Official 2012 Sony S Series Owners Thread

As I'm reading all of this posts it's easy to assume to Vaios aren't really reliable and can be broken really fast. That's sad.

 

Yes the sheet is very convenient. Amazon has it for ~70 $ and you can get them off ebay for a bit cheaper.

 

My Sony SVS1512ACXS needs a new battery. Can anyone verify that it's model VGP-BPS24? I don't have my laptop with me. Thanks!

 

Yes this is the model of the battery.

 

Sorry to reply so late, I tried one more clean install using the Windows 8 clean install guide and things seem to be working better. However, my card still crashes anytime I open NVIDIA Control. Also, NVIDIA Control Panel is telling me to update my driver. From what I have read about the hybrid graphics in these VAIO's upgrading the driver through NVIDIA is not preferred. Is this correct? Thank you for your help!

 

I don't think that's correct... I have installed the latest drivers for both the intel and the nvidia chip, and everything works just fine.

 

Has anybody had one of the arrow keys (or any key for that matter) pop off. The stupid cat caused the down arrow key to pop off and for the life of me, I can't figure out to put the damn thing back on. Anybody know of any guides on how to get these keys back on?

 

I have the 15.5" model with an i5 3210M and I used the BIOS mod for the 640M LE at 835/1000.

I've tried playing some Borderlands 2 on 1600x900 resolution and I could only run it on almost LOWEST settings for everything in order for it to be smooth enough to play. Is that normal?

I've seen people running it on MAX settings on the 13" model. Is there a difference in performance between the 13" and the 15.5" model?

Thanks!

 

I just moved to a new apartment in a new town, the owner of the house has set up DSL internet and I am not too thrilled. Here is why:

- the wi-fi connection "drops" every 15-or-so minutes. But what happens is the wifi connection stays on, it doesn't disappear, it just goes to Limited with no internet access. Additionally, I can't see any other wifi networks. When I disable the adapter and enable it again, all is well for another 15 minutes.

Usually I am willing to blame the router, but here it seems like a WLAN adapter issue. I ensured that I have the latest drivers but the problem persists. Any ideas?

 

I have had the exact same issue but only on one particular router, which was a 2Wire. I've used several others with no issues.

 

Sony out of stock on some Vaio S 15 models and offering a $200 discount. I'm debating whether to go for it or hope they might be about to refresh?

 

I've got a S15 W8. After using it for a while, I always get some mild eye strain. I've set the zoom/DPI to 125% and brightness to about 50%. The eye strain doesn't seem to be related to PWM, as my S15 apparently doesn't use PWM to reduce the brightness (I did the camera test from Pulse Width Modulation). Anyone experiencing the same issue? And/or does anyone have a clue about the cause (and solution)?

 

I have reinstalled windows 8 at least 10 times now using the supplied tutorial on this site and every time I continue to get poor performance from my nvidia card. The card crashes randomly it seems but it recovers 9/10 times. (I get the pop up balloon in the task bar about the card recovering). The 1/10 times it doesn't recover I get a BSOD about IRQL or Video TDR. However, I stress test it for an hour and get no errors. I am about to conclude that the card is faulty. Even after restoring to the system recovery I still get this particular issue. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Also, I just crossed the one year mark on this machine... anyone have any advice on how to get Sony to replace/repair it for me?

 

Could someone with a SVS15 with default Win8 and drivers please check if you have audio with Internet Explorer 10 on the following Silverlight video: Silverlight DRM Test
I want to watch Sky Go (streaming of sports events in Europe) which uses MS Silverlight. Unfortunately Silverlight high-def streams only run smoothly in Internet Explorer, but the audio doesn't work... It's driving me crazy.

 

Is there a guide to get to the CPU and gpu? I found the guide how to change the ssd and hd however the guide ends at that and I'm having a hard time removing the motherboard.

 

Anyone knows why Sony offers Nvidia drivers from June 2012? Are there any (proven to be) better drivers available? I own a SVS13A1C5E

 

They're discontinued on the Sony Australia website, at least the 15" is. They're still selling the i5 13" albeit not for much longer.

Sony Asia does not have it listed in their line up at all.

I don't think they're going to give us a refresh with Haswell. They expect people to purchase the "Fit" or "Pro" series, though there's nothing in the Pro line up for 15".

 

I just installed a Sony reconditioned sheet battery and it's saying that it's at 69% and charging, but it doesn't seem to be going any higher. Also, I know the main battery is bad (I have a replacement coming), but if I unplug the cord from the laptop, should the sheet battery keep it powered on? Because it's not.

 

What does your battery status say exactly when you click on it? (the battery icon in the Windows notification area of the status bar, near the clock - left-click on it once).
It should show 2 batteries, not one. It should first show total % of batteries (takes both into account, averaging them), and then ech batter separately. If you only see a single battery, then it is likely it's not detecting one of them - most likely the sheet battery.

