Official 2012 Sony S Series Owners Thread

For me that's a no brainer. More RAM is always better. For example, you can make good use of a ramdisk if you have an HDD. The only small downside is if you use hibernation, the hiberfil.sys file will need to be a lot bigger than for 4Gb.

 

What I did was install the Realtek generic drivers from the Realtek site and then uninstall them again (not using device manager) - didn't realise this process was necessary. Also I'm on a clean install but not sure if it matters.

These settings are gorgeous on mine:

Code:

Windows: SRGB 

Intel:	Red:	Brightness: -1
				Contrast: 50
				Gamma: 1.1 
			
		Green:	Brightness: -4
				Contrast: 47
				Gamma: 1.0
				
		Blue:	Brightness: -3
				Contrast: 42
				Gamma: 0.9
				

Make sure battery power saving is off in the intel gpu panel also

 

ComradeNF, thanks for the video, I'll add it to the first post of the thread. If there's anything else anyone feels strongly should be added to the OP, let me know.

Petrov.

 

Ok gonna' order it with student discount & 6% quidco but it wont accept my card? I've never had trouble like this before, do they not accept visa electron. Waiting for my mom to get home now and I'll pay her

 

I'd personally love some side by side videos/photos, but even more than that, I'd like to see the extended battery on the s15 (current USA promotion has free extended battery). In particular, could you take a low straight-on shot from the side so I can get a feel for how much rise the extended battery gives?

hrm...straight-on from the side seems like poor phrasing, but I'm sure you know what I mean.

Also, a question for those who have the extended battery:

if you plan on only using it from time to time, what is the best way to store it so that it doesn't lose its charge?

 

Keep it very well protected inside 2 anti-humidity bags or so in the fridge at around 40% charge, so it stays dry and cool.

The freezer might be a better option, but it'll need better protection because of higher humidity.

 

Lol, something tells me my wife may not let this one fly...

 

I know this is a sony S series forum but the last 2 days have really got me confused when i found out about other 1080p screen options that i have in my budget (1000 $ +- 10%).
As of now i am confused between the below listed three models and requesting some unbiased opinion on which is better. Just to let you all know, the orangegate is not an issue for me and GPU is not of prime importance as i do not play any games. But with this budget i know that almost all of them will have some sort of GPU.
It is the 1080p screen that is enticing me.

So the ones i am considering now are...

Sony Vaio S15 - lower end model with no Nvidia GPU
Lenovo Y580 - the one with 1080p screen
ASUS N56VZ

If this is not the appropriate place for this query, i can open a thread in the "which notebook to buy" forum.

 

Y580 and N56 are quite bulky, though offer great build quality and a slightly better gpu. On the other hand, S15 has a sleek design and weighs just around 2 kilos. Also, its IPS FHD display is just gorgeous! (compared to the TN panels in the other 2 notebooks)

If you go for the s15 variant with 640m le, then you can use the bios mod by Amal77 to make it perform on par with the 650m offered in the other 2 notebooks.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/sony/677079-sony-vaio-s-bios-mod-gt640m-le.html#post8706585

 

I had this problem with 2 cards (visa electron and mastercard debit) both likely due to max transaction limit - credit card worked fine however

 

True about the IPS panel and weight. I have held the S15 in my hand at local fry's and it is indeed very light and i am almost sold on the S15. I am just waiting for the silver color to popup on amazon.com

Also you mentioning the GPU overclock is right but as i said that i am planning to buy the lower end model which does not have Nvidia GPU but only Intel graphics. This is because i have almost no use of that since i do not play any games and do not do any resource intensive task.
But yes sometimes i do plan to attach the laptop to my 46" sony LCD TV using HDMI. Any use of the Nvidia card while doing that ?

 

According to Sony my laptop has shipped as of this morning. Excellent. Now just time to get some more RAM and a SSD and I'm set. And then work my way through this thread looking for all the tweaks you guys have used over the past month or so.

