Official Sony VAIO F Series Owners lounge *PART 2*

They sound like they're for the media sharing service (VAIO CMS, or Content Metadata Service, which, I assume is part of the VAIO media center, which you can use to stream media to your PS3 or other computers on your network).

 

RE: Sound from speakers:

It's either a problem with the microphone (which is fixable) or it's a problem with the USB ports (just get the latest drivers from the Sony_esupport page). These solutions can be found in the unification post that is linked to in my sig.

RE: HD Editing:

While I can't speak for any linear video editing (I haven't used Vegas or Premier), the F encodes video like none other. Virtualdub encoding to xvid and h.264 shows 720p video encoding at roughly 20 fps on average. When there isn't much happening on screen, it can jump up to 40 (I've seen this happen ). 1080p usually encodes at about 10fps. It's also fun to see all 8 cores at work when you're encoding video .

RE: Transferjet/SD:

Uhhh, well I'm not sure what else you'd put in it's place, seeing as it resides under the left palmrest... As for the SD card slot, yes, it is SDHC compatible.

It's a really good laptop, and as far as I can tell, one of the few quad-core HT-enabled core i7 beasts that doesn't have overheating issues.

 

I have been quietly awaiting my CTO F11 that I ordered on April 12th. All other computers arrived and are up and working well. However, mine had the 1920x1080p screen, which was on backorder. Sony Style updates told me that my NEW ship date would now be May 5th. I was originally told that the backorder would be April 27 ship date!

I just walked into the house and checked my email. My new F11 is being OVERNIGHTED and will be here tomorrow afternoon! Whos says Sony customer service sucks??? I did not even call and complain!

Happy me!

Bill

By the way, all others are working great! None have any issues. All are CTO 720QM, 8GB RAM, BluRay, 1600x900 screen w/ GT310M graphics. These last 3 (mine included) were bought with a 15% discount from Sony Style (for multiple purchases). Mine will be what is on my signature on the bottom of the post.

 

Wow about time ay

Does anyone have transferjet? LOL I don't think I do. Does it show up in device manager?

 

Intel Rapid Storage 9.​6.​0.​1014 are the new kind of chipset drivers from intel.
Intel Rapid Storage Driver 9.6.0.1014 - Neowin Forums
It is a successor of the Chipset_Driver_Intel_9.1.1G_9.1.1.1020 pre-installed on your F11.

 

For HD editing the F11 is outstanding. I use it for that purpose with Premiere and VirtualDub.

The speakers and case are not physically capable of providing good sound. With external speakers connected via HDMI or even the headphone output the audio is exceptionally good. For editing you're not going to be using the internal speakers anyway.

 

Hello everybody,

I'm getting an error ''download and install driver
for Sony firmware extension parser'' what should I do?

I did a clean windows 7 install and installed all drivers from
vaio-link site..

Thanks.
Manos

 

Downloading the latest driver didn't solve the problem for me. I'v a very annoying high-pitch sound when something is plugged in one of the usb-ports. Only when you the cpu on its tale, it stops but from the moment the cpu is calming down, the sound returns.

 

You can try windows update, I think they also have this driver.

 

Hmmm...

Intel readying 1.46GHz ultra-low voltage Core i7 | Electronista

What does this mean for the late June/early July F11 refresh...

 

Well with all the whining about some users having a whistling fan I thought it might be refreshing to talk about the end result of the fan: cooling the internals.

The most powerful CPU offered on the new Macbook_Pro 17" is the 2 core i7-620M. In this Intel i7-620M vs. i7-720QM 4 core comparison page you can see that the max operating temperature is 105c for the 620M vs. 100c for the F's 720QM.

On this page, they ran Cinebench 11.5 & CPUID's Hardware Monitor on new Macbook_Pro 17" & obtained surprisingly high temperatures for the CPU & GPU (104c - 219F max).

Well I ran the same utilities on my Vaio_VPCF115FM for much cooler results:





Note that both laptops have a NVIDIA GT 330M GPU.

 

Thanks for your reply. From your reply, I'm disappointed
to know that it is a hardware issue and not a driver issue.
So, I can't even watch casual movies with the built in speakers
along with my family? That is insane. If the speakers are that
bad, then I'm afraid that I have to look for alternative brands.

Please advice.

 

I am not a computer professional like some of you guys seem to be. I try to hang with you guys and learn as much as I can, but sometimes I get so confused and a little depressed in trying to keep up and understand. Concerning RAID, must I have two hard drives, and if so, isn't this really impracticable unless you switch out the optical drive? Also, the Intel site states it does support TRIM if you do this? I do have the SSD and this appears to be a semi- important feature. Aaaargh! I'm trying to understand...

