Official Sony VAIO F Series i5/i7 owners thread *Part 3*

I just ordered a F12 customized from sonystyle.ca, and i must say it is really cheap when i compare it with the exact same US sonytyle F12.

Go check on sonystyle.ca, the customizables options for the F12 are really cheap.

 

Why not post the fruits of your research & comparison data?

Did you factor in the exchange rates?

 

Complimentary Adobe Bundle! No Premiere CS4 or 5 though, which I ordered with my F11. Also the 256 Gig SSD is now $560, I paid $225. I warned at the beginning that that was an artificially low price for an SSD, and would be increased for the F12. Still, without the software, and even with Windows ultimate, the F12 is coming in cheaper than the F11, and that's with a better CPU and twice the memory to what I had.

 

Can anyone confirm what the deal is with the 1600X900 Full HD display?

 

But did you notice the big caveat seen on SonyStyle US > CTO (Configure-To Order)? You loose that bundle as well as the Microsoft Office Starter (Words + Excel with ads) "advertising-supported base productivity suite" if you select the Professional OS with the Fresh Start option as you did for your_F11?

Screen capture comparison between MelodyMaster's quite clean CTO Fresh Start vs. my OEM bloated OS in the bottom of this page: Vaio F_Series Windows 7 64-bit Clean Install Guide Using OEM Recovery Discs

If one does not have similar Adobe software & would like to take advantage of that value-added bundle then the best route could be not selecting Fresh Start, do a clean install with the recovery discs & use said discs to install the valuable Adobe bundle afterward or get the bloated OS & uninstall the unwanted stuff.

Full HD means 1080p, no such thing as a 900p full HD. It's a mistake.

 

Thanks Everyone. Advice taken. I'll push the Sonystyle.com order key tomorrow. Serial numbers have changed to VPCF1290X for Configure-to-Order.
What are your thoughts on the $100 X size battery? I mostly carry my laptop from room to room, and in the car maybe once a month.

 

Than for your time my friend... my vaio has been working well so far (10 hours without any odd dot in the screen)... I don't know what happened really... I'll try this any moment... But like you said it looks that the problem is due to a loose connection... Thanks again partner... If something happens i'll report immediately...

 

I'm looking to buy a new laptop, and was wondering if anyone knows if this laptop supports PS3 remote play?

 

Hello everyone! I'm about to order the F12 from sonystyle.ca (the price is amazing!).

I have a question about the Large Capacity Battery. Is it worth it to get with the i7 and blu-ray player? Is there any *noticeable* advantages from this battery versus the Standard Capacity Battery in terms of usage/time/heat? Or is this one of those things where it's considered a rip-off ... ? Please advise.

Cheers

 

Here you go

The cost to upgrade from 310M to 330M is 15,60 $ (US and Cad $ are about the same rate now). On sonystyle USA, it is 50$.

To upgrate to 500GB 7200 RPM is 17.98$, on sonystyle usa it is 105$.

To have 6 GB, it is 56.21$, on sonystyle US it is 150$.

For Windows 7 Pro, 35,20$, on US, 50$.


My computer cost 1200$ + taxes on sonystyle.ca, it would have been 1600 on sonystyle US.

 

Hi!

i ordered one this morning, i didn't take a high capacity battery beacuse i will be transporting my computer often and the HC battery is heavier (i think). It is really cheap however, so i guess i could have taken one.

 

How the heck could you order a F12 from Sonystyle Canada when I have been on their website everyday of June waiting to order? If I happen to come across the custom computer icon and click on it, all it does is direct me to a blank page. I even wrote to Sonystyle and have received no response.

 

I'm not going to give you a direct link, because it can change; go to Sony Style Canada - VAIO® Computers - Reader Digital eBooks - BRAVIA® LCD TV - α Digital SLR Cameras - Cyber-shot® Digital Cameras - BluRay Disc® - Handycam® Camcorders
And click on "New F series." It's right there, top middle. Delete cookies if you're seeing an obsolete page.

 

i ordered the F12 today with sonystyle canada and confirmed with the salesman over the phone that 16.4 full HD display had a typo. it is indeed 1080.
i should expect it to be delievered sometimes around the begining of july

my spec:

i7 740qm
500g 7200rpm
4g+2g memory
geforce 330M
full HD display 1080p
blue ray read only
standard battery

total ~1250$ + tax = ~1400 CAD$


does anyoen know how i can receive the sony reward point if i ordered through phone. i forgot to ask them when i placed the order

 

As Melody already pointed out, all you had to do was just visit Sonystyle.ca, the link to customize the new F12 was just out for 1 whole day as of now.

Already seems to be selling out, any orders from here on out have to wait 2 weeks for it to be delivered.

Edit: Silly of me to ask, but is the large capacity battery propping the laptop up or is it a flat battery?