 

pah. supposed to have been dispatched from the factory at 1am yesterday (got an email) but no email confirming its reached Europe or a tracking number yet. Guess the chances of having it tomorrow for the weekend are 0.

think my SSD is arriving from Dabs today too. got the samsung 256gb 830 for £150 from Dabs

 

I agree 100% (maybe 110%) with both comments. The form factor of the S15 is just remarkable and the screen is gorgeous. I'm also astonished that it gets 30+FPS at medium on games like BF3 and the GPU stays around 65C.

-Matt

 

US Amazon has had the silver S15 for a while (well, Marketplace sellers like J&R anyway). But I would STRONGLY suggest going directly through Sony -- you'll get goodies like the sheet battery (or whatever other promotion is good at the time). I also noticed that the pre-built silver S15 was $100 cheaper on the Sony education site -- but that discount dropped yesterday.

I doubt you will see the integrated-GPU-only model at Amazon, btw. Probably have to order that directly from Sony. Either way afaik the Intel HD 4000 will handle video playback via HDMI with no problems!

-Matt

 

Check this -> http://www.amazon.com/Sony-SVS15119...&qid=1343318927&sr=8-2&keywords=sony+vaio+svs

This one does not have Nvidia GPU i guess. Only HD4000 Graphics.

Also i have 1000 $ in amazon GC balance which i won't be able to use after 4 months as i will be going back to my home country. So i have to buy from amazon.com only. Also i have nothing else to buy in my list (from amazon) before i leave.
I did see the silver one through one of the marketplace sellers and hoping that it will come back again.

 

Good one! Forgive my tunnel vision, I totally forgot about the other model numbers!

Ah yeah, Amazon gift card credit. Same issue here. I'll be hating life if I end up purchasing directly from Sony. I hope your situation works out.

-Matt

 

How does the S15 compare with the Samsung Series 7 laptop (link below)

Link-> http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0083S3OWW/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&seller=

I know this one is 900p as against the 1080p of sony but is the overall package of the laptop good ? Build quality ? Speakers seem good as they are JBL (+ over the sony). Although the link might show price as 1099 $ but it is even lower through some other marketplace sellers.
Also it says the battery is 8 cells which i am presuming is better.

God....i am so confused with what i want to buy. Happens everytime, be it mobile phone, iPod dock and whatnot.

 

EDIT: given the discussion following my post, I should be REALLY CLEAR that the list below is not implied to be a kind of "everyone-agrees" but more a "in my experience" list. There are also lots of qualifications to the pros and cons, e.g., due to random circumstances I'm comparing a Sony Core i5 to a Samsung Core i7. So read with a "grain of salt." YMMV!

I may be uniquely qualified to answer that. I owned the S01US for a week then returned for trackpad (build) issues. I now have a prebuilt S15 w/Core i5 for a few weeks.

I'm still hoping to write a full comparison post, but here are my thoughts at this particular moment:

Samsung NP700Z5C-S01US

Pros - superb build quality -- feels SOLID - super cool (temps) - OUTSTANDING keyboard (esp. backlight) - very quiet - SCREAMS with the Core i7 - true 640m w/DDR5 - 8GB Express Cache is super - screen bezel is nice - excellent trackpad - SUPERB battery life - OEM software is great

Cons - "heavy" at 5.3lbs - "sharp" edge near trackpad - VGA requires a dongle/adapter - huge power brick - poor display contrast - barely adequate horizontal viewing angles; vertical is a mess - integrated mic/headphone port - straight power plug - no external indicator lights

Sony SVS15113FVS

Pros - featherweight, a JOY to carry - BREATHTAKING IPS 1080p screen (red not an issue for me) - great trackpad - L-shaped power plug - SUPER cool during gameplay - 640m LE surprisingly adequate

Cons - keyboard kinda "meh", leaky backlight - not as zippy as the Core i7 - mediocre battery life - fan and HDD noisy - bulky/intrusive OEM software - pretty lame F-keys - plasticky build (magnesium?) - wide bezel - build issues (e.g., loose bezel) - wristpad gets too warm

It's a work in progress and there are dozens of details I could add (e.g., no built-in SATA III on Sony, promotions available, etc). Hopefully I'll get to organize my thoughts and get it uploaded.

