Official 2012 Sony S Series Owners Thread

I'm about to invest in a Vaio S this friday. My only concerns are that I want a laptop that can play Guild Wars 2 on medium with good fps, and that is relatively portable. I like that the S15 is relatively cheaper at $999 while still offering a IPS 1900x1200 display, so I think I'm going with that. My budget is about $900 but after the free PS3 (as a student) and the $100 rebate I should be okay.

I was wondering if you guys knew the best way to go about ordering the laptop? I figured I would just order it from Sony's website direct and customize it, but I've seen a couple people say something about ordering over the phone and getting a better deal? Does anyone know how that works?

 

Finally bought mine today (and got the free PS3 ) specs are on the S15 i53320m 2.6ghz (yes I know waste of money but had some things I liked about it) 2gb gt640m 6gb of ram (though I will swap the 2 gb stick for an 8 gb stick as soon as I get the laptop) 640gb hdd( might get the sdd at some point) sheet battery ,clean start and the laptop sleeve.

 

Hey guys,

I need help.. I'm trying to install clean Win7. Firstly, I set Boot mode to Legacy (I'm using DVD). So, I have a problem with partitions. There are SONYSYS (260 M – OEM RESERVED), RECOVERY (19.1GB) , Partition 3( 260.0 MB – SYSTEM), 4 (128.0 MB – MSR RESERVED) , 5 (576.4 GB) , so I wonder what to do now? Can i delete some of them? I want to have C:\ 100 gb and the rest for D:\

Thank you in advance.

 

Delete all of them.

 

Superb, I'll look to get the Samsung 830 SSD. In terms of the SATA 2 and 3 speeds, I understand that booting from sleep with ODD disabled enables the SATA 3 speeds. What about booting from off with ODD disabled?

What do you mean by dual channel? Can I not put in an 8GB stick??

 

Hey,

another quick question. I can't find Vaio Control Center in the Driver's page? Can you help me? For SVS151190X

 

ofcourse you can... and it will still run on dual channel

here is a screen shot of mine running on 4+8...cpuZ clearly identifies that im on dual channel mode

 

Is the Samsung SSD 830 with the model number " MZ-7PC128B/WW" right for replacing the hard disk of the S13?

I think that is the base model of the notebook version of the 830, it costs 20€ less than the desktop version so it's much more convenient.

 

And do I need to disable the ODD from the bios?

 

Just install 'Sony Hotkey Utilities' and 'Sony shared Library' from the support website.

 

I apologize... I was considering the Asus ux32vd when I was talking about ram... it looses dual channel when using different sized ram... you can always use different sizes but sometimes you loose speed. Anyways everything else applies 1600 is still a waste of money. Also I believe both voltages work... correct me if km wrong.

Edit: yes. Disable from bios
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When you boot from your DVD: Select Next at the first screen, then Install Now, then Custom (advanced) at each screen in succession. This will produce a a display that shows all the partitions on your disk(s) and allows you to select where to install windows. You can remove all partitions from this screen using the Advanced Options EXCEPT that pesky RESTORE partition.

OK...here's where we go into the more advanced stuff:

CAUTION: If you don't understand the difference between a physical drive and a partition or aren't comfortable with advanced disk operations GO NO FURTHER! I will NOT be held responsible if you wipe out a TB (or more) of valuable data!!! ALL DATA ON THE DRIVE TO WHICH YOU ARE INSTALLING WINDOWS WILL BE E-R-A-S-E-D!

use the Shift+F10 hotkey sequence to open a command window
type diskpart and return to start the diskpart tool
type list disk and return
you should see a list of all disks on your system
CAUTION: IF YOU HAVE MORE THAN ONE HARD DRIVE ON YOUR SYSTEM BE SURE TO SELECT THE CORRECT DISK!
type select disk and the number corresponding to the disk you're installing to (if you only have one hard drive this will be disk 0) and then return
YOUR SHOULD NOW SEE AN ASTERISK IN FRONT OF THE SELECTED DISK WHEN USING LIST DISK! MAKE SURE IT'S THE RIGHT DISK!
we are now going to use the clean command to wipe out all those unnecessary partitions but if you choose the wrong disk you can wipe out a disk full of important data!!

