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Sony Vaio SB vs Asus U36SD- it’s so hard to pick a winner

By Mark , updated on March 29, 2012

As we hope you remember, we talked a lot about the Asus U36SD, comparing it with other 13.3 inch machines from Acer or Lenovo.

We liked this laptop a lot, as it has great hardware and enough features to keep you happy even on the long term. But how does the U36SD manage against the Sony Vaio SB, Sony’s relatively new 13.3 inch laptop?

We came to expect great things from Vaio entries, and although they’re usually considerably more expensive than competitors, you usually receive out of the ordinary performance and design. Stay tuned for our in depth comparison of the two laptops, covering essential aspects, from build quality to battery life and everything in between.

Oh, and before we proceed, we’ve reviewed both these laptops here on the site and we got enough time and experience with them to put up hopefully a helpful comparison for your guys.

Specs

Both laptops run on second generation Sandy Bridge processors and you can choose from a bunch of processors and RAM configurations. Full spec lists below.

Asus U36SD

  • CPU: Core i5 2410M, 2.3 GHZ, with Turbo Boost  and Hyper Threading
  • Display: 13.3 inch panel, 1366 x 768 px resolution, glossy finish
  • System memory: 6 GB of DDR3 RAM
  • Graphics: Intel HD 3000 graphics + Nvidia Gforce 520M (with Optimus)
  • Storage: 640 GB HDD
  • Battery: 6 cell, 4400 mAh (sells with 8 Cell 84Wh)
  • OS: Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit
  • Ports: 2 x USB 2.0, 1 x USB 3.0, VGA, HDMI, card reader, fingerprint reader
  • Connectivity: Bluetooth, Wireless N, Gigabit Ethernet
  • Dimensions: 12.9 x 9.28 x 0.76 (inches)
  • Weight: 3.6 pounds with the 6 cell battery, 3.74 with the 8 cell version battery

Sony Vaio SB

  • CPU: Core i5 2520M, 2.5 GHZ, with Turbo Boost and Hyper Threading
  • Display: 13.3 inch screen, 1366 x 768, anti glare coating
  • System memory: 6 GB of RAM
  • Graphics: Intel HD 3000 graphics + AMD Radeon HD 6470M dedicated graphics
  • Storage: 500 GB HDD
  • Optical drive: DVD-RW
  • Battery: 6 cell, 4400 mAh
  • OS: Windows 7 Professional
  • Ports: 2 x USB 2.0, 1 x USB 3.0, VGA, HDMI, 2 card readers, fingerprint reader
  • Connectivity: Wireless N, Bluetooth, Gigabit LAN, 3G modem
  • Dimensions: 13 x 8.9 x 0.95 (inches)
  • Weight: 3.8 pounds
Asus U36Sd vs Sony Vaio SB - which one is the better pick?

Asus U36Sd vs Sony Vaio SB - which one is the better pick?

The Vaio seems a little bit better equipped, as it has an optical drive, 3G modem and a matte display, making it a better business computer. Also, the base model of the Vaio comes with the same 2410M CPU, just like the U36SD, but remember that the U36SD is cheaper than the similarly equipped Vaio and in stores, the Asus comes with a hybrid storage unit, 8 Cell battery and the same Core i5-2520M processor by default.

Build and design

Vaio laptops are well known for their exquisite appearance and the SB is no different. It comes with a magnesium shell brushed in black, while the iconic logo occupies the center of the lid. The chassis feels great to hold, as it offers a great grip and doesn’t bend, even if you push it harder. Around the keyboard and on the palm rest you get an aluminum strip, which is moderately adherent and helps keeping the chassis cool, even when fans kick in.

The magnesium chassis and Vaio logo form a fantastic exterior design

The magnesium chassis and Vaio logo form a fantastic exterior design

You also get plastic, for a change, around the screen, but luckily it’s matte and won’t attract fingerprints and smudges. Overall, the Vaio SB looks minimalistic, smart and classy, exactly how a business notebook has to look like.

The U36SD also has a magnesium chassis, but feels less pretentious than the one on the SB. Also, the Asus logo is less eye catching than the silhouetted letters on the Vaio. Luckily, you get the same sturdiness and grip comfort you get on the Vaio, as the metallic lid is even thinner on the U36SD and doesn’t bend at all.