Bottom line? I can't decide between the two -- it's basically a dead heat for now. The weaknesses of one are addressed by the other! I guess for any owner it will come down to their particular needs and tastes.

-Matt

 

@Matt

Thanks a ton for that comparison. I guess i have already removed Y580 and ASUS N56VZ from my list and found out about the samsung one just today. And yes about personal choice, you are spot on. It is more of what "I" need and only i can decide what fits my requirements. I hope to see the samsung at Frys as i plan to go there this weekend. They have lots of laptops on display which is a plus and it is just 4 miles away from my home.
Although 1080p screen is enticing but not something i am dying for. I will see how 900p is.
But at this point i think the samsung one is beginning to look more VFM. Lets see what i get inclined towards.

 

You should not expect spectacular battery life on a 15inch laptop with full voltage cpu, IPS full hd screen at 15 in and a dedicated gpu, again can switch to hd400.

the S is not plastic, it is an alloy of magnesium and something else, I do believe the bottom is plastic but I am not 100% sure on this. the bezel is something that bothered me as well bit decided there is nothing one can do about that and moved on from that problem. OEM software can be removed with clean install or fresh start if you do that through sony. and the i5 can be upgraded to the i7 but again price is higher and I would think more battery hungry. technically the S has sata 3, but you need the ssd from sony, or as seen in the thread about the ssd for the S, sata 3 speeds can be achieved via some methods. It all depends what you will be using the computer for and how much you will be traveling with it.

 

I thought the exact same thing -- and loved the Samsung which I played with first -- until I saw the Sony.

First thought: "Damn, I can't read 1080p text"
Second thought: "Geez, it sux when you switch the resolution to 900p"
Third thought, after switching back to 1080p and raising the DPI a bit: "Whoa."

I've gone back to Best Buy to gaze at the Samsung some more, and remind myself that it's a more than adequate screen. It is. But the Sony is VERY seductive!

-Matt

 

You're such a nice person. I can't believe you're nit-picking my list. So I'll rebut just once: I said the build was plasticky -- which means...it definitely feels like a magnesium alloy, and the weight attests to that. However if you roll back on this thread a few weeks, you'll see mention of scratches (on the lid and wristpad, I presume). So I'm not taking a stand on the build material -- just on its performance.

EDIT: sorry for my knee-jerk reaction -- hopefully my smiley made it clear it's all good. Keep in mind that I work in academia and we all have REALLY THIN skin! I wasn't expecting a point-by-point counter to my list of pros/cons.

-Matt

 

@Matt

I am also reading the samsung thread simultaneously and i saw you have written there that you will be posting a comparative analysis between the S15 and the samsung one. Please do so when you are done with it. It will be super useful. With so many choices it is always difficult.

 

It's not really an issue of 900p vs 1080p... The sony screen is fantabulous but unable to properly produce full reds. The Samsung screen is...meh. The sharpness is fine, but the colors are so muted that I consider the screen, as a whole, the main reason not to buy it.

 

I corrected with some of my thoughts and what i have read all over on Samsung thread, since it was one of my buy options too.

 

"Corrected"...argh. EVERYONE is an expert! LOL

EDIT: actually I politely disagree with your references to the Samsung forum/thread. The trackpad issues are with older/other models (e.g., Z5A, not newer Z5C) and perhaps also heating (at least during ordinary use). I don't know if you've been following the Z5C thread but I think the consensus is it's dead quiet.

-Matt

 

My apologies. I couldnt find the correct word at first. I belive the right way to say is "adding my thoughts" or something.
English is not my native language.

 

Ah so please tell me what your native language is, and what word you would have used! I'm curious...

-Matt

 

Hey guys. Can someone verify that is the new S15 compatible with the dock VGP-PRS25?

 

Crysis ! 1 or 2

 

Don't have Crysis 2. When downloading Crysis 1 from Steam I get a pre load error. It won't ever download, just stick on pre load forever. Was gonna include it though.

Sent from my GT-I9100

 

Just received my S13 premium...