 

Did you:
- Download latest Realtek driver from esupport for your F model
- Uninstall current Realtek driver
- Reboot
- Install latest Realtek driver from esupport

*******

Onboard Speakers?

Yep, Ferrari don't have good cup-holders, you should look for an other brand.

I'd rather have the current slick F body than a bulkier one to accommodate larger onboard speakers which will never match anyway quality external speakers or headphones.

 

I was vocal in first stating speakers are not that good. I came from a HP with Harman Kardon. But for casual listening they sure are acceptable, for some time with music- add external speakers ( I use Bose), and for real listening use with HDMI receiver and the home theater speakers.

 

How bad are the speakers?
I wanted to try them first. I live in california. Any local
stores may have it?

 

I thought the speakers were fine sheesh.

 

Are you sure this works on the F?

From the Intel driver version 9.6.0.1014 download page: "...for Intel Desktop Boards."

More reading on the subject: the long waited INTEL RST V9.6.0.1014...

 

The envy beats version apparently has great speakers (it also costs $2000+. For the extra $500-$1000, I would get a nice set of bookshelf speakers and an amp). Actually, I've heard (haha, pun intended ) that less expensive 15" and 17" (dv5/7) hp notebooks have great speakers.

But really, you should't be expecting KEF or audioengine sound from a laptop computer (btw, great speakers for $200: http://www.audioengineusa.com/a2_home.php). The speakers sound like laptop speakers. A bit bright, great mid/high clarity, but not much mid/low bass reproduction. The sound is reminiscent of the stock earbuds that come with ipods. They are more than acceptable for casually viewing movies or youtube videos.

For more "formal" situations (really sitting down and watching a movie with the family) you would probably plug the laptop into a tv and use external speakers anyway.

 

If the speakers are a main concern for you then the Vaio_F Series is probably not meant for you. Are you aware of the CPU power & cooling needs?

 

They are typical speakers for a laptop. If you can find a laptop with room-filling audio and resounding bass then please let us know.

NObody uses laptop speakers as their ultimate audio playback device. I use headphones for casual watching and connect via an external DA to a tube amp with Tandy Mach 2 speakers for room audio..

Deciding against a superb multimedia system - The F11 is the fastest of ALL i7 laptops yet with one of the best cooling deltas despite its slimness - based just on its speakers, is a decided misdirection of priorities.

 

I respect your comments. I also have a Dell precision m400
and it's built in speakers are not that great. Even turning the
volume to full, the sound coming from the speakers is
low. I will be watching YouTube/yahoo videos every now and
then and all I need is the audio should be audiable in the
room for 4-5 people sitting and watching.

Apart from the speakers, anything else to worry abt?

 

Make sure you have the option to try before you buy, or to return if you're not satisfied. I'M delighted with the F11, as you will be if it's trouble-free; but read the unification post if you want to follow the checkered history of this laptop.

And I use the F11 for Youtube watching etc. on its internal speakers. But if you are setting up to show videos to any sort of audience you should ALWAYS arrange some sort of sound system. And an external Display, such as TV monitor, would be a good idea too. Remember that the audio can be fed via the HDMI output TO your high-definition TV and home theatre system.

 

Ah - sorry. I misunderstood your initial questions (I interpreted it as the quality of the speakers and not the volume, which is what I think you were getting at).

The volume of the speakers at full blast is substantial enough to fill a small room (my dorm room is about 174 square feet and the speakers get loud enough to fill it full of loud music that would drive old folks insane ). The volume of the speakers should be fine for causal youtube vids and for watching in small groups.

As for other problems, to get a general idea (instead of reading through 5000+ posts, you should visit the unification link in my sig. It has a list of the general complaints (screen viewing angle, morse code noise, whining noise, etc) as well as links to some DIY fixes and tweaks.

 

"...4-5 people sitting and watching" - The viewing angle of the F's display is probably to narrow for that anyway.

 

The F series speakers get quite a bit louder than most laptops I've used, but they aren't quality speakers per say. Look, you bought a 1.3-1.6" thick laptop, and there are many out there with similar specs that are 2" thick.

The HP Envy is from HP - not only are they always spoken of as using great speakers on their laptops, but the Envy has "beats" speakers that are supposed to sound good.

Guess what, they don't. They have these tiny grilles and don't get nearly loud enough.

You're not going to get great sound out of laptop speakers that often. All I can say, is they were on par with my PowerBook G4's speakers and go louder.

If you want good sound on the go, your only real choice is headphones. If you work at an office or something and want a small, but good speaker system, I'd suggest one of these:
boston horizon duo - Google Search

(they sound pretty damn good for the size!)