The magnesium finish is used also for the palm rest and for the keyboard’s surrounding strips, while the plastic bezel around the display is, unfortunately, glossy. The U36SD might not be as ravishing in terms of design as the SB, but that’s because it doesn’t even try something like that. It’s not an exclusive business machine and thus doesn’t have to win any beauty contests.But it’s not bad looking or poorly built either.

Oh, and it’s worth mentioning that Sony managed to squeeze in an optical drive on the left side, a gimmick we rarely see on a machine this slim. Thumbs up.

Keyboard and trackpad

The Vaio SB comes with a keyboard that really tries to emulate the one on the MacBook Pro and mostly succeeds. The island-style keyboard consists of large, rubber coated keys, with lots of space between them. It’s a fantastic keyboard to use and even less experienced users will face no problem in mastering it with ease. On the downside, the keyboard doesn’t have Home and End keys, and you’ll have to settle for key combinations to execute those specific commands.

But it is back-lit and there’s even a sensor that helps adjusting the luminosity level automatically based on exterior conditions.

The U36SD has a standard, not really exciting chiclet keyboard

The U36SD has a standard, not really exciting chiclet keyboard

The touch pad is fairly responsive and positioned “far away” from the keyboard, so you won’t touch the surface when actually hunting for the Space key. You also get two separate mouse buttons, but the build quality is quite poor, as the buttons feel stiff and are sometimes unresponsive.

The U36SD has a mainstream chiclet with plastic keys, which offer a less than outstanding typing experience. It’s not bad either, as the keys feel decently nice, don’t flex too much and are fairly quiet. There is however no back lightning system.

The touchpad on the bottom has a pleasant, magnesium finish and feels great, while the touch buttons are quite stiff and rigid, especially if you press the area closer to their middle, where the fingerprint reader is placed.

Overall, for an avid typist, the SB is the better pick, but the Asus U36Sd ain’t that bad either once you get used to that plastic-feeling keys.

Display

The U36SD comes with a stock 1366 x 768 glossy display, which offers, again, a mainstream experience, so nothing too spectacular. Colors and brightness are nice, but only if you look at the screen from straight angles. Extreme viewing angles are quite poor, while the glossy finish makes the display practically unusable outdoor.

The Vaio comes with a surprisingly poor display

The Vaio comes with a surprisingly poor display

We’re not too impressed by the display on the SB either. While we salute the decision to use a matte coating, we were quite disappointed by the bleak colors and poor viewing angles. The screen is far from being perfect, no matter the angle you’re watching it or the ambient light.

Getting the screen wrong is a huge shortcoming for any gadget, especially for one so expensive. Bottom point, my money are on the Asus here.

Hardware and performance

The Sony Vaio SB comes with a Core i5 2520M dual core processor running at 2.5 GHZ, 6 GB of RAM and hybrid graphics, Intel HD-AMD Radeon 6470M. It’s a pretty solid configuration, which can deal with productivity and entertainment apps without a problem. However, you should know that switching between on board and dedicated graphics is not as easy as on the U36SD. You’ll have to pull a switch above the keyboard and select Stamina for the on board solution (more battery life) or Speed for the dedicated video card (more processing power).

The machine comes pre installed with Adobe Premier, which works smooth even when using only the on board graphics. Switching to dedicated graphics will allow you to play some 3D games, but take into consideration that this is a entry level video card and newer titles will run modestly, on low frame rates and low details. Older titles, however, should be more enjoyable.

The U36SD sample unit we had runs on a slightly slower processor, namely the 2410M, which has a speed of 2.3 GHZ. In stores though it comes with the same Core i5-2520M CPU, but there are also some Core i7 versions.

The U36SD packs a similar, magnesium made chassis

The U36SD packs a similar, magnesium made chassis

There’s 6 GB of RAM and hybrid graphics, namely Intel HD and Nvidia Gforce 520M, and switching between the two is a breeze thanks to the Optimus technology. Like the SB, the U36SD can deal with all kinds of productivity, office and entertainment apps.

All in all, both these are pretty much the same in terms of performances, with a slight slight plus for the Vaio SB in terms of graphics. But given that switching between chips is not that smooth as on the Asus, we’d rather take the U36 here.

More details and results are available in the dedicated reviews for each of the two laptops: see the one for the SB here and the one for the Asus here.

