Official 2012 Sony S Series Owners Thread

From the OP which I guess you didn't have time to read:

In order to minimise cost, many users on here have recommended buying the cheapest HDD from Sony and also going for the minimum 4 gb RAM and then subsequently replacing the HDD with a SSD of your choice (commonly recommended ones are the Samsung 830 and the Crucial M4) and supplementing the 4Gig RAM with an additional stick of your choice of size (one 4 gb stick is soldered on to the motherboard so you max out at 12 gb by using the second non-soldered RAM slot). Note the RAM operates at 1333mhz only.

PS...RAM is by and large the same unless you want to get down in the weeds of wait states etc. Buy from a reputable manufacturer...get a good price...don't buy more capacity (total of 12 gb) or speed (1333 ghz) than you can use....be happy.

 

Since 4gb are soldered, you can only upgrade with one module.
I have purchased an 8gb low voltage module but standard 1.5v ram works too.

note that 1600MHz ram will be underclocked, so it's not worth it to purchase the kit you have linked (aside from the fact, that you can only use one of the two modules).

 

Those guys clearly have no idea what they're on about. They say against it "Only two USB ports" yet their own pictures show 3.

Err, it's not an ultrabook either. Looks like they didn't even test it, and they confused the kensington style security lock on the bottom right as a thunderbolt port.

 

I think comparing it to ultrabooks and stating that the graphics performance is weak was also a very consequent analysis

 

Thanks guys great answers! That clears alot up for me.

 

no not the s15 at least. even in the picture you cannot find one. the hdmi and 3! usb. that review couldnt even get that right...

 

Good lord, what an abomination of a review! Let's flood their site with nasty comments.

 

Quick question: I made a bootable usb recovery drive for if I ever need to restore my laptop. If I use it, will the restore come with the bundled software like ACID and powerDVD?

 

Can anyone give some definitive answers on model numbers

Sony svs13a190 is the (customizable) premium 13" model Sony sells.

There are also svs13a12fx and svs13a1c models sold by others. (last letter omitted as it refers to colour).

For example, The xxxx1cxx model is sold by BestBuy and the notebookshop.com

The xxxx12fxx is sold by Amazon and jr.com

These two models aren't even found searching the Sony website but they appear identical to the base hardware of the 13a190 in all important respects - with only difference being amount of RAM, hard drive, and operating system.
I'm wondering If there is a greater unseen difference. I had read that Sony was making "tier 1" laptops and outsourcing "tier 2" to third party manufacturers while still carrying the Vaio name. I'm just really suspicious about these models being 'cheaper' than the 190x for no obviously reason (ie and then later finding out I can't upgrade or build quality is poor)

Thanks

 

"Quick question: I made a bootable usb recovery drive for if I ever need to restore my laptop. If I use it, will the restore come with the bundled software like ACID and powerDVD?"

Recovery media restores your machine to the "out-of-the-box" state when you bought it. All software and applications just like when you first turned it on.

 

that's good, thanks for the answer

 

Why people are not searching or reading !!!
That particular thread you talk about... I made a reply there WITH screenshot where this confusion came from.
There are 3 USB ports, 1x USB2 and 2x USB3 (blue).
The USB2 port has a 'charging' symbol above it. THIS is where the Thunderbold confusion came from. Unbelievable that some technical sites making these mistakes...
It is actually an indication that this USB port can be used to charge devices, even when your laptop is turned off (but still plugged in)

 

greetings! really want to buy a VAIO S13p but they only offer pre configured models here in the Philippines...love the look and build quality, wouldn't make you look like an amateur at business meetings. do you think it is worth $1,924.47 ? its the carbon black 13P version, with i7 3520,dvd drive, 750gb, 8gb ram and the 2gb 640m LE. I do a little video editing, CAD and some gaming. Prices are really terrible here in the Philippines, but for such an expensive item, its the only way to keep warranty. =/

for 200 dollars more I can get the lowest specced 15inch MBP. but 15 inch is huge and heavy.. UGH.

prices here for electronics suck so much. downside of having a corrupt government and crazy taxes all around

so you think it still worth it?

 

That's a hard one. When you say the lowest spec MBP you don't mean the retina display one correct? If it's the retina display one, I would go for that instead of the 13p. The screen is beautiful, you can boot camp to run games at moderate settings and you get the best of both worlds, PC and Mac. Not to mention the Retina version is thinner than the other MBPs.

If it's not the Retina one and you are looking for lightweight and powerful then the 13p is the one for you. I have owned several Macbook Pro's since 2006 and the Sony Vaio S is the closest PC that I've seen come close to Apple's build quality and the trackpad is a beauty (never thought I'd say that for a PC) . It looks really professional (once you take the stickers out). In my opinion I feel that on the Vaio 13p I can do anything I did on my MacBook pro and also have a Windows 8 ready machine. I would still spend those extra $200 on a nice SSD.