DID YOU GET THAT?? CHOOSE CAREFULLY!

type clean and return...short pause while the Master Boot Record is erased and you have an (almost) virgin disk!
type exit and return to close diskpart
type exit and return again and the dos window closes
press F5 to refresh the partition view in setup you should see no partitions listed! This is GOOD! You can also reboot from your dvd to retart setup and achieve the same thing. Don't forget to choose Custom(Advanced) so you get back to the partition display or you end up with only one (big) partition.
You will now need to create the the two partitions you want in the sizes you want on your physical drive. This part of the process is pretty easy...just use the provided buttons and specify the sizes.
Last Step: select the appropriate partition on which to install windows then hit NEXT and off you go!
Setup will create a (small) additional partition for housekeeping purposes.

For reference the link to the Microsoft guide for the Diskpart Tool:
DiskPart Command-Line Options

 

Mine was delivered by TNT, despatch confirmed on Sunday, 1st "attempt" to deliver on the Tuesday, successfully delivered on the Wednesday

 

For those who purchased the S15, can you please let me know what model wireless card Sony includes? Also, is it singe or dual band? Thanks.

 

Hey Guys, First time poster here. Just pulled the Trigger on my first Sony Laptop S15 series. The information in this thread was invaluable in getting it setup how i wanted so I wanted to say thank you. First thing I did was replace out the 640GB HDD with a samsung 830 series SSD and clean install Win 7 Pro. I followed the guide on first post and links to the letter and the computer is sooo fast now. But that's what brings me to my concern/question. After doing a clean install my WEI (I know they carry little weight) but I can't imagine why they dropped down so low. Anyone have any ideas?

Stock HDD scores:
Processor: 7.1
Ram: 7.4
Graphics: 5.9
Gaming Graphics: 6.8
HDD: 5.9

After SSD/Clean install
Processor: 7.1
Ram: 7.3
Graphics: 4.8
Gaming Graphics: 6.8
HDD: 7.7

Why would my graphics score drop 1.1 points all the sudden and the Ram go down even by the .1? I Can't figure out why, Anyone have any thoughts?


PC Specs: Sony Vaio S 15 Series, Core i5-3210M @2.5ghz. Ram 6GB. Both integrated Intel HD 4000 and Nvidia Geforce 640M LE graphics cards. Samsung 830 128GB SSD w/Win 7 Pro

 

Just wondering, once we disable ODD in bios, does that mean if we put a CD or DVD in it, it won't work?

 

Why would you disable it?

 

no disabled in the dictionary means fully functioning... !?! it will not work or spin up or even be recognized by the computer until you re-enable it from the bios.... then it will work as usual.

im sorry but maybe you shouldnt be doing these kinds of mods if you have to ask questions like this. it isnt exactly an easy swap for someone who hasent worked on pcs before... or at least installed windows successfully on a regular pc. im just advising taking a step back before you get in over your head and destroy a brand new $1000+ laptop.

edit: he would disable it because it is the only way to get sata 3 speeds currently.... also thinking about it. for even a power user i would say its not worth disabling. also for a general user i can imagine what you would be doing that you would really notice the difference.

 

I just want to get rid of the annoying start up sound from sleep. Is there anyway I can get rid of the sound but still be able to use the ODD?

 

Here you go.

 

In the U.S. variations of the 15.5 that do not have a free sheet battery now list a $100 instant savings. A ran one all the way through the ordering process (didn't place order) and never saw the $100 savings. Anybody know where/when it’s applied?

 

2 out of the 3 modifiable 15" S series do not have the $100 instant savings. Only the one with the integrated graphics have it. The ones you can't customize also has the $100 instant savings.

