Official 2012 Sony S Series Owners Thread

Yeah, I tried with 2 different videos that are dolby DTS and in VLC for example if I select 5.1 I'm still only getting Audio from the left and right speaker only... The thing that is wrong is that when I go on the Sound Properties, under playback, and chose my TV, do a properties or whatever, only the 2 speaker option is available. The only way to force 5.1 is through Windows Media Center... which is very weird.

The other weird thing is let say the audio is in stereo, how come the bass sounds as bad as the internal speakers? my subwoofer doesn't output anything. This is the same setup I had with my old laptop and everything worked fine then...

And congrats on the laptop, that thing is amazing

 

This is a great idea, the S13 has an open mPCIe slot as well. The only hard part is going to be accessing it though.

Is there a cheaper version of the mPCIe to USB? $20 seems pretty steep for such a little thing

 

I have a "fresh start" and these programs were preinstalled but not listed in Programs and Features of Control Panel. I had to run regedit, go to Windows Uninstall registry keys area, find entries for these programs, copy values from UninstallString keys, and run those. Indeed, that unistalled software and removed it from Program Files folders.

I think I saw something similar in Amazon market place and on eBay.
If you don't mind some soldering then Brando and Amazon versions of getting to USB and SATA wiring on the mPCIe slot.

 

Since the programs are pre-installed, does that mean there is some way to run them? I'm going to receive my Vaio next week, and I'm wondering if I could get Vegas, and Acid back. That way I don't need to buy it all back again. Thanks.

 

I really really hope not! I'm just about ready to order my S15 and was going to select the FreshStart option as well, but I really want Vegas. I think the fresh start option only removes "trial" software, or that was the impression I got..

Anyone here get there laptop already with the FreshStart option and confirm wether these programs are included or not?

 

Should be possible. They were in the Start menu as well, I think. I simply noticed them in Program Files folders and did not want that stuff. As far as I remember it included ACID Music, light versions of Sound Forge, Vegas, DVD Architect. The whole suite. They are very good programs too.

 

Hiho

Today I got my new Vaio S15 and I am very happy with this beauty

Tomorrow I would like to do a clean win7 installation and now is my question, which from the Sony software is neccesary or useful?

Maybe the Sony smart agent for wlan is a nice application.. what do you think?

Sorry for my bad english.. Thanks a lot

 

Got my 13a premium today and spent a few minutes with it on my lunch break. Loving it so far. It's so light! I was afraid it would be too small but holding it in my lap I think it's perfect. I got the gunmetal and the brushed effect is more subtle than I was expecting but it looks great.

I still have a lot of software work ahead of me downloading, uninstalling, and changing settings when I get home tonight. I'm 100% factory parts including Sony's 256GB SSD and 12GB of RAM. If anyone has any questions about it feel free to ask, but this is my first new laptop so I'm not used to running the benchmarking software that I keep reading about. I'd be willing to be walked through any steps though.

 

How is the touchpad on the latest S15 working for everyone? I've read some contra reviews of people on Sony's site that are having issues with it.

 

Idk, the fact that it's the exact same part as the 640M, just downclocked, seems to indicate to me that a GDDR5 640M LE should be able to exist.

I've seen it all, and if you talk to Vizio reps they've all told me it's DDR5. I'm aware that reps can screw up, but not a single one of them told me DDR3 and they seemed to understand the question.

I think Anandtech would have been aware that there was no GDDR5 640M LE in the specs if there wasn't, and if so, they would have said it. Notice how they called to attention the presence of 1066 RAM, but not a GDDR5 640M LE. That might make one think that Anandtech believes that there is a GDDR5 640M LE I think. I don't think Anand is a site to get caught posting something like that without correcting it.

And still... I repeat, 640M LE is a downclocked 640M. Everything is the same about it. If the 640M can be ddr5, why can the 640M LE not be? Doesn't make any sense imo.

Edit: And the link you gave is much older. I have seen it before, but I'm tempted to believe more recent information from the same website as opposed to older information. Things CAN easily change (and it doesn't go against what Nvidia themselves say but meh).

Another edit: Conversation with an Nvidia rep:

Me: Hi, I was wondering if you could clear something up for me about your GT640M LE product.
Me: I was wondering if it actually is available in a GDDR5 Kepler Variant as shown in the anandtech article here: http://www.anandtech.com/show/6026/acers-timeline-ultra-m5-ivy-bridge-ultrabooks-with-kepler-gpus
Me: Acer lists the 640m le as ddr5, and Vizio reps have told me that it's available in ddr5 (the kepler version) and i wanted to see if that's the case

Rep: Austin, we design just the basic chipset. So the specs of the card vary according to the manufacturer and also the kind of memory type being used.