I think the main battery, if present, might need to have at least some juice for the sheet to work, but more likely, your sheet is not well connected or working.

 

Does anyone have a Sierra Wireless MC7710 WWAN ((LTE, HSPA+, UMTS, EDGE/GPRS)) in their configuration and managed to obtain a driver for Win7 x64 for it?

I tried to use a driver from a different Sony Vaio model (Z series) with the same WWAN card but it does not install successfully 100%.

My model is S13A3Z9E...

 

Sony Outlet is blowing out the discontinued S Series refurbs. The 13" i7 is running $667 and up and the 15" i7 is $838 and up and they're going fast.

I pulled the trigger using the 10% off coupon 2 weekends ago. They lost the it, never notified me for a week and finally got a replacement sorted out with the discount Friday, the day before the bottom dropped out of the prices.

They have price protection, but from the sounds of it, it works like Office Depot so they have to find an identical model in stock. Customer care specialists are all very nice but I'm a little tired of getting jerked around by them so bought another with better specs and will be spending the next few months trying to get the first returned.

If you get one, keep your eye on your order to make sure it doesn't evaporate.ships

 

Looks like the 13.3" model is out of stock in the US website (and in my local stores too), and I'm not really considering a 15.5".
Would anyone know (or nicely point me to) the differences between the S series and the Vaio Pro & Fit in terms of performance? I'm not excited about having a touchscreen, but performance is my main concern.

Also, would you recommend a refurbished model of the S 13"? I was planning to get a new laptop so it could last 3+ years, and the thing about refurbished laptops is I'm unsure of the condition it is in.

 

The vaio S13 has a both a better GPU and CPU, if that is what you're after.
The only big advantages that the vaio pro has IMO are the superior screen and an SSD.
The SSD however is an upgrade you could easily do later in the vaio S13, for a lower price even.

I've got a refurbished Vaio S13, recieved today and the machine was completely fine in terms of both looks and behavior

I don't know if its the same in the states, but here in the Netherlands Sony offers a 2 year warranty, even on refurbished products.

 

..........................

 

10min ago I installed a bios fix dated 2013 something with C8 in the title description, however after the installation vaio update wants me to install a firmware update from 2012/12/27 .. that doesn't make sense?

 

hey..I was wondering if any one could help me my sony svs1511, cable that span from the hard drive to the motherboard got damage I was wonder where could i find one to replace it

 

Hey everyone, I was just wondering if anyone has found the docking station recently? I found it on a few UK sites, but I live in Canada, so a US or Canadian store would be preferable. This, or some other docking option that I am not currently aware of would be of great help. Thanks!

 

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Got distracted for a bit now got back to it. Do I just go to the sony site and download the newest versions for every driver and try installing over it?

 

Hello guys,

I just made a clean install of windows 8, can someone tell me which drivers i need to install and in what order to get the fn keys working, stamina/speed burton, and control center with all features, for model svs1511n3es.

Thanks for the help.

 

Some helpful posts:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/son...y-s-series-owners-thread-511.html#post8955315
http://forum.notebookreview.com/son...y-s-series-owners-thread-594.html#post9078469

 

Interesting...

Would this work on a SVS13 that came with the standard 1368 screen?

Sony Vaio SVS 13A1 Series 13 3" LED LCD Screen Assembly Webcam 1600x900 Black | eBay

It has the inverter, so I want to believe it's as simple as plug-and-play upgrade, but someone please correct me if I am wrong.

 

Hi,
I have a Vaio S laptop, model SVS13A1X9ES with a RAID0 SSD (256Gb).
My question is related to the Intel RST drivers, since I have version 11.1.3.1001 installed. Is it possible to upgrade to a newer version?
Where can I find it? I tried to download it from the Intel website, but I can't install it.

Thanks in advance,
Ciao
EnTiTy

 

I should of bought the premium version. Several years ago, I purchased the SC (direct predecessor to this thread's model), after a short time, I upgraded to the SA (a designation roughly analogous to the "premium" Vaio S 2012 model). The difference in quality was noticeable, from minor details in the build materials, fan noise characteristics, hinge actuation, etc.

When that unit died, I purchased this Vaio S model. As the premium versions were not available in silver, I went for the normal model (which just was available with my color choice).

I've now learned my lesson, twice. I won't purchase the "base" or "normal" versions of Sony laptops, anymore, as there are simply too many minor downgrades affected to non-premium variants. If I never bought the SA, I would not of noticed. However, that laptop traveled the world with me, and when its demise necessitated a replacement, the downgrade in keyboard, fan, and even materials quality became noticeable (though not blatantly so) over a period of time. The software choices, along with the stratification of various functions within the Vaio CC against normal and premium grades has proven somewhat bothersome (this limitation is not of serious consequence, assuming the old model.txt trick still works - though as that interferes with some of the Vaio software, I no longer use that workaround, and am stuck with the lower trim software).

