The Sony VAIO VPC-SE23FX/S ($999 direct) is the latest desktop replacement laptop to come out of Sony, and it ticks all the boxes on the list of favorite features, like a slim chassis, speedy Core i5 processor, 1080p display, and backlit keyboard. A few features are unexpected, like a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) for the security conscious, and a life-extending external battery slice. With such a feature set the Sony VAIO VPC-SE23FX/S will prove to be a tempting alternative to our Editors' Choice Dell XPS 15z (Microsoft) ($999 direct, 4 stars), even if the performance isn't quite as fast as that of its peers.

Design
The VPC-SE23FX/S features the same full-flat design seen in last Sony VAIO VPC-SE16FX/S ($1,249.99 direct, 4 stars), with no sloping in the keyboard and even thickness from front to back when closed. The S tacked onto the end of the model number indicates the platinum silver color seen here on the aluminum lid and palmrest as well as the plastic covering the rest of the chassis. The VAIO VPC-SE23FX is also available in black.

The VPC-SE23FX/S is under one inch thick, measuring 0.97 by 14.97 by 10.08 inches (HWD), and weighs only 4.4 pounds. It also comes with an external battery slice, which extends the battery life considerably, but also bumps up the total weight to 5.7 pounds. By comparison, the HP Envy 15 (2012) ($1,249.99 direct, 4 stars) weighs 5.7 pounds with no hardware.

The VPC-SE23FX/S's 15.6-inch widescreen offers an eye-popping 1,920-by-1,080 resolution display, the same resolution seen on the HP Envy 15 (2012). It's ideal for enjoying movies in full HD, except that you'll need to find those movies somewhere other than a Blu-ray disc, because the VPC-SE23FX/S is equipped with a DVD drive. The drop-hinge design used on the VPC-SE23FX/S provides the illusion that the screen is actually separate from the rest of the laptop, which is a pretty cool effect. Accompanying the display is Dolby Home Theater v.4 simulated surround sound, which produced clear sound and decent bass when tested with some streaming music (some David Bowie and M83). For actual surround sound you'll need a separate set of speakers.

The keyboard is full-sized, with an accompanying numeric pad, with chiclet-style keys and a glowing backlight. It also comes with a silicon keyboard cover, which covers the plastic keys with a silicone membrane that I actually preferred to the standard keyboard. The accompanying multitouch touchpad is responsive and smooth, and the right and left buttons clicked smoothly, if loudly.

Features
The VPC-SE23FX/S places all of its ports along the right hand side of the chassis, with the DVD optical drive on the left side. Two USB 2.0 ports and one USB 3.0 port are joined by an HDMI-out port, a VGA monitor connection, and Gigabit Ethernet. There are two media card slots, one for SD and SDHC cards, and another for Sony's proprietary Memory Stick cards (MS/Duo/Pro). On the front of the laptop is a physical switch to turn off all wireless connections, which includes 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, and WiDi 2.0—Intel's wireless HD media streaming technology (which requires an adapter, such as the $99 Netgear Push2TV.)

Also inside you'll find a 640GB 5,400rpm hard drive, which offers space enough for programs, photos, music and movies, but isn't as large and fast as the 750GB, 7200rpm drive found in the Samsung Series 7 (NP700Z5A-S03) ($1,299 list, 4 stars). It is, however, protected by Sony's G-Sensor shock protection to guard against hard drive damage from shakes and bumps. The VPC-SE23FX/S also comes with enhanced security in the form of a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) and Symantec's Validation and ID Protection service (VIP).

You will be subject to some bloatware, but nothing to egregious or difficult to remove. On the desktop are two website links for eBay and special offers from Sprint. The VPC-SE23FX/S also comes with Evernote, Skype, Microsoft Office Starter 2010, and a 30-day trial of Norton Internet Security. Sony includes several VAIO branded utilities, such as VAIO Care and VAIO Messenger. Sony also covers the laptop with a one-year warranty.

Performance
Sony has outfitted the VPC-SE23FX/S with a 2.5GHz dual-core Intel Core i5-2450M processor and 4GB of RAM, similar to the Core i5-2430M seen in the HP Envy 15 and the Core i5-2410M seen in the Dell XPS 15z (Microsoft). In PCMark 7 performance tests, the VPC-SE23FX/S scored 2,049 points, ahead of the Dell XPS 15z (2,012) but behind the Envy 15 (2,218 points). In CineBench R11.5 rendering tests, the VPC-SE23FX/S scored 2.78 points, ahead of both the HP Envy 15 and the Dell XPS 15z, but falling behind quad-core CPU equipped competitors like the Toshiba Satellite P755-S5269 ($979.99 list, 4 stars). The VPC-SE23FX/S fell behind in multimedia tests, but still completed Handbrake and Photoshop CS5 tests with enough speed (Handbrake 1:50, Photoshop 4:36) that it will satisfy the user who occasionally edits a clip for YouTube or touches up a photo.