However there is this one nice laptop that you can get for $900. link. There is already the $100 instant savings and if you are in college you get a 10% discount which makes it $810. Also, all s series laptops get either $100 or $150 prepaid card depending on operating system. This has win7 home premium so it gets a $100 prepaid card. That makes this nice laptop only cost $710 and not to mention the free sheet battery.

I think I'm going to wait a little bit and see if the other modifiable laptop gets a $100 discount because I want the 7200rpm. If not then I'll buy the one i linked and use the $300 saved money to buy a ssd.

 

Is the screen on the 13" premium bad enough to warrant getting the 15"? Not to mention it's cheaper.

 

How do you stack the student discount?

This is almost perfect except the color.. It looks like a Mac.. People might think in school that I have a mac imitation or something.

 

HAHAHA jc you are one funny guy... of all the pc's out there this is the least mac like. anyways... get a black or pink... or white... or for the 13's gold...

 

I need this info too, please.

Also, do you confirm that the SSD heats less than the stock HDD? 'cause the heat in the palm rest area is kind of annoying.

EDIT: just noticed that the RAM frequency of my S13 with a single slot of ram (4gb) is running @ 666Mhz, what's wrong?

 

Would the gt640m le with bios mod perform better in games than the dell xps 15 (gt 650m ddr5) with its throttling problem?

 

DDR buddy. Welcome to 2001...

Data is transferred on both the rising and dropping of the clock, therefore it is an effective 1333 Mhz.

 

Hey, I am searching a way to improve the sound (for S15).. I have read in this thread for a method with Dolby from Lenovo's site or something like that, but I cannot find it..
Basically, can anyone tell me how to improve the sound of my S15..
Thanks!

 

I thought the XPS 15 is fitted with a GT640M GDDR5?

If comparing a BIOS MOD GT640M LE to a stock GT640M GDDR5, yes, the BIOS MOD GT640M LE will perform better on most games.

But if the GT640M GDDR5 can be OC to a GT650M GDDR5 level, for sure it will perform better (try to search for a GT650M DDR3 VS GT650M GDDR5). It is up to the cooling of the laptop, whether it can cool it down properly or not.

Looking at the review of the XPS 15, its cooling can't really handle the temp that well.

AnandTech - Dell XPS 15 L521X: A Detailed First Look

 

You are right, it is the gt640m. Well then either way I'm better off with the sony s13p/15 than with this machine.

 

I just want to get rid of the annoying start up sound from sleep. Is there anyway I can get rid of the sound but still be able to use the ODD

 

Hi guys,

I just ordered a sony vaio s 15.5". I was torn between this and the lenovo t430. I ultimately picked the sony because it was too hard to deal with lenovo customer service. I actually ordered the lenovo this past sunday but had my order cancelled and I do not know why. Plus I needed to purchase a laptop quickly within a few weeks and I did not want to wait 2 or more weeks for lenovo to sort things out. I chose the pre-configured sony model that was $899, got the price knocked down to around $821 before tax and I got a free sheet battery.

My only concern about this model is whether or not it will last 4 years. My previous 2 laptops failed (hp and dell) within a year. I hear both good and bad about sony and I realize that they are ranked pretty high in reliability but after hearing things like the case on this sony feels 'plasticky', the flimsy lid, and the reds that come out as orange it makes me feel like sony isn't putting quality materials in their laptops. I have not had the opportunity to test one out so I can only go by what others say. What do you guys think? Can this laptop last at least 4 years?

 

4 years should be a standard but it is along time in the laptop world. I've felt a few in store and I don't k is what people are saying about plastic feel... they feel like metal. Plus all the bids show everything locked down pretty tight.

But take this into account. Sony is an engineering company. I've owned a few other products and Sony always has the latest and greatest thing... but sometimes because of this. They are finicky. For instance my TV would after about a week just forget all the channels. Nobody complained BC they have set top boxes. There was a fix for it and it was applied no problem but they do tend to release things with little flaws... but they get fixed and their build quality is usually very good.

