Official Sony VAIO F Series Owners lounge

Is the noise you're hearing an extremely high pitched sound like ringing in your ears or more of an electrical hum?

 

@viking quest

I'm not sure but isn't that the transparent glass effect from Aero? I've seen that before on mine. where you have a page up but wanted to see the desktop...?????

EDIT: show desktop on the far right of the taskbar

 

I've used the "Show desktop" icon before so that the program hides and the desktop is shown, but I don't remember seeing those diagonal bars before. I think I would have noticed long ago as they are quite easy to see. Even when I manually hide the program by clicking on it's icon in the taskbar or the minimize button on the top right the desktop looks fine.

 

It is the 'show desktop' effect, put your window in a portion of the desktop and pass over the show desktop and You'll see it only in the portion previously covered by the window

 

ilfuca, you're right. The desktop around the window looks normal, but the desktop inside the window has the effect. It's kind of like beams of light shining through clouds. I'm surprised I never noticed it before. Maybe because of different lighting. Thanks for clearing it up.

 

I'm going to buy laptop SONY VAIO VPCF112 but I cant find any information about it, if anyone on this thread is using it, please let me know if it has backlit keyboard. Thanks so much!

 

It's more like an electrical whine/cpu whine kind of noise if you know what i mean..

 

I have been having the same problem, I have linked the noise to opening and closing any program which plays sound e.g media player & centre, itunes and any internet tabs that play video. The volumes for each program vary (much louder for itunes and internet) but the noise starts and stops instantly when I open and close the programs, although the internet tabs can act a little more randomly.
Interestingly it also pauses briefly when I type or use my mouse, creating the morse code.
I have emailed Sony, they asked me to send it in but thats not going to happen anytime soon (uni projects due in). So in the meantime I'm coping by using media player instead of itunes and watching tv with headphones in.
Looks like my noise has more to to do with the speakers than the mic but muting the speakers has no effect.

@Viking Quest:
I have heard both the ringing and the hum but the ringing is more common and is the noise I have noticed with the programs.

 

Do a search for "Diagonal Lines" - look at page 316 and 320 of this thread. The diagonal lines were being discussed right around the time you were also posting. It's Aero.

 

Even under light load, the fan may be on sometimes, the i7 is pretty hot chip.

The i5 would probably be the quiet computer you were used to under the old Core2Duo.

I am betting that the fan noise you are hearing is not abnormal in any way, I just don't think you were used to or expecting fan noise.

Vaio Control Center > Power Management > Power Options > Thermal Control Strategy

"Favor Thermal Discharge" here would run the fan more often.

 

Ok, I have been drooling over the Vaio F for days now. The only thing keeping me from clicking the Order Now button is, what has been discussed here already, the refresh of the products. Some say it will be in April but is it worth waiting for? What could be so much better than that we don't have now?

 

If they quietly started using a better screen, it would be a better product.

This assumes that Sony thinks there is an issue with the screen, because the screen does look very very good once calibrated and if your head is in the narrow sweet spot. I thought it was enough of an issue to affect long term happiness with the product.

I was able to fix the morse code noise easily, but otherwise, thought the laptop was pretty awesome.

 

The European models should already have a better screen or have I misunderstood that?

 

Oh, if you are in Europe, yeah, to me you are good to go then.

There are no other show stoppers and as far as updates, no major tech can possibly change. The thermal envelope keeps the video card possibilities in check, the CPUs are new and powerful, etc.

 

Does everyone have the cpu whine noise? Try holding your ear near your touchpad do you hear a high pitch noise? If not then i'll try to see i can get new shipment of the F model. Cause this one is annoying the heck out of me..

 

I received my F11 UK version on friday. I have had no problems with it at all. No buzzing and the screen is fantastic.

When I first turned the laptop on it was so slow with all the bloatware installed. Did a full clean install and it is such a quick machine.

The only downside is the non illuminated keyboard. Had not realised that the UK model had a standard keyboard. Not a big deal though.

I would deffo recommend this laptop.

Thanks

 

I have my finger on the trigger for a custom F series, and I have to say thank you to everyone in this long thread for providing a lot of answers to burning questions and considerations regarding the display, adobe RGB gamut, etc.

What I would like to know is, and forgive me, I have tried searching, what are my options as far as aftermarket memory upgrades (I am in the US)? I would like to not have to pay an extra $150 or $300 for the 6, or 8 gig options, I would rather just get the 4gbx1 and purchase a second 4gbx1 matched module for ideally less money, after I have received the laptop. Has anyone done this yet, are there instructions and availability already provided by helpful members of this forum? Or should I just burn the money and get it with 8gb?

