Official Sony VAIO F Series Owners lounge *PART 2*

Wait for reals? I was under the impression that it wasn't. I'll double check - you sound like you know what you're talking about more than I do lol.

 

Do you mind me asking how much you will be paying for your Z?

 

3 quick notes:

I have had 2 F's hooked up to an LG 1920x1080 monitors via vga or hdmi and it looks great. But for some reason both stuttered and slowed down after awhile. I had Sony tech on for 2 hours Saturday. They witnessed it through Logmein. When the lid is up the laptop ran perfectly. When the lid is down, it slowed down (download speeds too) and became very jerky. I'm not maiking this up. Sony has documented it. I've never seen anything like it nor have they. It's escalated to the highest level of support rght now.

On occasion my F will default off of my Nvidia settings back to "Other application control settings" ie laptop settings.

Finally, you will not be able to listen to music through hdmi unless your monitor has speakers or run the hdmi through a receiver set-up.

 

I'm sorry to contradict you but according to this Vaio_VPCF doc: http://www.docs.sony.com/release/specs/VPCF115FMB_mksp.pdf

And according to this one for the Vaio_VPCF with 310M GPU: http://www.docs.sony.com/release/specs/VPCF114FXH_mksp.pdf

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*****

HDMI & VGA Slowing Down?

@Glashub: What video driver version are you using? You could try those:

Did you try with an other brand/model of monitor?

Did you check LG_support? What is the model number?

"On occasion my F will default off of my Nvidia settings back to "Other application control settings" ie laptop settings" - Did you install a custom monitor profile?

What are your settings in: S1 > Vaio_Control Center > Display?

 

Hello there.

Can someone please confirm if the fan noise issue has been resolved completely? Also, I'd like to add that I made the somewhat misguided decision to purchase an HP Envy 15 with i7 processor. I returned it due to heat issues. Does the Sony F Series with i7 have the same problem?

Edit - I would be purchasing in the UK.

 

If I recall correctly, this problem has already been adressed and I think it had something to do with overheating. When the lid is closed, the cpu and/or gpu gets overheated so it throttles down and stutters. You have to leave the lid open for optimal cooling. Anybody else?

 

Hi Everyone...
i saw a post in this topic or in Previous thread of Vaio F series that included & shown pics of internal part in the Vaio F!
can some one send me that post link?!?!
Thankful

 

Go back 2 pages & read.

Check also the Unification Post in this thread page 1, post #1.

To my knowledge, nobody ever reported an F overheating in this thread nor in the older Official Sony_VAIO_F_Series Owners lounge contrary to the i7's by HP_and_Dell_XPS.

*****

Check the Unification Post in this thread page 1, post #1.

 

Jef, I saw that. Maybe I'm in denial but I've owned 7-8 laptops and they all allowed me to close the lid. Why have a "do nothing" option when lid is closed. 2nd level support said (for what its worth) that there its not design to have air circulating through the top. Who knows? I don't have the desk space to keep a laptop open. So I may have to get a new desk. ; o )

Thanks though.

 

I think you are right Jef. It was MelodyMaster that said that if I recall right.

That would be easy to check: run a utility that records CPU & GPU temperature and run the F w/ monitor connected & lid opened then note time & do it again with the lid closed. Note the time when the slowing down occurs & check the temperature graphs.

"I don't have the desk space to keep a laptop open. So I may have to get a new desk. ; o )" - The lid would still be closed but the cooling should be much better if the exhaust grid is facing up:





DIY foam:

http://www.hdd-enclosure.com/vertical-notebook-stand.html

http://www.kaffeinatedx.com/2009/12/vertical-laptop-stand-to-free-up-desk.html

http://geekbubble.com/2010/03/nx-laptop-stand-best-vertical-stand-for-laptops/

http://www.doobybrain.com/2010/01/25/review-nx-stand-for-macbookmacbook-pro/

http://www.ergodirect.com/product_info.php?products_id=15809

http://the-gadgeteer.com/2005/12/26/legenda_design_laptop_stand_up/

http://www.applelinks.com/index.php/more/laptop_flip_stand_for_apple_laptops/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/blackfeathers/3672806049/

DIY & recycling (Flintstones style): http://www.flickr.com/photos/jliba/3531850861/

Or as I suggested many times: cheap, low tech & fast to setup:



Photo from How to install a secondary hard drive in the optical drive bay of a VAIO_VPCF Series.

"...I've owned 7-8 laptops and they all allowed me to close the lid" - Were they with i7 quad core & 330M Gpu? @ what output resolution were you using them?

Edit: How about hitting the Display Off key before closing the lid & put an object about 1/2" thick on the palm rest to give more breathing space above the keyboard? Just make sure it contacts with the bezel & not with the LCD itself.