At home, I use Klipsch 5.1s in my office.

 

This is more likely for Y series, its ultra portable on the upscale. It wont be for the next refresh of F, the next refresh for F should at least address all the concern/bug/defects that exist on the 1st release...it might have remote play feature that work with PS3 and other SONY devices like TV,etc...cross my finger

If you want to watch anything with 4-5 people,you need to use the external HDMI and connect it to TV, no way you could do it with the F. Btw,you might wanted to wait a little bit longer for the 2nd version of F that due this june-july.

 

Is there a good reason to wait for the 2nd rev. out in June?

 

But the one in June 2011 will be even better.

 

2010 or 2011

 

2010, so few more months...SONY will announce "Remote Play" feature sometime in may, hopefully they announced the next F by then as well. I got the first version and returned it because some of the problems on that laptop that I cant tolerate, I like the speed/design but cant live with the defects especially the screen...after comparing the screen to my 5 years old acer laptop.

 

2011 and that's not talking about 2012!

Many people disagree with new_vaio_F and are enjoying their F as we speak including I.

There is always the next best thing just around the block. Will check it out when I'll get there. Meanwhile...

 

IMO its not going to be worth waiting for unless Sony_brings the matte screen to the states, or if the graphics card is upgraded. I don't see either of these happening in the near future (okay maybe just one). ATI cards are incompatible with the current motherboard design (I highly doubt that sony will do a complete redesign of the mobo) and nvidia 4xxm chips probably won't be in high yield until Q3/4 of this year at the earliest. The screen might get updated. idk what to think about that. That means that if there IS a summer update, it'll probably be to patch up some of the minor issues that can be fixed with software updates. Probably some sort of price drop, along with more color choices (maybe different processors, now that the i7 6xx chips are out).

 

Off course the longer we wait, the better stuff were getting, this scenario is for people that don't have F yet and thinking of buying one. Like anything being mass produced for the first time, there always a defects and there always an improvements for the second release. In this case, 2 more months for the F refresh. Is it worth waiting 2 more months? you judge! For me it is.

I think as long as they fix the issue, like morse code, fan and even better...a new screen its totally worth it. I dont think a refresh SONY going to have for the F is only software updates. They already know the F have issues, less likely they wont learn from their mistake. The price drop is definitely for the current generation of F, yeap...maybe different processors and the special edition version.

 

As I've said before, and I have this now from multiple sources, in June the i9 will be offered (at higher cost) and Canadians will once again have access to 1 gig video cards with GT330 or 420/440. The refresh, but using current CPU and video specs, will NOT go down in price, except maybe for some options. SSDs may even go up. Also USB3 is being suggested, and I wouldn't count on the PS3 remote play being ONLY for new VAIOs. I don't expect the signature series to come out yet. The F-series will always and forever more be an Nvidia GPU platform.

 

I want to correct you that I didnt say the refresh will be priced lower, I did say the current version of F might get discounted price. As far as SSD, I dont see the trends of it going up in cost especially since they now making it ready for 20nm process for memory chip, I think Samsung is the one who did it...meaning cheaper,faster,less energy chip. SONY stated on the press release, the "Remote Play" is only for NEWER Vaio if you read the press release. As far as Nvidia graphics, I think GT330 is far more capable for my needs, however back then I was ONLY wondering about ATI chips as I personally like ATI better. I'm perfectly fine with Nvidia for the F if that's the only option. The main reason for me to wait for refresh is to see if the defects have been taken care and addition of USB3,remote play,etc.

What's up with F owner and the new F series refresh?All I said is what I expected and hear about the new refresh and a suggestion for people who want to get F.

 

I got my VPCF115FM last week bought from the US. Anyway, was very very disappointed with the "Premium Display" here. I have an older VAIO FZ17G from Singapore which just has a fantastic screen and absolutely nice viewing angles. My current screen lacks punch and when I watch movies, the bottom bit of the LCD looks like there is a long light bulb emanating from it. Also when I watch movies, the skin seems to have gradients? Not smooth at all. Anyway I've been reading the threads here which have proven to be helpful. I am currently using the profile provided here (5900K Native 150cdm for my color profile).

May I just clarify a few things... If I wanted to change the actual LCD, do I change it to the LCD used by the FW or do I change it to the LCD used by the EU matte? Mine is gloss premium display US. And just in case, where can I buy those screens?

Thanks!

 

I said the SAME specs in the next refresh wouldn't be lower cost. Certainly the cost of the CURRENT refresh will go down..

The i7-720 will still be offered, as will a faster GPU, even if its the 440, memory will have the same size and speed. The screen may be better but the basic specs will be the same, even if there are some improvements in heat hadnling, noise etc.

