Sony laptop among first to combine Intel and Nvidia graphics

Intel or Nvida? You decide. An upcoming Sony notebook will be one of the first to have the capability to switch between Intel Centrino 2 and Nvidia graphics.

Sony Z series

(Credit: Sony)

Intel's new Centrino 2 technology features what the chipmaker calls "switchable graphics" to save power. When the laptop is plugged in, it uses the higher-performance--and more power-hungry--Nvidia or AMD-ATI graphics. On battery, the system runs on Intel's 4500 series integrated graphics, which uses less power.

Sony lists the graphics system as "Hybrid Graphics" with a "Dedicated Hybrid GPU Switch" based on the Nvidia 9300M GS graphics chip and Intel 4500MHD integrated graphics silicon. What makes this unique is that the switch can be done on the fly.

The 13-inch Sony Vaio Z570, due later this summer in retail, will use an Intel P9500 (2.53GHz) processor that has a power envelope of only 25 watts compared with the 35 watts for mainstream Intel mobile processors on the market today. Other P series low-power Centrino 2 processors include the P8400 and P8600. These will both be offered in Hewlett-Packard's EliteBook 6930p, for example.

The Z570 also comes with 3GB of DDR3 memory, a 13.1-inch (1366 x 768) screen, a 320GB hard disk drive, an optical drive, built-in mobile broadband high-speed EVDO WAN, and 802.11a/b/g/n wireless.

The Z570 weighs 3.3 pounds--putting it into ultra-light notebook territory--and is between 1.0 and 1.3 inches thick.

One reseller also lists a Vaio Z591 that has similar specifications but adds 4GB of memory and a "BluRay Combo DVD?RW Optical Drive."

Though pricing may ultimately change, a reseller lists the Z570 at $2,249 and the Z591 at $3,399.

[BigGuns149]

The headline is a bit misleading. This is neither the first laptop to combine Intel and Nvidia graphics nor is it even the first Sony laptop that can do this. What is novel is that based upon the article this laptop can do this on the fly. Sony has had the option of both intel and nvidia graphics on their SZ series for years, but you had to reboot to switch between the two graphics chips.

[BigGuns149]

The headline is a bit misleading. This is neither the first laptop to combine Intel and Nvidia graphics nor is it even the first Sony laptop that can do this. What is novel is that based upon the article this laptop can do this on the fly. Sony has had the option of both intel and nvidia graphics on their SZ series for years, but you had to reboot to switch between the two graphics chips.

[MaLvaDo39]

Is that a MacBook keyboard on that thing?

Too bad it runs Windows... :(

[coryschulz]

Yeah, that keyboard is a total rip off of the MacBook. It's interesting how Apple's ideas filter down to all of these other companies (software, hardware, mobile devices). That's just all of these companies ways of saying "Apple is amazing, and we recognize that, and hope to profit off of their R&D".

[ygurevich]

You may alternatively consider the keyboard a ripoff of Sony's own Vaio X505, introduced in the US market in May of 2004.
Here's a link to a review before it came over to the U.S.:
http://www.mobiletechreview.com/notebooks/sony_vaio_X505.htm
You can also find a CNET review of the x505 but the pictures in the CNET review don't show the keyboard as clearly as the mobiletechreview site.

[rapadma]

Apple prime Lap Tops use Intel and nvidia configuration. Sony is always trying to grow following the steps of Cupertino ideas. Remember the WalkMan? is dead.

[kelmon]

It's an interesting idea but one that shouldn't be necessary. I'd be interested to see how much this increases battery life by but have to wonder whether nVidia's upcoming mobile chipset will render this idea obsolete.

And, yes, keyboards with gaps between the keys is a very old idea (much older than 2004, even) and, frankly, is a very boring discussion.

[ggascoigne]

Oh for crying out loud give it a rest! Just because Apple did something, doesn't mean that everyone else is copying them.

Honestly, this looks like a completely predictable upgrade to the SZ series that Sony's been selling for best part of the last three years, they've all had Intel and NVidia GPUs, it's not new, and it's not copied from Apple.

What's new is being able to switch on the fly without a reboot, that's kind of cool.

I should say that I've got one of the first generation SZ laptops, and love it.