 

Trying to order one, but as soon as I try to logon to checkout, it bumps me back to the front page and the cart is empty

 

I've been researching laptops for days now. I like the feel, specs, and overall design of VAIOs the best, ASUS would come in second. I've set my heart on the F series as it seems to satisfy most of my needs. I'm buying this as a laptop to take with me to college. I don't want to haul my desktop with me so whatever laptop I get will need to serve as my primary computer. I feel as though the F series is a good balance between power and performance while still providing some mobility. I just want to consult with some current owners of this series of laptops to get their opinion if this would be a good choice for my purposes. Just some general questions:

1. Do you feel the 16.4" screen is too big to bring to classes and other public places?

2. Realistically what kind of battery life can I expect with this laptop configured with an i7-740qm and the 330m gpu? I'm more interested in what it would be doing very basic tasks such as word and browsing the web, if I play a game ill be plugged into an outlet.

3. Will I be able to play games on at least medium settings with this laptop? I play a mix of older and newer games, such as Fallout 3, Anno 1404, Dragon Age, RPGs, SC4, etc.

4. Is it going to have poor gaming performance at its native resolution of 1080p?

My Best Buy has the new F12s in stock but they're not yet on display. They're supposed to be putting one out for display later this week. Once I can get a look at it in person I can better make my decision.

 

@justme2010

Not so much the issue of size but for the weight. The laptop is fairly slim for it's size but it can get heavy to lug around in short trips coupled with the weight of text books in your bag. Chances are you'll also include the charger unless you bring a spare battery.
You will need a bag that you can strap close to your body to help distribute the weight and minimize bag movememnt. If it's a tote-bag or a small messenger bag slung loosely on just one shoulder though, you'll really feel it pulling you down.

You should do a search for Mangosango's game benchmarks to give you an idea of how the GT330M holds up in games. I've tried a few GPU-intensive games at 1080p but the settings have to be dialed back to low or off. Much better to go medium to high settings at lower resolutions to get better frame rates. Besides this laptop scales resolutions wonderfully and the result looks great..

 

Medal of Honor MP BETA is up:
YouTube - Medal of Honor MP Beta on Sony_Vaio_F11

Everything on high @ 1280x720, no AA, 4xAF, no HSAO (ambient occlusion).

My internet is super sketch right now, so any jittering you see in-game is most likely due to that. With FRAPS recording I got ~27-34 fps. Without, I get ~32-60 fps (mostly around mid 30s/40s). Overclocking to 730/915/1515 (Core/Mem/Shader) those numbers rise ~5fps to ~36-72 FPS (again, with the framerate usually hovering around the upper 30s/mid 40s).

 

HEHEHE...NICE VID..Any suppressed weapons? I tend to like those more as I'm not a spray and pray tactics player

seeing the comments on youtube, how does it hold up against BC2?

 

I'm almost certain that my next notebook will be the Sony Vaio F12. But here are a few questions that I want answered before I order.

1. What kind of harddrive does Sony use (which brand, type).
2. Should I spend some extra money and buy the 7200rpm HDD instead of the 5400rpm ? Speed is important but I don't want a really loud drive. How loud is the 7200rpm HDD.
3. Is the upgrade to the 7200rpm HDD really worth the 50 extra euro's.
4. Is the F series really that much better (build quality, overall quality) than the E series ? The E-Series is 100 euro's cheaper, with a slightly better conifguration (better GPU).
5. Does anyone know wheter sony is going to add the i5 450 option in the F series as well (the E series recieved the update yesterday)

 

What items can you replace on this Sony laptop without voiding your warranty? They claimed on the phone that I couldn't replace anything. That seems a little ridiculous. Thanks.

 

2-3. The 7200rpm HDD isn't loud. I think it's worth the money, but if you want to go really fast you should buy a SSD.
4. The screen of the F-series, also the glossy one is much better than the E-serie. I think the E-series are more for playing games and navigating and the F-series are more for graphic working.

 

1- Good ones, mine was Samsung 5400 rpm.

2- It's your money. I replaced the HDD with a Seagate Momentus 7200 rpm & booting time on the OEM OS went from 1:48 to 1:11 min. Others spent a more & got the Momentus XT Hybrid or a lot more for SSD's. HDD noise is not an issue as the F's fan is louder.

3- You have to do the math as it depends on pricing in your country, in my case it was better to get the OEM HDD, buy the upgrade elsewhere & use the OEM HDD in an external enclosure for backup which I needed anyway. Tips about swapping HDD's & reinstalling the OS in my sig below.

4 & 5- Dunno.

 

Ah yes, weight! Well this machine wont be travelling a lot so weight isn't really a huge issue for me. I think I just answered my own question. I probably don't even need it if it's going to be plugged in most of the time. Thanks for your help!

 

If weight is not an issue (not a big difference anyway relative to the F's total weight VGP-BPS21A: 11.2 oz. vs. VGP-BPL21: 17.3 oz. or 173 gr difference) then get the high capacity for $100 @ the time of buy to get 50% more battery life (max 4.5 vs 3h), better typing angle & better underside natural cooling. Cons: bulkier in the case. Bought separately, that battery is $250 on SonyStyle or $200+ in my search on Fleabay & elsewhere: VGP-BPL21.

slrosenfeld posted these photos of his_F11 in the old thread. He likes it. See more comments & photos in his post here.

