-R) / 2x (BD-R DL)
• CD / DVD rewrite speed 16x (CD) / 6x (DVD-RW) / 8x (DVD+RW) / 2x (BD-RE) / 2x (BD-RE DL)

• Card Reader

• Card reader type Card reader
• Supported flash memory cards SD Memory Card, Memory Stick Pro, Memory Stick PRO Duo

• Display

• Display Type 18.4 in TFT active matrix
• Max Resolution 1920 x 1080
• Widescreen Display Yes
• Features LED-backlit, X BRITE-FullHD

• Video

• Graphics Processor / Vendor NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT
• Video Memory VRAM - 512 MB
• Total Available Graphics Memory 2280 MB

• Audio

• Audio output type Sound card
• Audio output compliant standards Dolby Digital Live, High Definition Audio
• Audio Input Microphone

• Notebook Camera

• Camera Type Integrated
• Sensor Resolution 1.3 Megapixel

• Multimedia Functionality

• TV Tuner Type Digital and analog TV
• Analog TV System NTSC
• Digital TV Reception ATSC

• Input Device(s)

• Input device type Keyboard, Touchpad
• Keyboard localization and layout QWERTY

• Telecom

• Modem Fax / modem
• Max transfer rate 56 Kbps
• Protocols & Specifications ITU V.90, ITU V.92

• Networking

• Networking Network adapter
• Networking / Wireless LAN Supported Yes
• Wireless NIC Intel WiFi Link 5100
• Data link protocol Ethernet, IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth 2.1 EDR, IEEE 802.11n (draft)
• Networking standards IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, Bluetooth 2.1, IEEE 802.11n (draft)

• Expansion / Connectivity

• Expansion Slots Total (Free) 1 ( 1 ) x ExpressCard/34, 2 ( 0 ) x Memory
• Interfaces 1 x IEEE 1394 (FireWire) - 4 pin FireWire, 1 x Network - Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX/1000Base-T - RJ-45, 1 x Modem - Phone line - RJ-11, 1 x Headphones - Output - Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm, 1 x Microphone - Input - Mini-phone 3.5 mm, 3 x Hi-Speed USB - 4 pin USB Type A, 1 x Display / video - VGA - 15 pin HD D-Sub (HD-15), 1 x Display / video - S-video output, 1 x Audio / video - HDMI - 19 pin HDMI Type A, 1 x Audio - SPDIF output

• Miscellaneous

• Included Accessories Remote control
• Cables Included Power cable ( 1 pcs.)
• Features 802.11a/b/g/n wireless LAN, Fingerprint sensor, Camera, Face tracking, Bluetooth, Remote
• Compliant Standards RoHS

• Power

• Power device form factor External
• Voltage Required AC 120/230 V

• Battery

• Technology Lithium ion
• Installed Qty 1
• Mfr estimated battery life 2.5 hour(s)

• Operating System / Software

• OS Provided Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit Edition
• Software VAIO Music Box, VAIO Movie Story, Microsoft Works 9 SE, Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, AOL Online (90 days trial), Sony Click to Disc Editor 1.0, Microsoft Windows Live OneCare (Trial), Microsoft Office 2007 Home and Student Edition (60 days trial)

• Manufacturer Warranty

• Service & Support 1 year warranty
• Service & Support Details Limited warranty - 1 year, Product info support - Phone consulting - 1 year

• Sustainability

• Greenpeace policy rating (Sept 2009) 5.1

Sony

Manufacturer profile

• Website: http://www.sonystyle.com
• Address: 16765 W. Bernardo Dr., San Diego, CA. 92127
• Phone: 1-877-865-SONY
• Email: contact@sel.sony.com
• Fax: 941-768-7790