I could spend hours listing cons and pros and going PC vs Mac and I'm sure many could as well in this forum, but to summarize it I believe you do get a superior product with a retina MBP but a product with more potential if you go with a VAIO 13p.

In the looks department, both are awesome.

 

thanks! I think that finally convinced me. HAHA! I just really love the looks of the 13P, the screen isn't really an issue for me, because most likely at home I will be outputting to my Asus PA238Q monitor anyway which is an IPS and full HD. Starting to do events here, and its hard when you dont have a laptop at hand. I could get those MSI gaming ones, but like when my friend brought out his huge plastic looking 15 inch MSI, it didn't look to good.

My friends keep on saying to get cheaper MSI or ASUS notebooks for the same specs, but I always tell em its like comparing a KIA and a BMW, on paper the KIA most likely can do more for the price, but then you will have a BMW.

Glad as well you are a former mbp user, its really hard to go back to a windows laptop after using a mac trackpad with osx for soo long, but if you say its that good on the 13P I really cannot wait! thanks again man

 

btw one last thing? the 200 USD more I said is the price of the new 15inch none retina pro. The base model retina is around 2,600.97 USD when converted from pesos to dollars :/ that expensive, and that is just the base model with 256gb flash storage and 8gig ram.

 

testes with an other good ac....Noyhing happens

One month ago...So i do not think it could have an impact on power..

Nope...

Thanks again for the help. I made a demande for return to sony. I keep you in touch...

 

Sorry if it was discussed already (didn't find it except the discussion about the Vaio Z option), but would it be possible to replace the screen with some other higher quality one (e.g. samsung series 9 PLS screen comes to mind)?

I've bought the Samsung for my wife (still on the fence about keeping it, but I'd appreciate the GPU option that the Sony gives me) and the screen seems rather thin so it might fit the thin cover of the Vaio S.

 

is there a vaio shop near you? maybe you can go and try out their power adapters. i dont think that the damage if caused would take a month to happen. however the thermal aspect of overclocking may have though... unlikely. try buying a igo charger and use the sony tip to see if the charger is broken.

another question... is there any chance you had a power surge. anything else broken? clocks on microwaves off or wrong? things like that... my brother had his laptop connected to Ethernet a while ago and lighting struck and burned out his mobo through the ethernet... i would think that the cord wouldnt be able to cary enough to break anything but he was not connected to the wall and the mobo was very fried...

 

I have a strange issue from time to time with my 15.5" Vaio S. Sometimes when typing, I can't type correctly. It's like the keyboard is screwed up. For instance type a letter P and a print dialog box comes up. Type some other things and various "bookmarks" windows or save / save as stuff comes up (depends on the application).

So I go into Accessibility and make sure none of the wacky sticky keys or anything is turned on... and they are not. I close the lid to put it to sleep, open the lid and then I can't even type in my password. With every keystroke I get the Windows "ding" like I'm hitting a key but nothing is happening but the sound effect. The enter button works. FN+F keys work to change volume, brightness, etc.. So I have to hold the power button down until it shuts down improperly. Then reboot it and everything's fine.

This happened a few times now and I'm wondering if there is a software driver problem since its fixed upon reboot.

 

Sounds like the Ctrl key might have "stuck." Not physically, but the input for Ctrl stays on and the computer things the key is being held down. This happened sometimes with my previous laptop, and just pressing each of the Ctrl keys and releasing always fixed it for me. Not sure if it's the same issue with yours, though.

 

so i'm ready to buy the VAIO 15.5" S Series Laptop (SVS15113FXS). Went to purchase it online yesterday but didn't realise the price doesn't include sales tax >_> And my budget limit is $800 not cent over. Whats the cheapest way to go about buying one?

So far all i know of is the student discount but even with that its over 800. Anything else i can do?

 

In the US the lowest spec 15" S is $749 because it comes with $100 instant savings. With CA sales tax it is $812.37 Then apply the 10% off student discount and that should be very near $800. If you give sony a call, they might give you another $15 off if you tell them you are a student. I called and got the $15 off mine but you'll have to ask. If not, I'd wait a few days and look for change between the couch, the $8ish you're off by is too close to call this off. This machine really is all that glory.

 

I paid full price (well, the full discount price, no student love for me, as I am an actual working professional, as scarce as we seem to be these days), and it was worth it.

 

Dear S13P owners,

I am going to ask you a question many will have asked you before,
yet I still insist on it being answered once more.