Thank you --

 

Thank you for answering. Yes, the fan is on all the time, even when I don't run any programs at all and CPU-load is zero. Though it runs at a slower speed when thermal control strategy is set to "balanced" and CPU-load is light.

I think you are right. There probably isn't anything wrong with the fan and the cooler I5 will probably produce less fan noise. It would be nice if someone could actually confirm that. I do think I will end up returning the I7 and getting an I5 instead hoping it will be more quiet.

 

I would definitely apply matt800's profile for the UK F11:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=5862633#post5862633

Makes a world of difference Although you lose a little brightness, the colours are brilliant.

If you did a clean install, don't forget to enable Dolby Home Theatre in the sound control panel as well. Takes away most of the tinniness

 

Hi guys, lots of great information here. I just ordered a CTO F series (with 10% discount, thanks!), hopefully the screen will either be a new model or inoffensive to me (I has previously ordered an XPS 16, but after my second delay and a bit of Googling indicated that the poor customer service from Dell was far from uncommon, I went with the Sony for myreplacement.) After reading up, I definitely want the SSD. I don't fear replacing it myself, but I would rather not break warranty. Is it user replaceable under warranty? Otherwise I'll probably see if they can alter the order, which is currently expected to ship on 3/2/10 (that's in March for any non-USer's reading this).

 

I tried that profile. It looked like i had set everything to "warm mode". Not sure if i was that keen. Maybe i should have given it a little longer to get used to it.

 

Thanks count_schemula for your answers. Going to call Sony tomorrow and see if they can deliver the laptop with keyboard backlight and maybe a discount

 

I think that's the same noise I hear, if it is constant. It's feint from normal viewing distance for me, though I haven't used my F in a completely quiet room yet. If you put your ear on the keyboard area it's louder, but move your ear down to the textured area and that's where it's the loudest. It never goes away.

I've been told several times that if the F Series is at 31dB at idle then it's fine. I don't have any way of measuring it, but I would say it's around that. I just wish I knew the source of the noise, what piece of hardware is causing it and if all other F owners hear it.

 

I think I know exactly what you're feeling - when I first set it I thought the same. I left it a little longer and now if I try to switch back to the Sony default, it seems very inaccurate.

Give it a shot Then switch back if it doesn't appeal to your eye after a couple of hours. Try it with a movie and/or colourful background.

 

I'm in my 40s and I can hear it.

"Morse Code" is a good description of it.

If the TV is on, or music is playing, you can't hear it.

Otherwise, you can hear it pretty easily. Buzzy, chirpy noise.

 

Here is my color profile, I thought it was less red than the one you are using.

Also, this was made for the US 1080p screen.

Spyder2express for US 1080p

 

I also experience this high frequency noise coming from the touchpad area. I was thinking of measuring it's frequency but can't find my microphone... In any case this is a sort of issue a few users have confirmed.

 

Not sure if this has been posted yet, I only saw it today. Up until the 8th of March, you can upgrade to the BluRay writer drive for free when ordering your F-Series though Sony Style UK Pretty fantastic deal that, I will be ordering next week.

 

Hmmm, that would be a sweet deal were it not that I am in Netherlands and Sony style doesn't have that offer

 

I do wonder if it's the hdd that is the source of this high frequency sound? The source seem be just off to the right of the touchpad, atleast on my computer!? F11M european/nordic version.

 

Definitely not HDD - I've god an SSD that is as silent as a dead, but the noise is still with me

 

I heard that sony always do that when their preparing a new refresh of that current model series. Its tempting, because i want to order one as well, but am waiting for the new refresh.

btw can anybody tell me if the whine buzzing noise is in EU version, or just US version?

Thank you

 

Does every F model have this problem and only a select few people can hear it or is there a faulty batch?

@shahed26
I have an EU model and i have the noise ><

 

is anyone having issues with the BLUETOOTH?

I pair my devices up etc, and try to send files to my phone or vice versa with discovery enabled and i always get a failed message?


though from my asus to the same phones it works.


is it the sony bluetooth software theyhave on the laptop?

its getting annoying to be honest!! it always says bluetooth device not found!!

 

Interesting, I hadn't heard about a refresh. Any ideas what might change with regards to spec / price?

 

I have my Vaio BMS33 bluetooth mouse and Sony DRC-BT15 bluetooth receiver paired on my F11. I have a small issue where the mouse gets kicked out going into certain webpages that take a while to load. (i'm not sure why??) It rarely happens though and is easily fixed by flipping the wifi switch on and off after a few seconds.

