Official Sony VAIO F Series i5/i7 owners thread *part 4*

take f11
Full hd matte screen is awesome.

 

też kupowałeś w stanach?

Is it worth week more of waiting and giving a hard time to a person which is buying the laptop for me in us. Price is $1159 f12 and $1119 f11 with configuration i wrote above(+TAX)

 

Nie, w Saturnie bez VAT.

 

Damn you, slow Belgian internetproviders. We should get a downloadspeed of 35Mbps and 4.5Mbps upload. We have fiberglasscables and still it is so slow.

 

The F11s that I work with that have the 1600x900 screen are fine for general computing, although they have a narrow "sweet spot" for viewing. My F11 with the premium US display has a better sweet spot and is flawless...better colors, better contrast, better sharpness.

Others have had problems with light bleed and washed out colors on their premium display. Mine had OK colors out of the box, but I improved them tremedously by using Huey Pro calibration. My guess would be that I could make the 1600x900 displays come quite close to the premium display if I calibrated them, however, I doubt that I could increase the viewing angle.

I like my premium display better.

I have never seen 4GB X 1 memory in an F. If you can get that, then go for it. I would then be looking to spend a few hundred dollars for an identical 4GB stick (I believe mine are Samsung, but yours may be from a different manufacturer...each stick should be the same for best results).

People will tell you that 4 GB is enough, but I can tell you that with 8GB of memory, my usage has many times approached 90%. When this happens, machines with lesser memory slow down. Mine does not.

Just an opinion.

 

Just the opinion i was looking for . That helps a lot.
Will ask that friend of mine to return it and I will make a new order. Or if not do the calibration to make it better. I think viewing angles won't bother me.
I talked on the phone with assistant and he said this vaio has 4GB as one memory.Maybe this is because it was customized this way by someone.

4GB matching this in vaio can be bought at around $150, don't know if it's exactly the same.

 

For all of you guys and gals with your new computers a great way to install applications. Ninite. Install multiple apps at once without toolbars or clicking Next.

Ninite Easy PC Setup - Silent Unattended Install Multiple Programs At Once

 

Oh well...

At least I have the recovery DVD's

Now re-doing my machine (system image on 2nd HDD does not want to re-initialise / copy / etc)....

So a long night ahead installing Office 2010, Adobe CS5 , updates etc etc....

Will try my image on a smaller HDD I think (and then use that as a backup / clone drive with Ghost or something)....

Don't know yet... but perhaps I need to read up more on Windows System images....

 

When I log onto the internet, my laptop always defaults to the wireless network even when the Ethernet cable is plugged in. Is there a way to force it to use the Ethernet by default? I know I could just switch off the wireless switch, but maybe someone knows a way to keep that on and still have the system use the Ethernet by default.

 

Well I did not see the keyboards for ALL languages that Sony_installs in their F's. Maybe I did not post enough photos to illustrate the skin? If it fits, good for you!



*****

Keyboard Replacement

Yes the F11_keyboard fits in the_F12 & vice versa.

>>>> There is one important step missing in that guide: it is false that you can just pop up the speakers cover. Here is a photo of the female parts where the bottom screws are attaching in the speakers cover:



See the first 3 steps here: Vaio F_Series Laptop How To Replace the LCD Display & Inverter.

I checked the zl to USD conversion & the US keyboard you linked to is $58 + shipping. Dunno about customs & import taxes in Poland but I got mine for $35 including shipping on Fleabay. Run this search for the keyboard part number & include title & description: VPC-F11M1EH. Mine was from reseller chinagemwon (Positive Feedback: 99.3%). It's a OEM_Sony & took 3 weeks to reach the cloud forest on the top of a mountain range where I live in Costa Rica.



*****

Bezel Gap, PSU & Fan whistling

1- Maybe it's the external monitor that is too sensitive? Plug monitor or PSU in a different circuit or use a grounded power bar or UPS.

2- Talked about 1,000 times. Use search box at the very top of this page and search for: Vaio_F series whistling fan. Mine was doing that, seems to have gone away after breaking in period or it could be cleaning up background processes that changed to idle speed as well as propping up the back of the laptop by 2cm.

