Sony to Launch VAIO AR7, FZ4, SZ7 Penryn Laptops

Sony has prepared the VAIO AR7, FZ4, and SZ7 notebooks, featuring the Intel’s first 45-nanometer Core 2 Duo Mobile processors, codenamed “Penryn”, and the “Santa Rosa Refresh” mobile platform.

The leaked specifications of the 17-inch Sony VAIO VGN-AR730E/B, VGN-AR750E/B, and VGN-AR760U/B say these entertainment laptops will be available with the Intel Core 2 Duo “Penryn” T8100 CPU at 2.1GHz, while the top of the line VGN-AR790U/B features the T9300 at 2.5GHz. The systems come with 2GB or 4GB of RAM, and 320GB or 400GB hard drives, depending on model, as well as with Blu-Ray optical drives. Prices of the “Penryn”-based VAIO AR7 notebooks listed on Monstronix website range from $1,678 to $3,257.

One of the 15.4-inch Sony VAIO FZ4 notebooks - the VGN-FZ410E/B - comes with the Core 2 Duo T8100. This mainstream laptop, incorporating 2GB of system memory, a 250GB hard drive, and the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100 integrated chip, is available for preorder through Amazon.com for $1,249.99.

According to Monstronix, the 13.3-inch Sony VAIO VGN-SZ730E/C and VGN-SZ750N/C notebooks also feature the 45nm Intel Core 2 Duo T8100. The VAIO VGN-SZ760N/C has the T8300 processor at 2.4GHz, while the higher-end VGN-SZ770N/C and VGNSZ791N/X utilize the already mentioned T9300. The leaked VGN-SZ7 models will ship with a 200GB to 250GB hard drive, and 2GB, 3GB and 4GB of main memory. These laptops have “RazorThin” LCD panels with LED backlighting. The prices range from $1,678 to $2,468.

The Intel Core 2 Duo Mobile 45nm processors are claimed to provide a longer battery life, better performance, and cooler operation than the previous generation of 65nm Core 2 Duos, codenamed “Merom”. The “Penryns” are designed for the “Santa Rosa Refresh” platform, which will additionally enable a use of an optional third-party chip for hardware decoding of high definition multimedia content.

The “Penryn” and the “Santa Rosa Refresh” will be officially launched in January 2008.