 

I knew it! I knew I read somewhere that the resolution only went so far. 1920x1200 should work if the monitor has an hdmi port though.

 

But not @ 1200 if the F's max HDMI output is 1080p.

 

I use a 1920x1200 HDMI screen every day on my F (HP w2408h) and it works great without scaling or other issues.

So I see no reason why sboom would not be able to achieve the same result.

 

Thanks, Joe. Will do with the above instructions. Display settings are the monitor is #1 1920x1080, 70% brightness, no hdmi, and the other settings aren't relevant when connected to a monitor. The model number is LG W2361.

 

Could you check the actual resolution output to the monitor? I never tried it but why would Sony_say 1920 x 1080 max output for the F via HDMI?



From this HP_support doc: About HDMI: "This document applies to all HP_TVs, Monitors, and PCs that have an HDMI interface... Supports video resolutions of 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p/60, NTSC and PAL".

They don't mention the resolution via HDMI in the HP_Pavilion w2408h monitor product page. Looks like a nice monitor BTW.

@ sboom: Check this search: hdmi to dvi adapter. "...A DVI signal is electrically compatible with an HDMI video signal; no signal conversion is required when an adapter or asymmetric cable is used, and consequently no loss in video quality occurs".

@ Glashub: did you see the edit in my post on the previous page?

 

Deleted. Figured it out.

 

So why not post the problem & the solution to help the next user with a similar problem?

 

Okay. Good advice. I just figured it was too stupid.

My laptop would lose its internet connection coming out of sleep mode. I went to device manager, clicked on Network Adaptor, clicked on Power management to be sure the "allow the computer turn off this device" was unchecked.

Didn't work.

Went to network and sharing center, change adaptor settings, properties, and unchecked, internet protocol version 6

Didn't work.

After downloading driver from Sony eSupport and saving to laptop, uninstalled and reinstalled network adapter driver. Rebooted.

Worked.

 

If you don't "allow the computer turn off this device" then it may not go to sleep.

I don't think that your problem or solution was stupid at all.

 

Thanks Joe. After reinstalling the drivers that box is now checked again. BTW which of those two Midtown instructions am I supposed to use? Any side effects? Thanks.

 

Check > Unification Post > Tweaks > Midtown's thread. 197.16 was tested by many people, the other one is new so not many F users reports.

If the HDMI/VGA slow down problem is caused by overheating with the lid closed as Jef pointed out, a new driver should not change anything unless the GPU runs cooler with it. Why not just try a wedge between palm rest & bezel & prop up the back of the laptop as suggested?

 

The HDMI port should be able to output full specifications for that video chipset. Man, I hate it how companies like Sony "make it easier for you" with goofy control panels like that which promote ignorance in that displays suddenly only do "1080p" or 720 or whatever.

Actually, the idea worries me. It's a freaking DVI port! Grr.

 

Thanks Joe. Gonna try a new monitor as well.

 

Yes it is!
Take a look at the attachments. The first one is a picture taken from the actual screen (it does not represent the real picture quality), it shows the OSD information screen from the HP w2408, and next to it the NVidia config screen. Both say that the resolution is 1920x1200 which is what I'm seeing.

Second one is the VAIO Control Center - HDMI resolution settings. It says 1080p, but look at the third picture...

Third one is the VAIO Control Center - Display Settings. This screen is correctly saying 1920x1200.

 

Well, I'll be damned. Both Sony_specs on my F's support page & the HDMI doc linked on your HP_monitor product page are in error.

One of the HDMI tabs in Vaio_Control also is wrong showing only 1080p max, just like yours. I guess my Vaio_Control Center > Display > HDMI > "Adjust resolution" panel is disabled because I don't have actually a monitor connected via HDMI. The Display Settings panel where you can see your 1200 shows only 1080 as I am using only the F's display @ the present.

Now the question is: can a monitor with a higher resolution than your 1900 x 1200 be fed via HDMI @ it's native resolution?

BTW, instead of taking a photo of your display, why not use the keys Alt + Prt SC or the awesome Snipping Tool included in Win 7?

 

This option usually grayed out...I tried to connect my F with 1080i TV set and default to 720p. Maybe its because you connect it to a monitor instead of a TV.

Anyway, I decided to wait until SONY refresh the F and see from there or I might get a Y series instead with i5 refresh. Does anyone know if SONY usually changed the model number for a refresh?say VPCF116 should be something else?

 

Hello to all,

I have a problem with my vaio, suddenly I noticed only in black background
these bright, dead, stuck (?) pixels and I don't know what happened and what should I do now...