I have a February build F11. There is no morse code like noise. Neither did my January build F11 (and yes I have heard it before in a display unit)

EDIT: US F11 version

 

With the refresh's, they normally fix all those customer reported issues/glitches eg the Reported buzzing noise and also introduce minor hardware changes like better GPU, etc

@vinceo26
Thanks for the info. For sure am not ordering one now until the new refresh.

 

Thanks for all the suggestions and inputs. I decided not to wait for the refresh and ordered it last weekend (I'm in need of a laptop now). Ship date is March 01! Ended up spending more than I planned to because I decided to upgrade a bunch of stuff. Hopefully I'd be happy with it. I will report back after I have received it.

 

Good afternoon all! I have been lurking here for several days reading all of the pages of this thread. I have been asked by my church to upgrade the office and Pastor's computers. Currently, all office computers are very old and very cheap HP desktops (the variety that were $600 7-9 years ago! the pastors each have HP laptops. These are also poor, but 3 of the 4 are quite new.

I have always been partial to dell. I like their XPS desktops and their Latitude laptops. My first order of business was to order a new Dell XPS 9000 desktop. Core i7 920, 12GB tri-channel DDR3, Nvidia 310 DDR3 512mb graphics, 750GB hard drive that has been moved to D drive...new C drive is 128GB CRucial SSD. 24" Asus display. 3 yr warranty. Total price was $1,850.

Next, I needed a laptop. Instead of just giving the pastor a machine and saying "here ya go!" like the "tech person" did, I asked him what he wanted. Wide screen, number pad, backlit keyboard. I wanted a machine that would last for at least 5 years without being truly outdated. Dell did not have what I wanted. Asus looked good, but "keyboard flex" and other small gripes by others made me question durability. Toshiba was ripped by an IT guy whom I respect.

After a long weekend read on this thread, I decided this was a good machine. I showed the pastor the Sony and he liked it. I ordered it yesterday. Core i7 720, 8GB memory, 310 graphics, 1600 X 900 display, 320GB hard drive.

I now need to remove the existing drive (I will leave the drive's contents just as it came from Sony for the time being) and I am installing a 128GB Crucial SSD. I will perform a clean install with windows 7 Pro 64 bit and install all of the drivers from the Sony site. I will also copy the DVD software to a thumb drive prior to removing the original drive. Is there anything else I need to know about a clean install on this new SSD? Do I need to configure Windows in any special way? Any help would be greatly appreciated, just as all of your comments on this long thread have also been very helpful!

Thanks!

Bill

 

To those that are in the US.

I would advise everyone to view the screen in person before they buy this unit. The very narrow vertical viewing angle has been an ongoing issue amongst a number of owners in this forum (more so for US versions) with a number of them returning it for this very reason. When you see it and are fine with it, then great! But if you are used to a wider angle or feel that you can't adjust to it for the lifespan of the notebook, it will save you the hassle of being 'surprised' and or 'disappointed' when you receive it in the mail and then end up returning it.

 

Check for a firmware update before installing anything, as if there is one and you want to install it - you'll result in loosing all the data on your SSD. I made an image using Acronis, but a better way is to simply do this before you install anything

 

Just got my F11Z yesterday from ShopBT, here in the UK who do a discount for their 'people'.
Verdict? Wow, what a fine machine !
Made in China.
Screen - slightly matte, no dud pixels, fine viewing angle at normal set-top viewing.
Even off-axis it's fine. Really dark blacks - great contrast and bright colours -no room reflections. Fabulous definition @ 1080.
Keyboard- smaller than I am used to but so delicate to use, and quiet keys. ( No clacking here. )
Touchpad - again a bit different to my mouse, but fine when you get used to it.
Noise - no 'morse code' noises - a much quieter fan than my desktop P4, the most noise is coming from the BD drive at full bore, which is not very often.
BDs play perfectly, no issues at all.
Heat - mildly warm after several hours use.
Battery life - about 2 hours, if I remember correctly, but I use it on the mains most of the time.
Speed - wow - 'nuff said ! No complaints.
( I even get my maximum broadband speed, that my old P4 never achieved, for some reason ( 50M ) Not related, I know, but great, nevertheless.
Input ports - all I need. Planning on connecting an eSATA soon.
I tested the Sony PMB s/w using AVCHD footage from an HD camcorder.
A later version than my previous one. No problems. HD cam footage plays perfectly.
Deleted the Mcafee stuff and went with MS's free Security Essentials.
Sound - checked it out with some good headphones - fine quality - onboard speakers are functional but as expected for their size. No bass, obviously.
I would say - no need to wait for any future refresh. This UK version is just fine.