Me: Yeah, so, if the manufacturer WANTED to, they could have a 640M LE part with GDDR5? (obviously you have no control over this, but there's nothing preventing it?)

Rep: Yes.

So unless Nvidia themselves are wrong, I don't know what other evidence I can provide

 

I maybe have a mysterious problem. When I watch a movie with PowerDVD I have some corona/halo in the bottom and the top. But only with by using this program.

When I switch my windows background color into black there are no corona effetcs..

How can that be?

 

Sony Vaio Japan states that every model comes only with 640M LE and there are 1GB and 2GB versions of it. It does not state if grafix memory is GDDDR5 or DDR3.
I very much doubt that there id GDDR5 model available, since i have not seen anyone with it yet. I have read pretty much entire thread.

 

Again... see my quote on the last page. Both Acer and Vizio are offering them, and Nvidia has confirmed it is possible.

 

No one was saying that its not possible. Of course it is. GT640M LE = GT640M = GT650M. Only memory type and clocks speeds can differ.

Just that Sony Vaio S are all DDR3.

 

Some TVs which only have stereo speakers will report they only support 2 channels over HDMI and the Intel Display Audio will properly only allow 2 channels output. This is working as intended.

When I connected the S15 to my receiver, it was able to output up to 7.1 channels because that is what the receiver reports it supports.

If you want your bass back, you need to set the output to Full Range by checking the box when you click Configure in the Intel Display Audio's entry in the Sound control panel. Otherwise Windows will cut off all frequencies below 120hz for you. This is a feature of Windows and is working as intended.

 

Can someone with the S15 with 1gb GPU please confirm if it is the 640M or the 640M LE? I'm 90% sure it is the latter but just wanted to double check since the Sony website now has them listed as 640M 1gb and 640M LE 2gb.

 

I don't trust product specs to the letter, just look at Sony where most company reps and their website claim its a GT 640M, not the LE version. But the Nvidia rep is a better source yeah . Now Nvidia themselves actually confirmed that it could exist.

 

Can anyone tell me if this memory will work in the S13A premium?

Corsair 8GB DDR3 1333MHz Laptop Memory (8GX3M1A1333C9) : Laptop Memory - Future Shop

I realize the price is pretty high for the ram, but i have a gift card i haven't used for like a year that I could get rid of.

 

Oh no, I know the Vaio S was. I thought that your comment about no DDR5 was referencing all 640M LE, not the Vaio specifically. If it was only talking about the Vaio, then my apologies I wish sony didn't use DDR3 though.

Yeah. Theoretically, a 640M LE could be overclocked to GTX660M levels, but the 660M are probably higher quality parts and such, the way that GK107 works right now makes it really easy for Nvidia to use almost all of their products, lower quality parts can go straight to 640M LE's, higher quality goes to 660M. I'm strongly considering the Acer TimelineU M5 or the Vizio, and I might have bought the sony if the darn thing had ddr5, ddr5 is so much faster at 1080P.

 

wow so the VIEWING ANGLES on the s13a arent great? can you take a couple pictures perhaps?
i havent seen many complaints on this, but then again theres still not too much feedback or reviews yet

 

^ In the post from bluescrn, I don't see where it is mentioned if it is the standard S13 (1366 by 768) or the premium S13 (1600 by 900). It has been mentioned the standard version has a poor screen as I have not seen one myself. As for the premium 1600 by 900 screen, I have seen that because I bought my wife a CTO S13 Premium in gold. I can honestly say it is pretty decent. I am pretty pickey about screen quality. My 2 VAIO's have very good screens so I was a little concerned the S13 Premium wouldn't be that good. The viewing angles are pretty good surprisingly. Once I ran a color calibration the colors that, out of the box had a bit of green, are now pretty vibrant. I would definitely recommend getting the 1600 by 900 S13 Premium model.

 

http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Sony-Vaio-VPC-SA3X9E-XI-Notebook.75165.0.html
Based on this review, the screen in the S13A is better than the one in the SA, especially in terms of the gamut. However, it's still not that excellent IMO.

 

Hi. I went through almost all your posts and I have to say, you are extremely knowledgeable. moreover, your posts are easy on the eye and quite straightforward.

anyways, I am originally from Norway but am based in Southeast Asia cos of my dad and his work. I called up the S.E.A's Sony hotline but they no clue of the existence of this model.

My question is, can I purchase the S13 premium from the Sony US store and get it shipped here? Is it advisable to do so? Will I be able to get the free PS3 as well? Any idea?

Thanks!