I live in Europe anyone knows if the European guarantee covers the damage?

http://img708.imageshack.us/i/img7549z.jpg/
http://img443.imageshack.us/i/img7552.jpg/

Thanks in advance,
SD

 

Just an update that I got an email from one of the other reputable laptop screen sources (that I was looking at sourcing the screen from) that the dual-CCFL screen is back in stock ($189.99) with them.

Unfortunately for me, it is a bit too late. Hope this helps the rest of the folks who are looking at a better screen for their F. They very well might have a compatible dual-CCFL inverter at a price that is FAR more reasonable what what Sony charges for it.

http://www.laptopscreen.com/English/screen-part-number/LQ164M1LA4A/

 

Glashub, when connecting to your tv, does navigating through your folders in my computer feel a tiny little sluggish sometimes?

Have been connecting this regularly to my 46 inch full hd panasonic g10 plasma, and sometimes it feels just as usual when I go through my folders, at other times for no reason it would suddenly take an extra second to switch folders or go back and forth. Everything else, like video playback, browsing or application launching seems as smooth as usual.

 

Told ya so! The max res would probably be determined by the GT 330m *OR* the TMDS connected to it (I forgot if HDMI has a TDMS type of unit or not, those tend to dictate).

If it's the newer kind of HDMI (unlikely) those can put out hella res. I'm doubting that, sadly. Really. Sadly. :\

2560x1500 or whatever.. mmmmm..

 

I haven't hooked it up to a TV yet so I coudn't tell you just yet.

 

I was hearing through the grapevine about "VPCF12Xxx" but that's far from gospel. I might have thought it would be F2XXxx, like the FW's progression.



By the way my F11 has always driven the LG 1920 X 1200 monitor just fine (without scaling) in fact I connected it during the two hours I had the grey machine. I didn't even realize there would be any doubt that the HDMI output would drive external monitors properly.

 

They're out of stock again. there must be a lot of F-series owners buying them..

 

Check out this supportpage of Sony. But when I look at it I think you have the right to ask for a new screen. So many faulty pixels.

http://genesis.sony-europe.com/inst.../search.jsp?DocId=29648&l=nl_NL&m=VPCF11M1E_H

 

I didnt quite understood this...

I set msconfig to initialize with 4 cores, hoping to get some improve in the boot process. I did get some 1 or 2 sec. Not so much.


But then, all my system monitors (speedfan, gadgets) had began to report only 4 cores. Where are they? Where did they gone?
That was just a bad report to the monitors or I really was operating with just 4 cores?

So I uncheck msconfig again and all they come back.
I think this is related only to i7 (Q720, 1.6GHz) CPU, not to this F112 model. Is that?

 

Probably a bit late (and offtopic) but €2419,-. Friend of mine bought the F series tho, but he's waiting till it becomes available again, seems it's selling pretty good.

 

There is a ton of cr@p you can disable to speedup booting instead of tweaking core initialization & other essential stuff.

Instead of using the old msconfig with incomplete info scattered in several tabs try the free, small & portable (meaning no install needed) Autoruns for Windows v9.57 by Windows Sysinternals with much more info & possible tweaks. You can search all the data, create startup configurations backups & even compare them to your current one with all the changes highlighted.

Now if you get also the free, small & portable (meaning no install needed) Process Explorer v12.03 by Windows Sysinternals then you can run both utilities simultaneously, check a startup item (logon) or process in Autoruns, click to see details in the bottom of the window or right click et voilà!, a ton of details may be seen in Process Explorer.





I tried Speedfan & it does nothing for the F as it can't show nor control the fan.



Check free, small & portable SIW 2010 > Hardware > Sensors & the other tabs for a zillion times more info that Speedfan which caused problems on my system and was uninstalled.

To see what's the state & activity of CPU, memory, Disk & Network run the already included in Win 7: Start > search: resource monitor.

I would leave my cores initialization alone.

 

Perhaps this has been written before, but it was news to me!

I had wanted the Intel Advanced 6200 wireless adapter. It is supposed to be standard on the American F, but all of the Fs I have bought have come with the Atheros AR9287. I could only find specs on the AR9285, but I thought they were similar. NOT!

http://www.atheros.com/news/AR9287_AR9227.html

"SANTA CLARA, Calif., Oct. 5, 2009 — Atheros Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATHR), a global leader in innovative technologies for wireless and wired communications, today announced the industry’s most integrated 2-stream 11n solutions, the AR9287 PCIe and the AR9227 PCI, which deliver no-compromise, full MIMO transmit and receive performance. Atheros has taken system integration to a new level, driving refinements in XSPAN, the industry’s most widely deployed 11n technology, to make the high-performance WLAN solution accessible in an even wider array of wireless products."

