Official Sony VAIO F Series i5/i7 owners thread *Part 5*

Gotta be the Z series. If I didn't need a large screen over portability, that's the laptop I'd buy.

 

Yes. 34 pin. Life is simple. The worst scenario is most real. So I believe 99.99% it is 2.5Gbit. Why are you asking? Want to buy SSD, sound card, tvtuner or what? Why do you need speed limits?

 

just curious, didn't know tyhere were two.

I was curious mainly to compare throughput of expresscard vs thunderbolt. Weather it makes sense to get Thunderbolt via expresscard slot with future SSD raid. We need to transfer a lot of huge RAW video files from camera.

 

You were thinking to make a raid using external enclosure? Do you know that there is no 2nd HDD bay inside? But you can swap DVD/Blu-Ray drive on internal enclosure for HDD.

 

It doesn't really matter on our laptops because the PM55 chipset only supports 2.5Gb speeds. It is only Expresscard 2.0 compliant on the power side.

 

Thank you for worry. Won't write too long, just look at screenshot.
My temps raised and fan's speed went down. You want to know how? VAIO control center lets you set fan activity from default to high productivity.

As like that little flying thing from HALO: Combat Evolved said "I am a genius"

 

cool, thanks a lot again!

 

I know the F13 part number is different than the F11/F12 but don't know if the F11 and F12 are different from each other. Does this look like yours? http://cgi.ebay.com.sg/SONY-VPC-F11-KB-COVER-BEZEL-SILVER-A1759311A-1692-/230573283391

 

Yes, that's the one. Funny thing is that the F13 part is cheaper than the other one if bought new from Sony. No idea why.

 

My assumption would be that they would all fit all models. The reason I know the F13 part # is different is because they changed the color of the Vaio button to match the casing color. Here is an F13 for instance: http://www.notebookcheck.net/typo3temp/pics/1e46ecbc91.jpg

 

Nice! That must explain why it's a different part no. Thanks.

 

+1 rep for this.

I never look at the Vaio Control Center. My Windows 7 performance settings are High Performance +, but I never realized that I could change the fan settings in Vaio Control Center. Mine is set at "Balanced". After seeing the change in RPMs, I do not think I would want the Performance fan setting. I could see how people are getting high fan speeds in this case.

After saying that, i could see how gamers would use the performance fan setting to keep temps low during heavy gaming. For people like me using this as a general business laptop, I would keep the Vaio Control Center fan setting at "balanced". This is quiet and keeps my computer quite cool at all times. I only see higher heat levels when benchmarking.

Again, +1 rep from me!

 

I have never seen fan control settings in Vaio Control. Are you speaking of thermal control strategy- the balanced and performance mode? If not, please expound.

Edit: I've been told this is only on the F13???

 

I think they are talking about the thermal control. I've never seen any fan control settings either.

 

Yes. I had never noticed it either until James mentioned it. I checked it out on my F11. I have it. It changes the fan speed. "Performance" gives more cooling through higher fan speeds, from what i see.

 

Well, I've known about those settings all along, but it's not really accurate to describe those settings as fan control settings, which I think is why Fishon was surprised you guys were talking about having fan control settings. For instance, right now I have it on Silent mode and my fan is up to 4300 RPM. The thermal control strategy settings affect the fan and the CPU and most likely other things (maybe GPU?), but it's not as simple as being fan control. The fan can still go up all the way on any setting, the CPU can still go up all the way on any setting, temps can still go up on any setting. The settings do have an effect but it's not straightforward at all.

 

Alright, I've been working on cleaning my friend's music/book library and will be compressing about 110GB of audiobooks down to 35GB, but Media Monkey is freaking out on me and won't stop freaking out ever since I got rid of iTunes. ugh.

Between that and my desire to have UAC turned on but in silent, I'm actually going to do a full clean install again. Haven't done that in AGES.

The nice part is that I love how well the F series can handle a workload. It's going to have about 8-10hrs of work at 100% CPU while compressing the files. It's gone for over hours like that with no problems. Can still even surf the web. Should I risk it, or just do the compression in batches?

 

I think you should do the whole thing at once on your friend's computer.

 

Hardly! A 4y/o macbook = an eternity. I actually use Media Monkey A LOT, so can't afford for it freak out like this.

Also, this will give me a chance to change my clean install backup image. I want it to include SP1.

 

Well that written explanation says "give priority for deliverance from the heat (I TRANSLATE THIS FROM RUSSIA so it may be different). On my understanding deliverance means not downclocking CPU or GPU. It means getting rid of that heat unlike from performance windows powerplan which effects on voltage CPU and other connected to getting more performance, not cooling. I know that high performance strategy changes shifts which are tied to temperature. Which means that at the same temperature fan will work different. That is exactly why I called it fan speed strategy.
This may help get rid of noises which comes on certain fan speeds! Computer will work on different fan speed and there is a chance that it will work on "silent" or "noise free" speeds (don't remember #of speed type)
I think Zperf must add this to it's post about noises, don't you think?