 

Agree with everything Was / Am really happy with this machine. I've just noticed something when testing a Blu-Ray Disc though, there seems to be some slight clacking at high volumes such as when a gun goes off in an action seen on the left side of the speakers only. I ran a test by muting the left channel and keeping the right channel on max and i didn't hear the same slight crackling.

Has anyone experienced this at all on their F11's? I'd hate to have to send this in already! Scared I might have burst the speaker when testing audio at high volumes - but it shouldnt really happen so soon anyway!

Still - great laptop

 

@Tcklim

It has happened to mine. I tried raising the volume to compensate for the sound of air rushing out of the vents while playing Mass Effect 2 instead of putting on earphones and the sound crackled. I guess it doesn't play nicely on gunfire and explosions (and the sort..at higher volumes)

EDIT: when i first heard it, I said to myself...ewww...guess that's not happening! (as I lowered the volume down considerably )

 

Darn Is it only on your left speaker too though? When I muted the left channel the crackling was gone - though again, bass = distortion on these speakers.

 

that I'll have to check tonight...will let you know..

 

Is it worth contacting Sony support about a display which has backlight bleed on the bottom of the screen? I've looked at screenshots that other owners have posted here highlighting this issue, and I feel that a laptop of this caliber should have far less bleed on the bottom 1/8th of the display. It's washing out colors on the bottom of the display, even when properly calibrated.

Also, I'm noticing the narrow vertical viewing angles with this display, and it's sort of a nuisance. I know that it's not an issue for some, but I've never had to be so careful with how I position the screen when working on this laptop.

 

If one wants a totally dead silent laptop, one should not get one with a Core i7 quad core CPU if his priority is not pure crunching power for photo editing, video making, etc.



The fan is always running at a very reasonable low hum level on mine. Just put your hand next to the vent holes & you will feel the warm air. The i7 has a TDP (TDP = Thermal Design Power) of 45W so that heat needs to go somewhere. Think of a 45W incandescent light bulb

Both i3-330M and i5-520M CPU's are rated @ 35W TDP by Intel.

For fun, I ran stop and go a CPU benchmark tool and the fan would rev up with all 4 cores running full speed @ 100% and as soon as I stopped the test, it took less than 10 seconds for the fan to return at idle speed. Just like my ZX-11.

Yesterday, I lifted the back of the F to about 1.5cm with a triangular ruler, installed the OS on a new hard drive with the recovery discs, ran Adobe Lightroom & other stuff and the bottom of the notebook stayed cool & the fan never ran faster than quiet idle, except during the CPU benchmarking.

For those putting their head to the palmrest or sticking their head in the laptop case, you could do this to identify the "noise" you are hearing (in your head? ):

1- Mic: try the easy DIY mic whining fixes to see if it makes any difference: STP12's easy fix and Fix #2. I keep the mic muted on mine as all the applications I use that need a mic will automatically turn it on so there is no point of leaving it live all the time (Skype, Sound Recorder, etc.).

2- HDD is located under the palm rest, right side so unless you have a SSD, that thing reads/write & spins @ 5400 or 7200 RPM so it makes some noise. Go to Vaio_Control Center > Power Management > Viewer > Advanced > s et HDD to stop after 1 minute PLugged in: wait 2 minutes. Is the high pitch faint noise gone?

If you use a good HDD utility (Hard Disk Sentinel, for example), you can change the noise level of the HDD by adjusting the Acoustic Management Configuration and balance between performance and noise emission. I eliminated the high pitch noise of several hard drives using this method. Resonance is a complicated thing & changing the rpm even very slightly can remove or accentuate the high pitch sound.



2- Fan: both CPU & GPU needs cooling. I tried to find the TDP of the GT 330M to no avail. All notebook with i7 reviews I saw on www.notebookcheck.com have an idle noise emission level of 29-32 db which is just about audible in a very quiet room.

If you have a iPhone, you could measure the noise emission in db for $.99 & report here. Check this post. What is noisy for you may be quiet for me. The soundscape of my F is perfectly normal considering the CPU & GPU power under the hood.



Note that, for example, this Dell_1747 i7 is also audible @ idle:

No, not all F have problems, real or imagined. If I ever get tired of playing & customizing my beautiful F, I'll collect links for all the happy users feedback posts in this thread and post them.