 

What? The notebookcheck.net review that your link directs to is the previous SA model. Read that review and it states the graphics card is the AMD Radeon HD6630M and look at the photos again. You will notice that SA notebook has the mouse buttons under the trackpad. The 2012 SA13 has a clickable trackpad with no buttons. Other features listed are different as well. I didn't see any mention of a comparison of the previous SA and the new SA13 in the notebookcheck.net review. Therefore, this is not the SA13 Premium we are discussing. I looked at those photos of the screen in that review and I am saying the screen on the S13 Premium is MUCH better than that.

 

Sorry I put the wrong link there. Below is the correct link.
http://www.notebookcheck.com/Test-Sony-Vaio-SV-S13A1Z9E-S-Notebook.77244.0.html

 

I was wondering, if I restore a brand new Sony Vaio S with my system from my SA3, would anything change?

I mean, since Vaio SA3 had Dolby Home Theater 3, does that mean if I restore my new VAIO S, I wouldn't get my Dolby Home Theater 4 back?

I just don't want to reinstall everything and change all of the settings...
Is there another option out there to avoid installing everything and changing all of the settings?

 

I have the 1GB model in the US and it' a NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M LE.

 

I just recently purchased an SVS13A and immediately found that its display pivot function is inactivated. Since I want to use an external display vertically, I am wondering how I ca reactivate this function. Is there anyone who can use the pivot function in this model?

 

Hey Thead,

Can you give me your thoughts on the screen? I'm most concerned about the grainy appearance of the screen and sharpness and readability of the text.

Thanks!

 

Hi All, I have a question regarding my S13A I'm hoping someone can help with. I managed to install my crucial 256 GB SSD and install a clean version of Windows 7. I downloaded and installed all of the necessary drivers. Everything seemed to be working as expected, Windows boots in under 10 seconds which is great.

The one issue I'm now realizing is that installed programs are taking much longer to launch than they should. When I try to open simple programs like paint and minesweeper, the system seems to hang up for about 5 seconds before lanching the application. This happens with every program I've tried, I assigned the Sony Vaio center to one of my quick start keys and it takes forever to launch. I can't figure out why this is happening, anyone have an idea as to what could be causing this? Thanks.

 

I am wondering how much faster the 640M LE is with the GDDR5 though, in actual real-life performance. Since I cannot find any comparison between a GGDR3 and GDDR5 Kepler version (since the previous Keplers all seem to have had GDDR3). I found a benchmark of the Acer in 3dmark 11 (it got 1523), so now I gotta find a bechmark of the Sony.

 

Delete all programs you dont want and then run registry cleaner, driver sweeper.

Guru3D - Driver Sweeper

 

No, Mine's a 1600x900.

After the initial disappointment (which was exaggerated by seeing the very uneven backlighting on a black screen when it starts up - which is somewhat viewing-angle-dependent), I'm getting more used to it, and it'll be fine for what I'll be using it for (programming, internet, office, a bit of gaming).

It's not a terrible screen, but I wouldn't rate it as a great screen, and recommend it for artists/graphic designers.

Something to look at is the Win7 taskbar. To me, it looks rather washed out and low-contrast compared to other panels that I've used recently. Maybe only noticably if you're really fussy about such things.

I tried taking some photos, but they didn't come out well - they make things look really bad...

There's also some banding visible on the default Win7 wallpaper (top left area), and if you look closely, blocks of solid colour, such as the white background of an Exporer window, look a bit 'dirty'/dithered compared to better panels

Anyway, I've got it sat next to a 2008 13" Macbook, which despite it's age, I'd say it has better colour reproduction, better blacks, and more even backlighting (it's a 1280x800 glossy screen, though)

I've also got a Dell L501x, which the Sony is replacing. That has a lovely 1080p screen (not sure if it's TN or IPS?). But it's too big and heavy to carry around much - and I've had real problems with the Dell overheating and underperforming...

But other than the screen, the machine seems great so far, since putting the SSD in along with 8Gb more RAM, and giving it a fresh Win7 install.

Summary after 1 day:

Screen - Not amazing, but not terrible either
Speakers - Lousy! (of course, it sounds great through headphones)
Everything else - Great!

 

The Macs do have terrible screens though. They might seem more "fun" due to the glossy Mac screen is making colours pop out more, but I wouldn't say that is better.

 

That's definitely a factor. I've not done any 'real work' on the Vaio yet - just a good few hours of installing drivers and software, and generally setting things up... Will have to see how I'm finding it when I've spent some more time with it....

