The new Vaio SX12 is now available to purchase in the US, and normally I would overlook something like this—it's not in contention for best gaming laptop, not with integrated graphics underneath the hood. What stands out, however, is the connectivity.
The newest Vaio offers ports aplenty, and I wish laptop makers would take note. It's not like this is a hulking system, either. Quite the opposite, the Vaio SX12 is, as the model name suggests, a 12.5-inch notebook.
Of course, not all gaming laptops are stingy with ports, it just depends on the model. Gaming laptops tend to be more generous in that regard, so I can't belly ache too much.
As for the Vaio SX12, it packs two USB 3.0 Type-A ports, two USB 3.1 ports (one each of Type-A and Type-C), one HDMI output, a gigabit LAN port, a headphone/microphone port, a full-size SD memory card reader, and even an old-school VGA output of all things, all crammed into a 12.5-inch form factor. I'd trade the VGA port for another USB port or two, but overall, the assortment is not too shabby. It's certainly flexible!
On the wireless side, connectivity options include 802.11ac Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi 5) and Bluetooth 4.1.
While not actually a gaming laptop, you could get away with playing some lighter weight titles on this, if you really wanted to. The entry-level configuration consists of the following:
- Intel Core i5-8265U
- Intel UHD Graphics 620
- 8GB RAM
- 256GB PCIe SSD
- 1MP webcam
- 12.5-inch non-touch display (1920x1080)
- Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
- A whole bunch of ports
Pricing starts at $1,199 for the Vaio SX12.
Correction: This article has been corrected to remove references to Sony, which sold the Vaio brand to Japan Industrial Partners in 2014.
