The Sony A317M is to be considered a desktop replacement with style to match. Great looks, a vibrant display with Sony's X-Black screen which has life-like colors and clarity makes this laptop a luxury class machine for you. Playing games and DVDs is a cakewalk for this monster of a machine. Running high-end games line Doom 3 and Halo with the highest resolution did not seem to deter the machine at the least considering the ATI Mobility Radeon with 128 MB Graphics memory. Wireless works like a charm with excellent range and strength even in a big house/office. Runs fine on Windows XP Home. Bundled software includes Sony's own media center, Sonic Record Now!, Adobe photoshop elements, Norton Internet security, WinDVD, Norton Password manager, MS Works 8.0, Apple iTunes and other useful stuff. Sound quality is also commendable considering the small speakers, but I found it low at times when playing MP3's. There is a hidden drive which has all the software that you would need in case of a recovery during a system crash. The HDD is partitioned into two with the C drive containing all installed software. Sony recommends that we store all files and data in the second partition D drive.
There is no noise from the HDD or the DVD drive, though I hear the drive emit a high pitched squeal only when trying to read CD-R and CD-RWs. The fan is very quiet and doesn't bother you at all, though this laptop does tend to get hot when you are playing games continuously. Would not recommend keeping it on the lap for too long, which I wouldnt imagine anyone doing it considering the weight. Wireless has its own on/off button which helps save a lot of power when not in use. Battery life is average, running for about 2.5 hours playing games and surfing the internet as well.
Accessories are not that many, though I love the wireless mouse provided, looks something like an unidentified flying object. Range is fine with the mouse.
Considering all aspects of this laptop, I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for a desktop replacement machine to play a lot of high end games, wireless requirements, video editing and of course with a fairly fat wallet.