Official Sony VAIO F Series Owners lounge *PART 2*

On my eSupport website there is no BIOS listing and certainly no BIOS update. Has anyone flashed their BIOS hoping to get better performance?

 

No. Have you been reading this thread backwards because its the other way round. When running on battery, the i7 reduces speed to save power.

Thats because there hasn't been one.

 

People who received theirs F back (which were wathing for a new motherboard) had the bios updated.
Or could it be that the new bios was necessary for the new batch of motherboards?

 

Yes I knew that, but where are these people getting June 26 for the F12 releases, if there's no information available? lol

 

I have been following this thread since day one...from what I can remember out of the thousands of posts...nobody actually reported back saying that they had their motherboard replaced. There were several users who were offered this repair, but nobody actually went through with this "procedure".

Some people know Sony employees on a personal level, family/friends...insider knowledge. I was told on the phone directly by a Sony representative that the refresh would be available on June 26th, it will not be released sooner due to the Intel embargo.

 

For those curious about the F12-

I found a link to possible specs for the F12 while looking through the Z-series lounge- SonyCenter.lu.

Not sure how reliable that site is, but the main differences appear to just be in the CPU with the i7-740 (1.73GHz), which is pretty much what c-mattic found around page 463.

 

Hah, that's definitely it. Inside info.

Yeah I think i'm gonna return this thing because I'm hating the squeeky spacebar and the headphone port. Hopefully they fixed it.

 

I GUARANTEE you, without equivocation, that the F12 will have squeaky spacebars. As has been said, it stops squeaking once the slider wears in.

Likewise, the headphone port will be JUST the same on the F12, since it's a combined optical/mini port. ANY laptop's optical/mini port, as with the Powered USB/Esata port, will be a bit stiff or tricky about seating or inserting the plug.

 

VPC-F12Z1E/B.SW Sony

Performances: Processeur Intel® Core i7-740QM à 1,73 GHz (4 cœurs) Mémoire RAM 8192 Mo DDR3 Disque dur 500 Go Serial ATA 7200 trs Blu Ray Drive (Graveur BD – Graveur DVD) Ecran LCD VAIO Premium de 16.4" FullHD (1 920 x 1 080) Carte graphique NVIDIA® GeForce® N11P (1GB DDR3)

Connectique: Emplacement Memory Stick™ Emplacement SD Prise micro / casque Sortie audio optique Port direct RJ-45 (réseau) 2 ports USB Version 2.0 1 port e-SATA Connecteur VGA pour écran Port PC EXPRESS 34mm Sortie HDMi

Fonctions plus: Wireless LAN 802.11a/b/g/n Bluetooth 2.1 + ERD Build-in Webcam et Microphone

Divers: Système d'exploitation : Windows Seven™ Home Premium 64bits Clavier : QWERTZ (SF) Dimensions: 263 x 31-41 x 387 mm Poids: 3.2 kg

Accessoires fournis: Batterie rechargeable, adaptateur secteur et câble d'alimentation
Connectivité: Technologie Wireless LAN intégrée 802.11a/b/g/n, portée 300m Réseau Ethernet 10/100/1000Base-T (Gigabit)

Available June 17th.

Still USB2, still combined headphone/optical port and USB/Esata port. same keyboard and layout. (which will squeak) No mention of the PS3 interface thing.

It will run a bit faster with the same TDP.

 

I agree with MelodyMaster. Unless you have a no questions asked return period I would deem the unit non defective & refuse a refund.

If you do have such a grace return policy then the loss on the opened box will be absorbed by all of us @ the end.

If you don't want to wait for the spacebar to break in then check the Unification Post: I removed the spacebar twice to take some how-to photos, it took less that 1 minute each time.

 

Well my laptop is about 2 weeks old. And since it's so soon and I have a Core 2 Duo laptop I can use in the mean time, I kinda wanna get the i7 740qm since that's probably going to be the standard processor now.