 

I have to agree with James on this. The Windows power settings change hardware settings to conserve power. These settings will also change the amount of heat produced, thus affecting the amount of heat that needs to be dissipated.

The Vaio Control Center settings, at least the way it is described, changes how the fan cools the hardware, one setting being balanced for both acceptable cooling and lower noise levels and the other focusing only on performance cooling.

Yes, in either setting the fan speed varies based on CPU temps. What it looks like to me is that the "performance" setting raises fan RPMs. It does not look to be a linear 500 RPM or 800 RPM increase. Instead, it looks to be a different algorithm still based on sensor temps, but with different amounts of cooling.

 

I use the S1 key to toggle between balanced and performance modes as need be.

 

@JamesD and WillScary

It doesn't actually work that way though. I understand why you would make those assumptions but it's just not the way it actually works. For instance, last night I toggled between the 3 settings, spending a half hour on each while using my computer the exact same way the entire time. My fan RPMs stayed the same (right around 4300RPM), my temps stayed the same (in the mid 60s), and my CPU usage stayed the same (forget that number now).

Now, before you think this just happens on my computer because I have higher fan speeds and temps than you guys, this is not unusual. There have been many discussions about this over the 5 threads and on other threads. There seems to be very specific conditions, which are unknown and not reproducible universally, under which the fan will change speed based on the thermal control settings. Sometimes on my computer, Silent Mode will decrease fan speed and noise and sometimes it won't. Sometimes it will upon first setting it, then it will ramp back up. Sometimes (and I find this really interesting) it will reduce noise but not RPM!

When we've recommended to many people with fan noise to try Silent Mode, I believe we've had one person who found this helped and they could use there computer this way for very limited periods when they needed it the most quiet. The most common response was that Silent Mode did not produce any difference from Balanced and from High Performance. The second most common response was that it would lower fan speed and noise a little but not much and it would kill the CPU and they couldn't use the laptop that way. I still recommend people try it because since we don't know the specific circumstances under which it works, there may be a particular person it will help. This should always be recommended with the caveat that the person must keep a close watch on their temps, because when it does reduce fan speed, the temps can get out of control and this is another reason that some people have been unable to use this setting.

From both my own tests and many other peoples, we have found:
-In some circumstances, changing to Silent Mode will have no apparent affect on the computer at all - no change in fan, cpu, temps, etc.
-Other circumstances, it will limit the fan and throttle the CPU.
-Other circumstances, it will affect the fan but not throttle CPU.
-Other circumstances, it will NOT affect the fan BUT will still limit the CPU!
-Other circumstances, it will not affect the fan nor CPU, but performance will still be killed! - which is why we know it affects other things than just fan and CPU.

In any of the last four circumstances, the affect on temps can vary from no change, to much higher temps, to much lower temps. Also, the behavior of all of the above can change in the same instance of using the setting while using the computer in the same way. The above circumstance also cannot be defined - they are not reproducible universally. People can experience any of the above even though they are seemingly operating under the same conditions. Even on the same computer under the same conditions, any of the above can occur at any given time. All of the above can also be said for the changes between Balanced Mode and High Performance mode based on our testing, although the most common finding is that there is no difference between those two modes. Lots of us have tested these settings in all kinds of circumstances, and it just isn't as simple as fan control and sometimes the fan is not even an affected component at all.

I still recommend people try the different settings for themselves and see how each works for them, because on their laptop, with their configuration, with their way of using their computer, and with the laptop gods on their good side, one may work better than the other, and for a few it may even work the way it seems it was intended, so that the 3 modes would have different (and consistent) effects on fan/CPU and the user could switch between them as desired.

 

I don't have a silent mode in Vaio Control Center. I have "balanced" and "performance". Toggling from one to the other definitely changes the fan RPM at my normal temps. I change from around 2000 RPM to over 2700 RPM with the same sensor temps simply by changing from balanced to performance in VCC Thermal Control Settings.

 

Hmm, no Silent Mode.... I wonder if that has anything to do with your clean install from a Win7 disk. Here's what Silent Mode says:

 

No silent mode for me. Balanced mode states 'standard control thermal setting' and performance mode states 'give priority to heat discharge'. Not enough testing yet to state one way or another. Great informative post Jpride.

 

I don't have it either, and I installed using the semi-clean method with the recovery disks.

 

Also in Europe no silent mode for the f11. Clean install with the recovery disks following joe bleau his guide.

 

This is strange to me that you guys don't have Silent Mode. It's been available on Vaios for several years now, so it shouldn't be just an F13 thing. WillScary, could you check one of your F13s when you're at work? I never did a clean install - although I'm going to as soon as I get a chance. Fishon had Fresh Start though so I'd think he should've had it. It would be strange for Sony to hide this setting they had available for years and didn't hide on other models, but they have done other things that don't make sense, so I don't know....

Edit:I supposed they could've hid it because it doesn't work and then put it back because people complained it wasn't there.