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Not so with the W5500 TV, which suffers from slowdowns and crashes as if it were leaking memory, and it gets worse with each firmware update.

That being said, +1 for build quality even if their software engineers are awful

 

Thanks for the response. That is somewhat assuring. I'm just worried because I go to the school out of the country and the island where I am staying at doesn't have the most reliable services available. So if I were to run into a hardware issue like a motherboard dying or gpu dying, I would have to send the computer back to the states which would be very costly and time consuming.

 

has anyone compared the noise level and battery life of a 5400 rpm and 7200 rpm s series laptop?

 

How did you get to $821?

 

My S15 has an Intel Advanced-n 6235, which is dual band capable. Out of the box, my S15 was limited to b/g (2.4GHz); however, you can change a driver parameter that seems to enable a/b/g (5GHz and 2.4 GHz). After changing the parameter, I was able to see my 5GHz access point. I have yet to try to connect to that access point, but will try tonight and update my post.

---UPDATE 8/21/2012 ----
This past weekend, I connected my S15 to my 5GHz access point to test out my 6235. Though I didn't check the speed at which I was connected, the connection was stable (I updated bios and a few drivers while connected) and downloads completed normally.

 

you have to type in CAMPUS10 when you checkout. However, if it doesn't work the first time then i think you have to do this particular method.

First go to shop all -> deals. Then click shop now (right under weekly deals: exclusive student offer). Then click the shop now under save 10%. Then you pick which ever s series you want and at the checkout type in CAMPUS10

 

I called sony directly and the lady I spoke to gave me an additional discount because I am a student. She said she gave me an additional 5% discount, but I guess it was a little more than 5% off of $899, it was more like an 8-9% discount.

 

~8.6% discount. weird number if you ask me

 

Hey everyone,

I just purchased my replacement to my old SB. The fan has been annoying me for awhile on this thing. I got the S13P with basically everything base model for $1050 including taxes out the door with a free PSVita. When I called in they gave me an extra 10% off my price because I am a student and also the PSVita so I was pretty content.

 

Who did you call? That deal would be awesome

 

Hey, I see in your signature that you got a Samsung SSD 830.

Did you need the spacer? 'cause I'm planning to buy the "MZ-7PC128B" model, the one without the 7mm to 9mm spacer.

 

Have none of your experienced being only able to use a certain amount of keys at the same time? This is obviously only a problem in games, but in FPS and games like World of Warcraft this is actually a huge problem.

Am I alone?

 

That is called key rollover. Most keyboards can only use 3-6 keys + modifiers at a time. This means you can run into problems in games.
Certain combinations can fail depending on how it was designed. Read more about it here.

Also, here is a web-based test.

One solution is to use an external keyboard. Some can even achieve n-key rollover (all keys pressed at once) over usb. This is a forum test of various keyboards. You'll notice most who don't have this problem are mechanical keyboards, but even with those there is a limited number that does not have this problem.

 

Owning S13a since yesterday and replaced hdd with a former used ssd and have to say i'm loving it. Coming from R61 14.1" and in principle you cant compare it. Display is much better, battery life is between 6-7 h without battery sheet, touchpad is great (still missing trackpoint a bit), wake up is much faster as before with the R61/ssd device... Would buy it again, im really happy

 

This might be a stupid question. I just ordered a customized S series with the NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M LE (1 gb) hybrid graphics, and the card shows up in the Device Manager along with the Intel HD Graphics 4000. However, when I go to Performance Information and Tools, it says my display adapter type is Intel HD Graphics 4000 and makes no mention of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M LE. Likewise, when I run dxdiag, it also says my graphics card is Intel HD Graphics 4000 without mentioning the NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M LE card. I'm in Speed Mode. Is this how it's supposed to be?

 

Yep. Optimus and amds switching tech does that. Reason being is that while the dedicated GPU is doing all the physics and rendering the game it doesn't display it. All the final display making/ rendering and stuff is done on the integrated. So those things only look one layer back

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