The headphone port is not just fitting, but I have an actual issue with it. When I have headphones or my speakers plugged in, system sounds will randomly play, but music will play fine. System sounds such as a ding or the click when you open a folder. When nothing is plugged in, the sounds play perfectly fine on the built-in speakers. I tried uninstalling/reinstalling the drivers. So really it's just worth it since their tech support was beyond ridiculous. (used their chat support, and I'm an advanced user).

I think in the long run it'll be worth it.

 

From your perspective: yes.

Have you tried this update: VAIO_F Series: Realtek HD Audio Driver R248 Update?

 

I am a touch confused. The new "740QM" runs at 1.73Ghz, the same as the 820QM? So what is the difference if they both run at 45w TDP? Perhaps it has 6MB of L2 cache like the 720, where the 820 has 8MB? Or is the new 740 a smaller and thinner lithography?

I can't find anything on this processor. Any thoughts?

Bill

 

It's vaguely possible that the change in number is to differentiate the smaller 32nm die, rather than 45, otherwise it's a mistake on the Promo writeup.

 

Yep. I tried that and no luck. Legitimate issue.

Might as well return it. I don't want a Sony tech support rep fondling with my laptop...err...taking it apart. haha. But it's in mint condition. So, whoever buys it used should very happy.

 

I will make an important observation - you have a late F11, which has no problems, despite what you may think; you'd be getting an early F12 .. (shudder!!)

 

That's a software issue my Man, Windows sounds mixed in with music!? Gee...

 

MelodyMaster, it'll be an upgraded F11. So think of it as a really late F11, early F12. Haha. And I wasn't trying to play System sounds at the same time as I was playing music. It's a completely separate occurrence. And it can't be a software issue because the sounds play perfectly fine when nothing is in the headphone port.

 

Why not start a F12 Speculation threads you guys? Welcome to link it here @ will but can we keep this one on the_F11?

I don't give a s*h*i*t about the_F12. If I do, I will visit your thread, promise!

 

No Joe, this thread is all about the F-SERIES, the information is all inter-related. When the thread gets too large (which it probably is right now) then the mods will start part 3.

 

Come on. Do I want to read hundreds of F12_speculation posts & questions like: what color, when available in my country, I just pre-ordered: OMG how long will it take to get it, etc, etc.

If the _F12 does not get it's specific thread then the extreme level of noise in this thread will simply be unbearable to actual_F11 owners, including me.

When I want to read about my D300, I go to a D300 thread. When I want to read specifics about my D300s & it's video feature...

If one likes speculation posts, go to some macrumours stuff. There are millions of posts there, 99.8% wrong & 100% useless to me.

 

Actually Melody, Joe is right. This is the F11 OWNER'S LOUNGE. This is for owners of current products, not speculation about future products.

Also, thank you for the reply about the processor. I can not find anything anywhere on the web about a new Core i7 740QM processor. I was interested because I paid extra for the 820QM (and am very happy with the entire machine!), so I am wondering why there would be a nearly identical chip made by Intel.

Bill

 

Since there is an embargo by Intel @ the present, anything you may find about the i7-740QM or i7-840QM may contain errors as sites jump in the speculation bandwagon.

Data not there yet: Intel Mobile i7 Processor Search

Maybe?

Notebookcheck: Intel Core i7 740QM Notebook Processor

Intel Core i7 Mobile I7-740QM BY80607005259AA (BX80607I7740QM)

 

ROFLMAO: I agree with Joe.........

 

Nice find Joe.

At the same price point, the 740QM would be an upgrade, but it is sort of minor. If the 840QM was at the same price as the 820QM, it would be a great deal...3.2Ghz single core speed! Mine runs 3.06 single core and 2.0Ghz with all 4 cores when turbo boost is applied. This would be a nice little upgrade for the same price point.

Bill

 

Yes, but I started talking about the June 26th refresh in FEBRUARY! Are we supposed to have had an F12 thread THEN? Before we knew what it would be called? Or are we not allowed to talk about any future changes to the F11? Can we not extend discussion about the F11 to those who are CONSIDERING buying?! No, future iterations of the F-series is VERY much part of a general discussion..

