Core i7 added to new Sony VAIO S-Series and F-Series notebooks and gaming laptops

Sony’s VAIO notebook family gets an update today, with both their S-Series ultra-portable range and F-Series machines boasting powerful innards thanks to the addition of i7 processors.

Looking at the S-Series first, the i7 included features Turbo Boost overclocking, and is backed up by a DVD Burner, and optional SSD and AMD Radeon HD 6630 GPU upgrades.

Screen size is 13.3 inches, running at 1600 x 900, with a battery life of 15 hours if you cough up for the $150 optional “slice” battery. There’s also the choice to upgrade to an optional Blu-ray drive too.

“Users these days want a laptop that will last for hours without charging, is small and light enough to carry around with you but doesn’t sacrifice any of the performance and power that you’d find in a full-sized PC,” said Mike Lucas, senior vice president of the Networked Technology and Services Division at Sony Electronics.

“You can fly nonstop from Los Angeles to Tokyo or attend a full day of classes on just one charge with this S Series laptop when combined with the optional sheet battery.”

Per-orders for the new S-Series open today, starting at $1,350.

Sony’s VAIO F-Series gaming machines also go on order today. With a 16.4-inch 1920 x 1080 Full HD display, quad-core Core i7 processor, NVIDIA GeForce GT 540M (1GB) or 520M (512MB) graphics and as much as 750GB of storage, they’re looking to stand alongside ultra-portable gaming rigs from the likes of Alienware.

A backlit keyboard, USB 3.0 connections, a HD webcaman and S-Force Front Surround 3D technology along with Dolby Home Theater v3 support round out the machines, available from $1,100.