I have just ordered an S13P, and it is still possible to cancel my order.
My question to you is: How bad do you feel the screen is, after having used it for a certain period of time?
I'm sort of on the verge of cancelling my order, and I was considering the Z2 (though it is no longer available in most shops, as of now).
What is great about this laptop, I needn't tell you, is obviously the graphical power and the upgradeability.

But is the screen worth all this?
More importantly, in light of your experience with it, would you buy the laptop again?

 

Dear Tjee,

i'm using it since one month and i really still love it. I have no issues with the screen! Maybe it is not the best on market, but is bright, a "wide" color range and i have no problem with invertated color using it in front of the screen. I came from a Thinkpad R61 (1440x900) and the Sony screen is much better, even better than the T420 screen from a college. But maybe you have to check it by our own because you are more critical than me.

i would definitely buy it again. It makes fun working with it, because of the 1600x900 screen and the sheet battery is really awesome

 

Thank you for answering my question.

The reason I asked it in the first place is because I'm heavily doubting between the S13P and the Z2, which can now be bought for 999 euro (base model).

I do not necessarily need that great graphics card, but the S13P also has a better processor and I can fit an SSD of adequate size in there myself.

So anyone else owning the S13P, do not hesitate to share your experiences! I'm sure many interested future buyers, like me, would love to read them.

 

After reading all the "screen issues" on this thread and then impatiently waiting 6+ weeks while the postal service figured out it lost the first one they sent - I too was giving seconds thoughts. However, this little lappy is really nice - granted I'm more towards the business side of use, with at best a "mild" gamer on older FPS games.
Bought it for the portability, power (full CPU and GPU), the screen resolution (lots of Excel spreadsheets) and BTW - the screen is wonderful for my applications. Go see it in person - you're the only one who can truly judge it and decide if you'll like it or not. Coming from a long line of glossy screens, I was skeptical. Not anymore - well worth it and would buy it again in a heartbeat.

 

I agree - screen is not the best, but fine for most things, and overall it's a really nice machine.

 

I've tried finding a place where they show off the screen, but in the Sony Vaio Center they refused to start up their models (because it wouldn't technically be new anymore).

The Z2 configuration I would buy is:
Processor : Intel Core i5-2410M 2.3 Ghz
Memory : 4 GB DDR3 1333 Mhz
Harddrive : 128 GB SSD
Screen : 13.1 VAIO Plus
Graphics card : Intel HD Graphics 3000
Software : Windows 7 Professional NL/UK 64 bit
Connections : VGA, audio, 1x USB 3.0, 1X USB 2.0
10/100/1000MB, 802.11 B/G/N, HDMI, Bluetooth
Weight : 1.3 KG

The S13P I currently have on order is:
Intel®Core(TM)i7-3520M, 2,9GHz
Windows® 7 Home Premium
500 GB Serieel ATA (7200 rpm)
4 GB 1333 MHz DDR3-SDRAM
DVD-station
33,7 cm LCD, 1600x900+camera
NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 640M LE
Sheet battery
Wireless WAN
Office 2010 Starter + Acrobat

 

I've had my s13p for several days now and I also agree that the screen is good, but not great, and that overall it's a really nice machine.

Comparing the specs of the S13P and Z2, I'd get the S13P. The Z2 has a 2nd gen SB CPU with slower HD-3000 graphics. The S13P, even without the Nvidia 640LE, has the faster Ivy Bridge HD-4000 GPU.

I also (briefly) read that the Z2 doesn't have user expandable memory whereas the S13P provides an empty DIMM slot. (I already used it to bump my S13 from 4 to 8 GB). I don't know if the Z2 has a user replacable hard drive but the S13P *does*. I was able to replace my HDD with an SSD in 10 minutes.

The S13 wins on specs and on user-accessible hardware components that let you expand and upgrade the laptop over time. That's why I think the S13P wins hands down.

 

The i7 upgrade in the S13P isn't really worth it, unless you absolutely must have the "best" processor. It's only a 5 to 8% performance gain over the i5 3320M, which you will hardly ever notice. If it were a quad-core i7 then it would absolutely be worth it...

 

Has anyone here applied for the sony 100$/150$ rebate ? I sent my form filled and the required documents (form, receipt, box cutting) and it reached yesterday (have USPS confirmation). How long before it starts showing up when i check at the below link ? As of now nothing is showing up for me, when i search for it.

sony.rebatepromotions.com | A quick and easy way to check on your rebates.

 

after about 2 months of using this laptop (S15), the worst bit of it is the tiny amount of sound it produces. my brother got a new xps15 and my vaio sounds pathetic next to it dispite being of equal size.

somebody on one of these threads a few weeks ago suggested srs audio essentials or srs audio sandbox to improve the sounds levels and it makes a big difference.