 

Sorry, double post. Moderators, delete it please

 

Ohhh jpride, you ruined a straight line of "I don't have silent mode..." posts. I was going to be fourth
I have a setting to automatically go in sleep mode when battery is almost empty.
I understand now why you said that it affects CPU but perhaps it does only for silent mode? Just a thought. Whatever. I know that you can live all your life with VAIO laptop and when you gonna die your laptop still may surprise you being different in standard situation. For example I can't make Joe Bloe's semi clean install because it is much different way for my laptop and it takes 1.5 - 2 hrs to install Windows. (but don't remember what did I use. I guess I used DVD disks)

 

Sorry, to ruin the streak. I am leaving my house in a moment, so you can post without my interruption shortly. My last thought before signing off is that if they did add Silent Mode back in on the F13, after having previously hid it, it's also possible they may have altered how the thermal control settings work on computers with this option. May not be the case as well, of course - they may have just added back the setting - but just another factor to consider as far as different behavior.

 

I really don't want to change all of my settings, but I will tell you that my W7 performance settings are all set to high performance, then I tweak them higher. Perhaps the VCC "silent" mode only occurs when W7 is set to "balanced" power setting or less?

Perhaps this is why it does not show up for me?

Yup, I'm too lazy to check. I simply don't want to reset all of my settings again!

 

Hi everyone,
I hav Sony VPCF1190X and am running wiin7 pro 64bit

Recently i got this error message and i dont know what it could be
((Bttray: Error :Unable to start the bluetooth stack service))
I uninstalled the driver and down the driver again then updated the driver but its still there any help?

Thanks to all

 

Like a Ukrainian boss! I can speak for myself and for some others on how much we appreciate your contributions given toward this thread. On other threads I've seen you helping many. But what to do with this I ask myself?

 

I was writing that unlike jpride has 3 sets of strategy I have 2 of them but I also have that 3-rd one about sleep mode which I underlined. Still sorry for misunderstanding. Next time I will do a better job Your Honour

 

Mine has hibernate mode, not sleep...

 

I have both sleep and hibernate turned off, so neither show up in the VCC options.

 

I've found this on Microsoft site:
"The display and hard disk on your mobile PC are the two biggest consumers of battery power. By choosing a power plan (called a power scheme in Windows XP) you can extend your battery life by automatically lowering screen brightness and reducing other power-hungry functions. A power plan is a collection of hardware and system settings that control how your mobile PC manages power.
Windows 7 has two default power plans:
Balanced. Automatically balances performance with energy consumption on capable hardware.
Power saver. Saves energy by reducing your computer’s performance where possible."
I guess that this happens mostly on battery power if you not have changed plan settings when plugged in.

 

Did you have a question?

Edit: Well, I'm going to bed in a few minutes and I really can't figure out what your question was (maybe I'm too tired but it's just not clear to me at all), so if you come back and clarify, maybe someone else will be online to help you.

 

There was no question. I've just saying that by choosing a power plan you can control the amount of power consumption on your computer. That is made by reducing the power of the processor, dimming the display, turn off hard disk, etc...
On my laptop, on every power plan I choose the performance stays the same, but the power consumption varies. By how much, that depends on the setting you choose. I guess that the speed of the fan in influenced by the heat generated by the CPU and GPU. If you choose the balanced setting the CPU is going to a minimum state until it needs more power, thus the heat generated is less. Less heat means less cooling.
I hope I made myself clear this time.

 

Yeah but you said there are 2 default powerplans while there are 3 of them We were talking about how changing powerplans or other modes will influence on fan speed or performance of VAIO F laptop. Still thanks. Detailed info about powerplans may be found in advanced powerplan settings because that schedule doesn't show quite well

 

Okay, I created this matrix to let you guys know about my experience with thermal control and energy settings. I am on my 2nd clean install on a VPC-F13Z1EB.

Code:

---------------------|Windows 7 custom low energy power plan|                                    |
---------------------|       (min, max CPU usage at 1%)     |Windows 7 balanced energy power plan|Windows 7 high energy plan
*********************|**************************************|************************************|**************************
 VAIO thermal silent |        low fan noise                 |            loud fan                |        loud fan
VAIO thermal balanced|          loud fan                    |           louder fan               |       louder fan
VAIO thermal max perf|        loudest fan                   |           loudest fan              |       loudest fan

These are subjective, real life experience results after months of usage as a Media transport. The scenario is running the system as a music player (FLAC, foobar) without any additional programs running.

 

Did anyone manage to increase cpu frequency?? (overclock)
on f12m1eh with i5 processor ....

 

You have I5 CPU??? I remember we all were looking for ANYONE who has this CPU to get info about smth like heatthink, benchmarks and other.
As I know OC CPU is locked on this laptop. Even program FSB.... can't OC it.

 

This thread will be closed shortly due to its huge size (430 pages). Please visit Part 6 of this thread here:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/son...ony-vaio-f-series-owners-thread-part-6-a.html