 

I stated that my wife's S13 Premium screen is pretty decent after I ran the color calibration tool that is built in Windows 7. Initially it had an overall tint of green but after the calibration the colors look pretty vibrant with decent blacks. I do agree it's not the best and it certainly isn't VAIO Z quality. The worst screens I have ever seen in a VAIO were the CW line. As for that notebookcheck.net review that ended up being correctly linked, my wife's gold S13 Premium screen looks so much better than what the tested model was showing. Not sure why such a big difference. That was a fully speced out model which was tested. And look at the video review of the S13 Premium in Mobile Tech Review, that one also looks so much better than the notebookcheck.net review. Perhaps there are variances of panel quality from country to country?

 

for those of you with SSD's

how fast does it take for rapid wake to finishing saving when you close your laptop?

with my 5400 hdd it seems to take forever. maybe like 15-20 seconds

it kind of defeats the purpose, if i have to wait for the hdd to stop spinning before i can put away my lappy.

of course it doesnt matter anyway with the ssd as there are no moving parts anyway. but just curious

 

Sure, but as potential costumer should the sales rep not want to sell a product to you? Ok, it could be just bad luck this time, but the differnce is really big comparing to the US. When negotiating about the price, it is not surprising you will mention another product (which you might not be interested in at all), right? Also if a potential costumer is considering to buy a product that is >1000 euros a discount like at least 5% should be possible, don't you agree? Especially if you take into account that Europeans (and apparently also Canadians) have higher prices and less discount deals than the US. For the US one quick phone call or even just ordering online and you get 10% off + free PS3 / Vita / dock. Of course these are "different markets", but the differences are to big imho...

 

I think the screen looks great, but I don't have past experience with much to compare it to. My wife was even sitting on the other end of the couch from me yesterday and said "wow that screen looks amazing." I don't see any grainiess and the text looks fine to me. I zoomed this forum in to 200% and everything looks fine. It has very wide horizontal viewing angles, but pretty poor vertical angles. I've seen worse though, not in angle but in distortion. My wife's old laptop once you got to too low of an angle the colors would invert. On this screen it seems to just get darker and not distorted.

Is it possible to post screenshots on here? I could take some later this evening but it's possible my camera would make it look more horrible than it is.

 

Thanks. Turns out it's irrelevant anyway though, as I can't choose the 1gb version and have the i7 quad core cpu

 

How is the screen compared with the older Vaio SA models?

I have seen both the Z and T series screens and they both look really nice, how does the S compare with them?

 

About a second, and you don't have to wait for that since it's, well, solid state.

 

Rapid Wake is just Windows Hybrid Sleep. With an SSD you may as well just kill that (Hibernate too) since the boot times are so quick.

 

Hi,
All notebooks in year 2012 including MacBooks contain 1600 MHz RAM but the new VAIO S13 and S15 which have only 1333 MHz, that's a disappointing, any ideas whether if Sony will release a newest VAIO S15 in coming fall supporting 1600 MHz?

 

For all of you who like numbers:

i5, 4GB RAM, GT640M LE 1GB

out of the box, 3DMark11 Basic: 1370p
out of the box with newest nvidia beta drivers, 3DMark11 Basic: 1377p

Tommorow I will do a clean install and check again.

Greetings

 

Unless you are usig integrated graphics you won't see a difference in real world scenarios. Maybe a few percentage in synthetic benchmarks.

More RAM is always more important than RAM speed.

 

What specific memory and SSD would you guys recommend if I'm going to be using aftermarket non-Sony RAM (8 additional Gb) and an aftermarket 256Gb SSD to save some cash up front? I'm ordering a VAIO 13.3" S Series Premium Custom Laptop, Model Number: SVS13A190X.

I'm going to have a local shop do the actual install, but I have to purchase the RAM & SSD myself. By going this route, I'm saving some $$$ over what Sony would charge for additional RAM & a 256Gb SSD.

 

Actually, it's better if the sales is honest with you, rather than you spending time doing a return, and them ending up with a returned product.

I bought mine in Taiwan, and I paid about 15% more for the same product if I had used custom configuration in the US, and there were no freebies besides a fabric laptop bag. No discount, no half price sheet battery, no docks available at all, no PS3, no Vita....nothing. And many of the stores here are sold out of the stock that they have anyway...

BTW, there isn't even a custom configuration option in Taiwan. I wanted 7200 RPM drive and Blu-ray. not even an option.

 

Does someone know where to download the vaio control center?
Think I will need it after clean install for the backlit-keyboard

edit: got it^^

 

Does anyone know if the CPU throttles (i7) under high loads (or high heat). I've heard this is a problem in the new XPS15 and Asus N56. I was wondering if its also an issue in the Vaio15