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For a laptop with a 16-inch screen, the Sony VAIO VPC-F21Z1E has the thickness and heft of a much bigger machine, such as the 17.3-inch Samsung RC710 or the 17-inch MacBook Pro. This is partly a design limitation because of the special 3D panel in the lid, and partly because the internals need a little space to breathe.
We liked
The Core i7 processor on the Sony VAIO VPC-F21Z1E runs at a stock 2GHz, but when it turbo boosts up to 2.9GHz its massive power comes to the fore. It's an absolute stormer of a chip – look forward to many years of high-end processing.
It's hard to ignore that screen. It's capable of some stunning 3D visuals if you're willing to don the requisite goggles, and its 2D appearance is sharp and bright. It's almost worth the sacrifice you'll make in aesthetics to get it.
The little luxurious extras on the Sony VAIO VPC-F21Z1E are pleasant as well. The light up keyboard, especially, makes us feel all fuzzy inside, but it's one of a suite of straightforward upgrades that just seem to have been piled in to justify the price.
We disliked
Whoa, the Sony VAIO VPC-F21Z1E is expensive. Too expensive. It's powerful and it's fancy, but it's not world beating, and that's a problem. Its ability to push polygons is severely restricted in stereoscopic 3D mode – for the price, we'd have preferred something that really could do it all.
It's a clunky old laptop, too – that screen needs a good thick lid in which to live, and the components get super-hot, which means the base of the Sony VAIO VPC-F21Z1E is pretty hefty too. Svelte it is not.
Verdict
A hot, heavy hunk of a machine, which sadly disappoints when it comes to the crunch. The Sony VAIO VPC-F21Z1E's probably one of your best choices if you want a 3D laptop, but ask yourself if that's something you really need. Is it worth over £1500 to you now when £1000 will get you something better in a year?