 

Thank you for your help, people.

I have decided to stick with the S13P, yet I will slightly change my order.

I have to choose between the Intel®Core(TM)i7-3520M, 2,9GHz and the i5-3210M, 2,5Ghz.
I will be hanging the laptop on an external monitor, and have to choose between 1 or 2 gigs of video ram.

I will also be using powerpoint and word side by side.

 

Nice thread here, lots of valuable information. However, reading through all pages would take a lifetime. I've read very informative first post, but still have few questions:
1. In one of the reviews is stated, that monitor output can't be higher than 1920 x 1200. Is it really true? Did anyone tried to connect huge monitor and check the resolution? It bugs me off, because I may buy 27" monitor with this laptop.
2. Another question is about SATA support. I found a comment where the guy stated that VAIO S only supports SATA II while the chipset inside supports SATA III. All of you with aftermarket SSDs, can you confirm or negate this by checking your SATA interface? It's hard to do so with standard HDD as Sony ships this laptop with SATA II HDD (that's weird, though).

Hopefully it's not too much to ask and thanks in advance.

 

rak007, can you elaborate a bit on how you managed to apply for rebate? I didn't see any promotions related to that.

 

1. Yes, this is a limitation of the HDMI output. It really should have had a mini DisplayPort, but Sony is sometimes weird with those things.

2. You can get SATA 3 speeds by modifying the BIOS as seen in this thread, but it seems to have some side effects. I personally don't think the difference in speed is worth the tradeoffs, as in normal use you would not notice any difference in speed.

 

hi, today i have tried to play some games in my tv, connecting by hdmi the laptop (S15) and i it pretty sucks... i think only intel go through hdmi, may that be true? any way to fix that? i expected to play in my 40'' tv

another really annoying thing i have found out is that when i close the lid and i open it again, or i change the battery profile, it worked well for a pair of seconds and then it blinks, it is disgusting, really annoying, anybody else have the same problem? i hope somebody could help with that...

thanks

 

The blinking is due to it switching from 40Hz to 60Hz. That can be changed in power options. As for the other problem, I'm not sure. I have no problems playing games through HDMI on my S13.

 

Not sure why sony is not listing anymore. The promotion was from aug 02 2012 to sept <dont know date> 2012. 100$ rebate on eligible sony Vaio models. I sent them a copy of my receipt, the rebate form filled in and cutting from side of the box (UPC and barcode etc).
I should expect a 100$ prepaid visa card in mail in 8-10 weeks as per their T&C.

 

In the S13 or S13P, is it possible to replace the ODD with say a SSD? I would love to have this laptop with a SSD + HDD setup for speed and storage but want to know if it's possible before I jump the gun and buy one.

 

The S15 can no longer be purchased on the Belgian Sony website, and there appears to be a rumour that an update to this model is coming by the end of september.
I wonder how far the update will stretch,... Should I still buy the S13P or should I wait?

 

I would be very surprised if Sony refreshed the S15 before the end of October when Windows 8 machines start shipping.

 

Before anyone tells me to search the thread, I already have and have found nothing useful so I'll ask. What bloatware can I remove? A list would be greatly appreciated.

A few other questions too.

What's the best way to preserve my battery from wear?
How did you guys set max CPU usage to 99%?

 

Not this question AGAIN! Please read the OP and search the thread...all the info is there....time after time!

 

As to the list of bloatware for removal...I have not seen such a list. I did a clean install and then reloaded what I wanted. Much of this is personal taste. DO NOT remove Sony Shared Library or any of the utilities! Take a look at the OP...there is a post referenced that shows recommended order of install...anything in at least the first half is likely to be critical and not for deletion. The rest is sort of trial and error depending on what you want on your system. I personally have deleted VAIO Care....but many love it. Your choice. When in doubt ask and we'll tell you what it does if we know.

Battery preservation: VAIO control center....enable SUPER BATTERY SAVER. This charges battery to only 50% unless you disable it. Great help with battery life.

Max CPU usage is I think in the advanced power options of the Windows power schemes....I believe you can specify it for both Battery and AC power.

 

i don't know though, ive been hearing rumors in other parts of these forums about some sort of fall 2012 refresh. Its mostly a couple people just speculating and really the laptop is pretty perfect except the speakers/screen, but if they were to fix those...........................

 

Theres some information here: http://forum.notebookreview.com/sony/685925-things-do-when-getting-your-vaio-s.html

 

The OP only contains info about doing this on the S15 not S13 or S13P, but after reading through the whole linked thread I saw that some people did it on their S13s following the same guide.