And a lot of this stuff about the refresh is NOT speculation, at least by those posting concrete info such as Poohkie and myself. It is in fact privileged information, not being provided anywhere else, which the readers here should consider themselves lucky to be hearing about.

The fact is that the F11 and F12 are too close, they ARE the same machine, any technical stuff and fixes and issues that apply to one will also apply to the other, and it if doesn't then that is relevant to both versions also. The FWs don't have separate threads for each version - One Asus model had a new thread when the model changed from a Core2Duo to i-series.

But it's up to the mods.

 

Start a new_F12 thread, I promise I will link to it & even include it in my sig. Don't worry, anyone wandering here with shopping questions, we will send them to the_F12 thread unless it's a used unit or an_F11 discounted. BTW the first post in that new thread could list the differences.

Once in a while speculative post is OK but the upcoming thousands on the_F12 is not. I am talking about thread USABILITY here.

What's the problem? You don't know how to start a thread?

 

I agree with MelodyMaster. The title is "VAIO F Series Owners Lounge" is it not? It doesn't say F11 owners lounge. Why would we make a separate thread for each model of the F series that comes out? If anything, there should be an F series forum, and then people can create topics as they wish.

And Joe, you beat me to it. I was gonna post that link about the 740qm from cpu-world.com. I was looking at that earlier this afternoon haha.

 

I agree with Nugg, this thread is called F owners, there's no F11 mentioned on the thread title. If you want to split F12 info, rename the thread otherwise; Melody wins. Btw, no one else has raised complaints until you...I've lurking around this forum learning as much as I can due to me planning on getting one as a graduation present. If it weren't for Melody I wouldn't be waiting for the F12.

 

I have no problems with an F12 thread, but again, this is an OWNERS Lounge. How many F12 OWNERS are there?

Come on. How hard would it be to start a new thread just for talk on an upcoming "F12" refresh of the F11?

Bill

 

People deciding not to buy the dregs of the F11s is the reason Sony doesn't want info about the F12 to get out there.

But honestly, it would probably not be wise to pay full price for an F11 right NOW, (however, one should try to get it at a reduced price, sure) but the F12 isn't fundamentally better in such a way as to make me wish I hadn't got an F11 several months ago. I'm totally happy with my F11 mid-run model.

 

Yes, insider info about upcoming products is useful.

But now WE KNOW about the F12. Why not regroup all the info in one relevant thread instead of creating a diluted & messy one?

Can't you grasp the difference?

About the "F11 is not in the title of this thread" argument, that's lame legalese & does not address the issue of USABILITY.

 

Because we've been talking about the "refresh" of the F11 since the F11 thread was started. It's nothing new.


This thread is due to be split into a third part anyway. Sure, put F12 in the thread title, but make it a continuation of the F-series thread and CLOSE part 2!!.

I've been a forum Mod, as well as having founded several successful newsgroups; in my experience that would be the best way to avoid off-topic deletions, flaming, and continous newbie questions and referrals to the "other" thread.

Otherwise, separate threads for F11 and F12 users?! That's ridiculous.

(edit) it's too late now, but obviously I meant the F-SERIES thread has always had discussions about the F12 - by proxy. (/edit)

 

Agreed 100%. I used to develop and administrate message boards back when I was in high school. It's the only way to keep it clean.

 

OK. Does anybody knows in which colors the F12 will be available in USA?

Will they be the same as elsewhere?

Will the 1080p matte display also be available where I live?

Will the backlit keyboard also be available where I live?

Will it have the famous BD sticker? If so, what color?

Does anybody knows when it will be available?

Does anybody knows the pricing?

Does anybody knows if NVIDIA® GeForce® N11P found in the .LU link above means the N11P-GE1 code name for the GT 330M or an other chip?

Should I sell my F11 NOW @ a better price so I could buy the F12?

I already hate my F11 and NEED the new F12, is there a remedy?

Will the drivers be different?

Will it have the same bloatware?

How about the BIOS?

What about the new CPU's?

If you order one, could you post a blow by blow of the ordering & delivery process? We NEED to know where your package is @ the present.

