New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Sentia or Vaio?

post #1 of 17
4/27/06 at 1:22am
Thread Starter 
Hey folks,

New here on the board so I hope you won't mind me asking a question.

I'm a pilot looking for a light laptop to take on the road with me. I have tons of crap I'm forced to carry so weight is an issue.

Mostly, I'm looking to get online to work my schedule and do some surfing in my down time. I would also like to play a few games, strategy mostly but able to at least keep up in the RTS department in the near future without getting the stutters.

I've read the reviews and have narrowed it down to the Sentia and the Vaio SZ series.

The Vaio is lighter and has a dedicated 128mb graphics card and supposedly better battery life but it is somewhat more expensive.

The AW is obviously optimized better for games but the onboard only graphics worries me somewhat as does the purported limitations of the WiFi card.

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Deacon
Reply
Reply
post #2 of 17
4/27/06 at 2:02am
honestly get the m5500 its a good price and the machine will be great for all your needs... its pretty damn small in terms of weight and thickness. as well it has good wireless and has a dedicated graphics card for the RTS, but integrated for when your just surfing and want more battery life.

its all in all a great system that will handle RTS into the future better than the sentia and the sony for a reasonable price
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 17
4/27/06 at 2:42am
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 17
4/27/06 at 11:24am
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the quick replys guys!

Ah, I'd love to get a 5500. The problem is that I just have too much junk to haul around with me for a larger laptop. I know the difference of 2lbs doesn't sound like much but changing planes several times a day and trying to shove my 30lb flight bag (potentially 36lbs with the 5500) into a cockpit with absolutely no regard made to ergonomics was enough to make me abandon my 8lb Dell (10lbs with adapter) just to cut down on my chiropractor visits!

I just don't want to get a great laptop that I never bring with me, so I feel like I need to keep it as light as I can.

Still, that 256mb card in the 5500 calls to me...oh yes, it calls to me.

Deacon
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 17
4/27/06 at 1:59pm
i feel your pain... well not litteraly but still.

the reason we suggested what we did is knowing that there is coming what there is in the RTS side of gaming, having the much more powerful cards in the 5500 will be important. the sentia may be able to handle currently what you would like but in the future the integrated graphics wont cut it. similar for the vaio since its dedicated card is still a low end one. your best bet to be gaming for a reasonable amount of time with your machine is to get a machine more like the 5500 in terms of specs.

as for the weight... you will already notice the weight difference between the dell and the m5500 if thats what you do. i personally would say that the increased useability of the 5500 and the longer life overall of the system for your purposes is worth it....
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 17
4/27/06 at 2:00pm
Deacon, my Sentia M3200 kicks ass on my VP's Vaio. It is noticeably faster and I can connect via WIFI many times that he cannot. The new Intel graphics really are not that bad - especially if you just want to blow things up in the hotel room.

Of course, the fact that he paid much more for his machine is the icing on the cake. I told him that it was just one more example of why I am the boss.
Reply
Reply
post #7 of 17
4/27/06 at 3:45pm
I like what Fidget is tossing around here.
Reply
Reply
post #8 of 17
4/27/06 at 5:47pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by gladius
Deacon, my Sentia M3200 kicks ass on my VP's Vaio. It is noticeably faster and I can connect via WIFI many times that he cannot. The new Intel graphics really are not that bad - especially if you just want to blow things up in the hotel room.

See, I've heard that before and it makes me want to go with the Sentia. That 5500 keeps me up at night though as does the thought of the lower spec systems being obsolete in a year.

"Indecision, thy name is Deacon!"
Reply
Reply
post #9 of 17
4/27/06 at 6:07pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Deacon211
See, I've heard that before and it makes me want to go with the Sentia. That 5500 keeps me up at night though as does the thought of the lower spec systems being obsolete in a year.

"Indecision, thy name is Deacon!"



it gets us all.... indecision is our worst enemy
Reply
Reply
post #10 of 17
4/27/06 at 6:50pm
Deacon ... sounds like you are leaning towards the 5500. You probably should go with your heart on this one because from a straight technical argument -- the two are somewhat close 90% of the time ... the other 10% is probably only emotional ...... and if you don't get the one you wished you had ... might regret it one day !!!
Reply
Reply
post #11 of 17
4/28/06 at 12:45pm
I was on the fence over the M3200 and the 5500, but in the end it came down to size/weight. I hate lugging a cup of coffee around the airport - much less a computer.

When I say that the M3200 kicks ass, I really mean it KICKS ASS. Of course, the 5500 would kick MORE ass, but you have to ask yourself, "How much ass do I really need to kick?"

I have not even turned on my old desktop since I got this thing - and I probably will not until I get myself the AW workstation that I have been eyeing.

Check out my review:
http://www.notebookforums.com/showthread.php?t=140368

In the end, Mr. RedDog is right - it will boil down to emotion. But at least you can chooose between two good machines, rather than two crappy machines.
Reply
Reply
post #12 of 17
4/28/06 at 2:30pm
Thread Starter 
You make a good point RedDogMan. I would just hate to get such a great laptop then have to leave it at home because it was killing me to lug around.

Gladius, I know you don't play much in the way of games on your Sentia but have you tried any? I'm OK with not being able to play the latest and greatest but I would like to at least play a few things on the lower end of the spectrum.

Thanks again for all the great advise guys!

Deacon
Reply
Reply
post #13 of 17
4/28/06 at 3:00pm
I am not sure about everyone else's experience...but I have no problems playing World of Warcraft on my 1.86GHz/1GB RAM/5400RPM HDD m3200. Of course, it's not the most graphically intense game ever, and the graphics settings aren't cranked all the way up...but I'd say it s definitely well beyond just being 'playable.'

DC
Reply
Reply
post #14 of 17
4/28/06 at 4:21pm
the reason im a bit hesitant on saying get the sentia right off (cause it does meet the other needs) is the fact he wants to play upcoming RTS games without any sort of stuttering and all.... take a look at some of the stuff thats coming up like the game world in conflict and you will quickly see why i think that he is gonna need more power.
Reply
Reply
post #15 of 17
4/28/06 at 6:20pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fidget
the reason im a bit hesitant on saying get the sentia right off (cause it does meet the other needs) is the fact he wants to play upcoming RTS games without any sort of stuttering and all.... take a look at some of the stuff thats coming up like the game world in conflict and you will quickly see why i think that he is gonna need more power.

Yeah, I appreciate that. I might have overstated that point. What I really don't like is the way Civ IV staggers on my Dell 3.06, 1mb, GeForce 64mb even with everything turned down as low as it will go.

I can live with not being able to run the latest games full up. I just don't want the computer to show up at my door incapable of running anything in the future at all.

Deacon
Reply
Reply
post #16 of 17
4/28/06 at 9:48pm
Civ IV runs fine - as does Rome/Total War.
Reply
Reply
post #17 of 17
5/1/06 at 10:14pm
I have both, and I can say I love the Alienware Sentia A LOT better. The sony is good but is on the slow side while the sentia only weighs 3 pounds which is light as a feather. The sentia will support almost any game that the sony will let you support and its just all around awsome so I highly reccomend it!
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Alienware Sentia, M11x and M14x