 

Hello,

I want to replace my current hdd with a hybrid hdd (like the Momentus XT Hybrid as mentioned earlier in this forum). As the name intends it uses a normal hdd plus a small build in ssd. Does this drive get slower over time like normal solid state drives do? This is the biggest reason I don't want to buy a ssd.

Joe

 

Check out this full thread dedicated to that drive with tons of info: Seagate Momentus XT Hybrid HDD w/ built-in 4GB SSD with plenty of benchmarks and comments about pluses & limitations. The jury is still out about effect on battery life in real world usage. From that thread:



You will find more XT owners there. To my knowledge, there is no other brand of HDD hybrid on the market @ the present.

*****

 

Today my backlight keyboard finally arrived from Hong Kong. I mounted if in it is a pretty straight forward job took me about 20 minutes. The keyboard is fully compatible so all you have to do is put it in and connect the extra cable for the backlight. I will try to post some pictures bur I do not have a lot.
For all those that would like to have a backlight keyboard on the european models feel free to ask any questions. This is how the end result looks like.

 

Why is the F1290 so much cheaper in Canada? Is this for a limited time only?

 

"Is this for a limited time only?" - You could wait to find out.

 

The F11 was also cheaper in Canada than in the States. With some options it was several hundred dollars less.

 

Have you actually tried to order one? If you place an order and click submit...it brings you back to the home page. In fact, now I check ss.ca again and there is no "Place In Cart" option. Just a "Previous" button.

So even if you want to order one right now...you can't!

 

What happens if you simply pickup the phone & call Sonystyle Canada?

 

Well, they are the ones that are supposed to be calling me...I don't feel like paying long distance and I don't feel like calling their toll free number and listen to a million menus before I can talk to a real person.

(I just called, toll free and long distance...all agents are currently busy...please hold...cheesie music...)

 

Thanks for your replies!

Poohkie I have actually tried customizing one, I am able to "Add to Cart" and even proceed to checkout. Maybe try deleting your cookies or use IE?

 

Hi guys,

Last saturday i bought a F12, and since then i have been using him always plugged in. Didnt used it once powered by battery only.

Question is.

Should i remove the battery when im plugged in? or it does not mater?

Im going to use my F12 plugged in most of the times, so whats the best way to preserve my battery for when i really nead it even if its not going to be used that much.

i already installed a sofware called battery care, someone told me it was a must

Thanx.

 

Search your_F12: Start > Help & Support > search: battery care. How come you "installed a sofware called battery care", it's already available in Vaio_Control Center?

You can use your F w/o battery IF you are plugging into a UPS.

 

While you can use your laptop without the battery in it...if for whatever reason the wire gets yanked...it's going to turn off in a way as if it was not protected by a surge protector. I would say it's unsafe to use the laptop without the battery in it.

 

Thanx Joe Bleau.

That means i should always use my battery even if im plugged in because i dont have any UPS

And i will turn on Vaio Battery Care

This computer rocks, im simply delighted. After i calibrated the screen with one of themplates from this forum the images almoust jumped out of the screen. trully amazing this image quality.

 

Sorry to interrupt.

I thought you all might want to know that my F12 has been loaded off the truck from Ohio and is now sitting in a sorting facility in Parsippany, NJ.
There are no three sweeter words than "OUT FOR DELIVERY"

Carry on.

Conversely, on the other end of the spectrum we have the following crushing phrase "DELIVERY EXCEPTION"

 

They never mentioned that I was the driver for your package. Thanks for the laptop.

 

I'm ready to buy this, at the final stage, but I'm not getting any student discount applied to it although I've logged in through the student store and it shows my university on the top of the page. Are student discounts not applicable to this laptop?

 

You have to call them up (it will not show up on the site), and it varies from 5% to 10% as I was told. For me, they gave me 8.6% off, as the sales tax here is 8.625%. So I got $100 off which almost wiped out the tax at $101.78 (they gipped me by $1.78 ).

Which color profile did you use? I downloaded four from the forums here (the main post which shows all of them for the US glossy screen) but I'd like to know the best one to apply when mine arrives!

 

Haha yes, I want to save on my NY tax as well!

 

Gotta love NY and its highest taxes in the entire country

 

So, F12's screen is better than F11's one?

 

looked the same at BBY

 

Hello,

Can one advise how to use the WIN fax software that comes with Vaio when there is no modem connection...I think one cannot connect to the network cable and DSL (or am I wrong)?

Also, for external keyboard and mouse...can we use either wireless or bluetooth?

Thank you

Emma

 

Talking about the US 1080p semi-glossy, zebra3 says it's the same while new_vaio_F said the F12's is better. Until we can see hard data from reviews & elsewhere, take your pic.