 

^agree with those questions above.

Also is there a 1gb GPU in the f11 or not. Im tempted with the refresh for some reason, as its seems more improved. I hope it has a backlit keyboard in the UK

 

Lord help us.

 

Creating a new thread for the F12 would spawn the exact same discussions that occur here. Because the F12 is simply an F11 with a few hardware tweaks, users should expect very similar problems (and successes) with the F12 as with the F11. Same squeeky keyboard, same (or similar) noisy fans, same vaio bloatware comments, etc, etc, etc.

Notice how the rest of the owners lounges are similar categorized. The E series (not a specific model), the SW series (again, series as a whole), and the same holds true for all the other series. The exception is the Z, which still doesn't split every time a refresh comes; instead it is split by processor. Why should the F be different?

 

I have one comment on this. Not taking sides, just making the observation.

This is the "Official Sony VAIO F Series Owners lounge"

Doesn't state what model F it is. Your arguments over the last 3 pages have taken up half the space we have speculating, which just goes to show, people prefer arguing over action.

 

Niebyl, Melody, Joe or anyone else that might know. I got the Fenvi caddy, but it doesn't seem to have screws for securing the HDD? In Joe's guide it says it has all holes predrilled (and later down he says that he drilled holes for securing his HDD on the other caddy), but it doesn't seem like it has holes for securing the HDD with screws?

 

Dude, no one asked those questions. I mean you're taking this way out of proportion now. It's completely unnecessary. Why don't you just start a website for every model. With it's own forum and topics. SonyVAIOF11.com, SonyVAIOF12.com.....

Yes, depending on the model you purchase.

 

My Fenvi caddy has screws and the holes for the hard drive. I can't say more because I haven't tried installing it yet.

 

Do you want to bet that those questions are coming & much much more from now till the F12 hits the market? Just go to the Official Sony_VAIO_F Series Owners lounge #1 to see what's coming.

*****

More F12 questions:

- Will the fan be different: quieter or noisier?

- What will be the CPU speed on battery?

- Will the Morse code be fixed or play a different tunes?

Etc, etc, etc.

 

No, there is no bottom holes in the Fenvi HDD caddy as shown in the how-to install a HDD in the F's ODD bay article.



But since you won't throw around your F & there is already the SATA connector & the back flap, you only need one hole for 1 screw the furthest away from the connector for more peace of mind.

 

Okay, and those questions were asked here when there was an FW and now the F11...so what's your point? lol. I"m not trying to argue here, just some things you are bringing up are invalid and illogical solutions.

 

Well FluffedUp, thanks for the few clues you deemed safe to post but I lost patience stabbing in the dark & downloaded a full WinDVD 2010 copy from the famous p2p site, created a restore point, uninstalled the OEM crippled WinDVD 2010, installed the "evaluation copy". Et voilà! Everything works as it should: more enhancements, WinDVD specific power plan optimization, open file or folder, capture clips or snapshots, etc.

Opening Folder opens automatically the full movie, not need to fish for the individual .VOB anymore. What I can't understand is why on earth is the Mobile Technology Pack tab disabled on the OEM. The F is power hungry & can benefit from all the optimization you can get when viewing a movie on battery. Notice the play faster or slower slider below.

I may run a file checker utility as I kept a copy of the OEM files to try to spot the crippling files but it may take a while as I am not a programmer.

 

Yeah, but I don't see where that hole for 1 screw goes. I must be confused. Melody could you maybe point it out in one of the pictures where the screws for the HDD go? All I see are the four little flaps that 'secure' it, which same like they could probably be removed, but there's no predrilled hole there. I'll try to get a picture from a better angle.

Thanks all

 

You need to mark where to drill & DIY. It's easy, the metal is soft. The how-to article is not clear?

 

Pictures of it from the sides:

 

Is the bottom of the caddy on the other side made of aluminum?

You can see threaded mounting holes on the side of the HDD. Since the side of the caddy seems to be plastic, you could drill a hole there or simply heat up a nail or something using pliers to hold it & melt a hole for the screw.