Connectivity

The Vaio SB has a full set of impressive connectivity options. Besides the standard Wireless N, Bluetooth and LAN, Sony’s 13.3 incher comes with a 3G module, a feature you won’t find on the U36SD. As for ports, both machines have one USB 3.0 port and HDMI port, but the Vaio additionally packs 2 card readers, one for their dedicated Sony Memory Duo cards, while the Asus only has the standard MMC/SD card reader.

Heat, noise, speakers and other features

The U36SD has a problem with overheating. As much as we appreciate having a ultra thin profile and Sandy Bridge horse power in the same package, we’re unhappy with how hot the U36SD gets after running some intensive apps for a mere 15 minutes. During everyday use though, heat should not be that much of a problem.

Subsequently, fans kick in quite often, but can be easily covered with some music. Preferably, the music shouldn’t be played on the stock Altec Lansing speakers, which are a bit modest.

The Vaio SB suffers from the same heat and noise problems as the U36SD, as powerful hardware and thin profile don’t go hand in hand. The fans will be particularly noticeable when using the dedicated video card, but you’ll be able to cover them with the surprisingly loud stock speakers, which also offer decent quality, but not on maximum volume.

All in all, both these devices get hot and noisy when stressed, while during average daily use they are rather OK. The Asus gets a bit more hot on its bottom that the Sony, while the later gets more noisier when pushed.

The Vaio SB packs a DVD RW drive, something of a rarity for this class of ultra portable laptops

The Vaio SB packs a DVD RW drive, something of a rarity for this class of ultra portable laptops

Battery life

The Vaio SB comes with a non replaceable battery that can go on a single charge, in Stamina mode, for a maximum of 5 hours. This happens if you perform basic tasks, like browsing, working with text editors and listening to music. If you want to play games or run HD content in Speed mode, you’ll be out of power in a little over 3 hours. Additionally, you can go for a battery slice that will double the autonomy of the notebook, but costs a little over $100 and makes the device bulkier.

The U36SD can go on a single charge for about 5 hours when running normal apps, like browsers and text editors, while gaming will squeeze it dry in about 3 hours. With the 8 cell battery, however, you get better numbers, namely around 6 hours of moderated use or 4 of gaming. And remember that while our test unit was delivered with a 6 Cell battery, I’m pretty sure it will only sell with the 8 Cell one all around the world.

Prices and availability

The U36SD we talked about in this article goes for about $1000, while other versions are also available, both cheaper and more expensive, depending on the hardware and battery you’re after.

The base model of the Vaio SB, packing a Core i3 chip and 2 GB of RAM, goes for $899, while the configuration we had will cost you well over a grand.

The top version, having a Core i7 chip, 8 GB of RAM, improved 6630M graphics and 3G, costs around $1600, which is expensive to say the least, but business laptops are usually like that.

Final thoughts

If you’re after a business notebook, the Vaio SB will surely fit the bill. It has a great design and keyboard, solid hardware and decent battery, but misses perfection due to a surprisingly poor screen and noisy cooling system.

The U36SD is cheaper, for sure, and at times offers a better multimedia experience, thanks to the slightly better screen when used inside, in a dark room.

The two go head to head in many aspects, but the Vaio wins points when it comes to looks and available accessories (battery slice and docking station), plus some extra features like the optical unit and the 3G modem, while the U36SD will not hit your budget that hard.

In the end, if you’re a business person and want a decent laptop for your everyday tasks, you can definitely go for this SB entry. For the average user just looking for a good notebook though, the Asus U36SD is probably the better pick between the two and will help saving some bucks.

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Mark is an Editor here at tlbhd.com . He's studying Screenwriting and Production in "sunny" London and in his spare time, he works as an IT editor for a couple of mobile publications, like this one.

2 Comments

  1. Joseph

    March 6, 2012 at 10:29 pm

    Great reviews guys, been an avid reader for a while. I’m a student (a clumsy one) and in the market for a new lappy. I have an old SZ series which held up pretty great for 4 years but its not very well build. I was wondering if the new S series very well built that will survive my clumsiness. I really dig the U36, and I’m stuck between the two. Help me decide which 1 should I get!

    Cheers

    • Mike

      March 12, 2012 at 12:24 am

      Yes, the new S seemed very solid for me. The U36Sd ain’t bad either, but i feel that the S does offer better finishing and higher quality materials for that case

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