Plugged it in, booted it up, installed chrome and then steam.

Trying to install some steam games, it keeps freezing (program not responding).

Anyone have any ideas? It seems to freeze every few minutes, not immediately, so I've actually managed to get a couple games installed.

 

Hey guys, just finished uploading my S13 Premium and S15 comparison video. I compared the size, ports, and display quality. Please let me know what you think!

Sony Vaio S13A and S15 (Ivy Bridge 2012) Display and Unit Comparison - YouTube

 

Thanks for putting that up, it was pretty informative. The screen on the s13 doesn't seem as bad as people are making it out to be.

 

Hello guys, I live in Canada and I just received S13P last week. I love this laptop except one thing: Screen.
It's not very visible, but the right side of screen is flickering. I've read this forums and I've seen couple more people experiencing this problem.
So I was wondering if anyone found any solution to this problem... Or does any one know if this can be a reason to exchange this laptop with new one...

 

can someone please tell me if all the s 15.5 models come with an IPS screen?

 

My Steam seems to crash every time I try to use two-finger scrolling in the game library. If I use the UI's scroll bar (or keyboard) to move around the list it works just fine.

Yes.

 

thank you sir

 

Not sure if it's been posted here, but whats the performance difference between 13A and 15, both with gt640LE and S15 with i7qm

 

You can't configure a S13A with a quad core IB CPU, only the S15. The S13A i7 is a dual core, although it is a VERY powerful dual core CPU.

 

Bacause it isnt. This thread started off with people saying how much they liked the screen and how great it was. Then a few people noticed small imperfections and posted them up, and some german review said the contrast wasnt amazing.

next thing you know everyone starts saying the screen is terrible like its a given fact.. while most of them dont even have an s13.

its an ongoing pattern ive noticed in this thread. took like 100 pages before people stopped asking whether or not the GPU was Kepler.

 

I know the 13A doesn't allow a quad core confuguration, that's why I said 15S with i7qm. So does anyone know the actual performance difference? I need a laptop to log to school every day, but I want to be able to play games on it too.
Three things are making me hesitate though, the bad quality bezel, creakiness of the hinges, and sony's general customer service reputation.

 

yep most people are just spouting off what they read on the VERY SAME FORUM.

so yea take what folks say in this thread with a grain of salt. just drive to your local sony store to check out the laptop if your really serious 1-2 hours to check out a 1-1.5k purchase is nothing. The internets can only tell you so much

 

LOL...after reading this bit about the comparison..this came to mind:

 

:laugh:

Lets agree thats just differences in opinions. And its a good thing. So we buy large variarity of products and keep competition healthy.

 

As it's easy to fade in the midst of questions on previous pages, I'd like to ask you - how does your Vaio S15 with i7 3612QM handle games such as Diablo 3 and/or Skyrim? Preferably on native resolution.

 

I have the 3612QM and the 1000 BIOS mod. Diablo III runs very well in 1080p res with all settings maxed including shadows. You can leave AA on for better quality and get around 35-40 fps, or turn it off for a nice boost to 40-50 fps.

I don't play Skyrim on my laptop as I have a powerful desktop gaming PC and I like the ENB mods for it which will crush the laptop's GPU. Even with GTX 470 SLI on my desktop PC I find I have to turn some ENB features off to keep it running decently, mainly SSAO as it makes shadows pitch black and you can't SEE anything in addition to the massive performance hit.

 

Just called them and apparently the website has been undergoing some maintenance (I'm not the first to complain about this), but they don't know when account access will be back. They also confirmed that I hadn't had an email because my machine still hasn't gone into production! It is however scheduled for production tomorrow... 11 days after the order was placed. Not happy about this, expected a quicker turnaround as I was told I would have it in 2-3 weeks (ordered on 17th) and the earliest I can expect to receive it is 10th August , so much for working from home during the Olympics! Needless to say if I am not entirely happy with it I will be sending it back and going with a different brand as this doesn't bode well for future customer support!

Rant over

 

just updated my desktop to the latest mountain lion!



lol