There is nothing wrong, nor subpar (in this market), with the normal model range. However, for anyone who wants to know if the premium models are indeed "better built," or if the extra cost is indeed justified, I'd encourage them to pay the extra amount Sony requests for upper-trim Vaios.

At any rate, hello fellow NBR members! I've just popped in to look around, and I'm off again; please enjoy this community while you are here.

 

Can i use both hdmi connector if i get a port replicator? (1 for my monitor and 1 cloned for the AV reciver-projector.) I guess no, but maybe someone here tested it already.
I dont need the internal display if the 2 hdmi works , so i dont want 3 display

 

I am experiencing issues with my svs151190x related to my Nvidia card. I have tried multiple clean installs and multiple operating systems and no matter what I get a BSOD whenever I try to run ANYTHING using the Nvidia card. This even includes trying to run the "Adjust Image Settings with Preview" section of Nvidia Control Panel. Attached is the most recent crash dump. Any help would be appreciated. I am about to conclude that my card is fried.

https://skydrive.live.com/redir?resid=6A8B7A5FBA7131E1!1044

 

To the owners of the Sandisk Extreme SSDs. Has anyone of you tried updating the firmware via bootable USB only to get stuck with this screen?

First line on screen shows the SYSLINUX loaded
Second line on screen shows BZIMAGE loaded
Third line on screen shows RAMDISK.GZ loaded........ready.

I'd appreciate some help

 

Hi, I have SVS1312Q9E and I plan to buy an SSD and replace my HDD. Should I buy 7mm or 9mm (I know it's 2,5 inch)? Will the recovery discs work with a new SDD?

 

Can you even find a 9mm SSD? I think all are 7mm, but some have the 9mm adapter.
That said, in my SVS15, I installed the 7mm m4 without an adapter.

 

Oh. I always thought that there are 9mm SSDs. For example, Plextor is supposed to be 9mm:
How thick is the Plextor PX-M5S 256GB PX-256M5S SSD?

So S13 is fully compatible with 7mm SSDs? What about recovery discs? Will they work?

 

I'm replacing my Bluray writer with another SDD as I am editing HD video a lot.. Just wondering where could I sell the M a t s h i t a BD-MLT UJ267 drive for a reasonable price? If I recall right I paid ~£120-160 for it and would like to recoup at least half of it. It seems to be some kind of specialist drive, I guess that's why it was priced so highly. Or was it just "Sony price"?

Thanks for any info and suggestions.

 

You might be right:
I need a thin laptop SSD - [H]ard|Forum
This one is 7:
Amazon.com: Crucial m4 512GB 2.5-Inch Solid State Drive SATA 6Gb/s with Data Transfer Kit CT512M4SSD2CCA: Electronics
as is this one:
Amazon.com: Crucial m4 512GB 2.5-Inch (7mm) SATA 6Gb/s Solid State Drive CT512M4SSD1: Computers & Accessories
But for Crucial I think the only way to have a 9mm m4 was to have the "desktop kit" which contains an adapter to make the 7mm drive into a 9mm drive.

No clue... I don't even know what that is really, since I always install my own OS

 

Right after i booted my Vaio for the first time it asked me to make a recovery discs (5 DVDs) with a backup of OS and all pre-installed software. I'm not sure if it'll work if I change my HDD into SSD. I don't have my own OS and I've heard there are problems with Sony drivers.

I'm thinking about buying 250gb SSD - Plextor or maybe Samsung. So I'll search for 7mm, if it's okay.

 

IIRC, it was the first commercially available 9,5 mm slot-in blu-ray burner drive (probably still is).

 

Not sure if this has already been posted, tried a search and came up with nothing.. But for those of you who have the Crucial M4 drive and weren't able to get SATA 3 to work with the sleep workaround, try updating the firmware on the drive to the latest 070H. This did the trick for me. Got the update directly from Crucial's site.

 

Has anyone upgraded their CPU's on the Vaio S 15?

 

^ you can't do it. it's soldered onto the motherboard.

 

Now, my laptop display is always black, but I can see the backlight is on.

My laptop was connected to an external monitor via AVI and when I click on Screen Resolution, I see that my monitor's name and my laptop monitor's name, but it's name is now different. When I connected via HDMI, everything was fine..

My laptop Display was always called "Vaio". It had max resolution of 1600 x 900.

Now, my Display is called "Digital Flat Panel (1024x768 60hz)" that is totally different than my display...any help? I only experienced this after I used AVI

 

Hello all, I just got a Series S 15 and had a quick question about the touchpad. My touchpad is slanted to the right. Is this normal?

 

Mine isn't slanted.

 

Not hugely unusual, in most cases it will end up with a slight slant after a while

If its very significant and the laptop is brand new, you might want to return it

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