In Canada the 256 Gig SSD may no longer be just $225, and with full Trim and newer technology the SSD option may indeed go up.

And yes, ATI blows away Nvidia across the board. It's an extreme shame the F doesn't use ATI.

 

We would ALL love to know where to buy the European Matte Adobe display! And its part number. The FW display is still an improvement however.

 

Remembering a post a while back about anti-glare film, I just stuck a piece of drafting mylar to the screen and there is definitely potential. There was no color inversion under the mylar when I folded the screen back (clarity was another story). I might have to give this stuff a try if I can find it at a reasonable price.

 

I just picked up a VPC-F11LFX/B. Does the screen change brightness as the room dims or is it my imagination? If so, can this feature be turned off?

Sorry, I just found the answer and it's in the VAIO Control Center.

 

For a RAID configuration you need minimum two hard drives and a raid controller. I'm sure the last one isn't build in the F (there aren't supposed to be two hard drives in it in the first place and second raid controllers are rare in laptops. The only one I've seen was in a Dell Precision M6500).

TRIM (is made to handle garbage overhead => more info here) is supported by Windows 7. Also your SSD needs TRIM support (most ones do lately). Normally this is stated in the specs.
In short TRIM avoid performance-loss at long term. So yes it's kinda an important feature.

 

I tried the EU and Us-driver for my model. I always followed the steps you described. I also sended it back to Sony, they changed a part (stupid me can't remember anymore what it was and I don't have the repairreport anymore) but it didn't solve a thing.

Jef

 

They work on my F
The easiest way to install new drivers for your F is through ma-config.
A nice article about ma-config: Analyze Your PC & Detect New Driver Updates Online With Ma-Config

I just wanted all Intel Drivers as up to date as possible because a want to buy a SSD in the near future and a want the best performance and TRIM support.

 

Is there any way to make the brightness/volume functions the default for those buttons instead of holding FN? I'm sick of accidentally refreshing windows.

Also is it just me, or even with tapping disabled the trackpad has a random habit of accepting taps as clicks (in menus, particularly).

TBH this tap-to-click insistence is beginning to annoy me in such a small, annoying way I'd almost happily unload on craigslist over it. You know what they say, the devil's in the details.

Actually, let me go there for a moment. IS WRONG WITH THESE DESIGNERS?!

It's like they've never used a laptop before in their lives. Why the hell do we have useless play/pause/skip buttons that rarely work right, but no volume control buttons? Why are the trackpad buttons so god awful loud?

Why doesn't the screen opening wake the laptop up, as it does on 99.999% of laptops made (even OTHER SONY LAPTOPS) - whoever said otherwise was a liar btw

Why did they vent the machine out the left when the keyboard is offset to the left?

 

Remapping keys could possibly be done with the utility keytweak Joe used: http://forum.notebookreview.com/5998651-post671.html

The design is possible the result of too much sake

 

Hmm this is weird. During my usual use of the laptop I suddenly heard a hollow 'clunk' type of noise coming from it... sounds a bit like when one of the strings of your tennis/badminton racket/guitar snaps: "penggg". It's clearly not from the speakers (I had it connected to an hd tv) and comes from the inside of this laptop...

 

lol well... Here are the other scenarios. Put the CPU/GPU on the right side of the motherboard, blast hot air out the right side and have your mouse hand cooked to perfection. Blast hot air out the back, but that would require a redesign in the screen hinge, etc, etc, etc. It was the best option if you think about it.

IMO the designers did their job pretty well, considering the goofballs at apple (ZOMG MINIMALISM) and HP (ZOMG APPLE) did a pretty bad job of heat management.

As for the mousepad clicking - I don't really notice it making unwanted clicks. I guess it just depends on how you use the touchpad. Meh, imo it's a nice package, and we certainly shouldn't be blaming the product designers for making a half-decent product at a very decent price point. It's not as easy as you might think

 

Also, I have my coffee on the left side and the heat blast helps to keep it warm!

 

Patiently awaiting my new F. Installed SSD in my computer and updated firmware, then removed SSD. I am ready!

ATI does NOT beat nVidia at everything. Yes, ATI is better at 3D, but nVidia has an advantage in 2D. In fact, I stayed away from the Asus G73 because it seemed to have very poor reliability and also because the ATI 5 series cards have been shown to be worse in 2D than 8 yr old Intel integrated graphics. I don't game, so I wanted better 2D graphics for Office apps and webbrowsing and photo editing speed.

As far as refresh, I sure hope you guys are right...perhaps the delay on my machine (1920x1080 screen was out of stock) was for a new shipment of dual lamp screens?

One can dream, right?

Bill