"No-Compromise, Full MIMO Transmit and Receive Performance for Mid-Tier PCs
The Atheros AR9287 single-chip PCIe solution for mid-tier notebook and netbook PCs offers greater performance and value over alternative value-class and mid-tier 11n solutions, including 1x2 designs.
Atheros’ new MIMO design for PCs delivers up to 300 Mbps PHY rates in both transmit and receive modes."

Good news???

Bill

 

hi,I noticed that sony sell 2 kinds of F series in my country.
one of them is made in usa that comes with DVDr/rw & the other one is made in china that comes with Blueray.
what`s your suggestion,which one is better & what`s their differences?

 

Cool!hearing something is always better , so SONY always changed their model number for 2nd incarnation for their vaio series in the past.

Either that or SONY preparing for the next F, I'm planning to get VPCF 116 as well and they will be out of stock until end of this month/early next month (its been out of stock roughly for 2 months),so might as well waiting 1-2 more months for the 2nd version.

Made in USA=CTO, Made in China=Commercial model. Seems to be people here have CTO and they have fan issue with the CTO version.

 

what do u mean by made in usa=CTO,pls explain more.
I have another question about core i7 cpu.I want to know what core 2 duo cpu is equivalent to core i7 720qm cpu?

 

Joe Bleau,

Yes, those apps seems to go more deep in the boot process. Thank you, I'll play with them.

But you see, my boot time is not that long. I was just curious with the msconfig option and became really intrigate with the desappearance of the Hyper-Threading/multitasking feature.

Thank you anyway.

 

The i7 720QM and the i7 820QM are Quad-Core chips, with 2 threads per core.

The Core 2 Duos were all dual-core chips. The closest "i" generation chip to the older Core 2 Duo is the i7 620M, which is a dual-core chip among the i7 versions. You could also compare the i5 540M and the i5 520M to the older Core 2 Duo chips.

 

That was quick ! It was in stock all afternoon yesterday but then probably by evening, went out of stock again.

 

So I know the fan speeds up every now and then to keep the powerful cpu and gpu cool. However, since it also happens every now and then during me doing some light browsing work, I started to check up in task manager everytime the fan started doing a short boost...

So I found that every 15 minutes or so, the cpu usage would boost to 25-30% whilst task manager shows only two of my 92 running processes/apps using about 0-1% of my cpu... wth is using the rest of the cpu?

 

CTO (configure-to-order) models are built in the united states (San Diego, CA, I believe) to the spec that you choose (these are the models that are not pre-built but rather built "on demand").

Core 2 duos are dual-core chips and as such can't really be compared. The closest would probably be a higher-end core 2 duo mobile chip (a C2d clocked at 3.06 ghz would probably be comparable to the i7 for applications that aren't threaded very well).

Even i5 chips are dual-cores with hyper-threading (4 effective virtual cores), so they're not really comparable. You would have to get down to higher-clocked core i3 chips for a closer comparison to be made.

The new mobile i7 chips (620 something) are also dual-core chips with hyper-threading. The i7 720QM and 820QM are quad-core chips with hyper-threading for 8 effective cores. In term of raw ghz clock speeds that's theoretically 8*1.6 = 12.8 ghz for the 720QM and 8*1.73 = 13.84 ghz for the 820QM.

 

Maybe some flash ads on the websites you were viewing or something? How long are the bursts to 25-30%? I haven't noticed anything like that, but then again I haven't been looking either. Probably nothing to worry about though...

 

Quick question guys. I'm curious, does anyone else find the feel and response of the trackpad to be less than desirable? It's not that it's way too slow because I know you can up the speed of the pointer; the problem is that it seems like the pointer skips a bit. Overall, I much prefer to hook up a mouse, because this trackpad is crap.

 

Wouldn't flash ads running on websites show up in taskmanager as cpu usage of the browser? In any case, at that point in time, I only had 1 window with 1 tab on it: a page of this thread

It takes about 10-20 seconds to go down to 0-2% again. Started looking to see what's causing these fan boosts and task manager showed me it goes hand in hand with a cpu boost that is unaccounted for when looking at the usage of the apps currently running.

For now it might not be annoying, but I'm wondering if it won't temporarily cause a computer freeze when I'm doing more cpu intensive stuff... adding sudden bursts of cpu usage of 25% that's unaccounted for could cause slowdowns while I'm gaming/encoding...

 

lol Oh 10-20 seconds? lol Ok that doesn't sound normal. Maybe an AV program doing some background work? It shouldn't go up to 30% though (encoding HD video with virtualdub only gets about 60% cpu usage). My only other guess is that the cpu is throttling, so the amount of resources your programs are using are remaining constant, but the processing power of the cpu is dropping because of cores shutting down to save power, etc. That's a giant if though. I'll see if mine is doing the same though.