3- The bezel is just snapped in & holds in place with small hooks. Just press on it to snap it back. Check LCD removal guide linked above for detailed photos. Are you sure the gap is 2mm? Pull out a ruler & check.

If the rest of the laptop essentials are perfect, it's up to you to decide if you want to exchange or not. To quote myself: if your machine is perfect except for a small problem, weigh for yourself if it's worth the risk to exchange it for an other machine that may have worst problems. Kind of like changing queue at the bank or supermarket.

*****

 

There is an app for that: About Wireless AutoSwitch | Disable Wireless Card
There also must be an freeware app that does the same thing but I can't find it at the moment on google

Edit: found it: BridgeChecker free for personal and non-commercial use:
http://www.accessagility.com/products/bridgechecker.html

 

Joe! You are the best. Thank you very much.

"I got mine for $35 including shipping on Fleabay"
This keyboard from allegro I can buy without shipping, because its next corner shop in my city. And they give me 12 m warranty.

 

I believe BridgeChecker cannot work in 64bit mode. Asks for Microsoft Jet 4.0 which is really a Microsoft Access database. I have Microsoft Office Professional 2007 which has Access, and its updates are current. I also have Win7 Pro so I could run this at 32 bit but I'll buy Wireless AutoSwitch for $5 or just switch off the wireless button.

 

You are welcome.

"...This keyboard from allegro I can buy without shipping, because its next corner shop in my city" - Maybe you could show them a print of the Fleabay page & haggle some discount or accessories? Or not.

The next corner on the right side of my house (25m) is a step drop-off with a nice view.



Since you said that the Pl keyboard has the same layout as the US, you could pop out 1 key & check if the symbol is translucent instead of being painted on it. If it is, you could swap keys & keep you specific Pl keys which would be now backlit.



Then you could use KeyTweak & create a custom layout for the keyboard if the Poland one does not work.

*****

 

My next corner is very... boring ;(


"you could swap keys & keep you specific Pl keys which would be now backlit."
Unfortunately, manufacturers do not make the special keyboards for the Polish market. They Sell us international keyboard.

Are you native from Costa Rica? Very beautiful country.

 

Why not simply use the included SmartWi to disable it or turn the Wireless switch off (#13) if you don't have any wireless devices? Why add some third party cr@p?

 

Very nice! You forgot to mention the name of the city but I see Wroclaw in the URL of the image. Is that correct?

One of my regrets: I backpacked for 1 year in Europe & East-Europe in '88-89 & after Yugoslavia & Hungary, my plan was to visit a friend in Berlin then head for Poland. But... my 1 year open return ticket had only 1 week left & I was aching to see my ex-girlfriend. Big mistake, I returned home, ex-GF remained ex & I missed the fall of Berlin's wall by 3 weeks & I had 2 Nikons 35mm with me & a Berliner to guide me!

"...Unfortunately, manufacturers do not make the special keyboards for the Polish market" - You mean that there is no Polish keyboard on your F? If there is my point was: install the US backlit keyboard but swap some keys from your old keyboard, I dunno: like Euro or zl or whatever. Could you post a photo of your keyboard w/o the keypad if it's not US?

 

Yes, this is Wrocław. Its about 350km from Berlin.

"Could you post a photo of your keyboard w/o the keypad if it's not US?"
I think this is US keyboard in our market, I have also VAIO TZ and there is UK keyboard. Both bought in Poland. We have to use Alt Gr to get Polish characters. ĄĘŚŻŹĆÓŁ

 

Found this in this F11M1E/H review in Polish:



Note that you can still remap some keys with KeyTweak & paint a new symbol on them or sticker or memorize or whatever.

So, your original post saying that my skin would fit an EU keyboard is not correct as by your Polish example you do have a US keyboard after all.

*****

 

Thanks for the advice.

1 - Sony are going to send me another PSU.

2 - The whining noise has stopped after a few hours, I think it was just needing broken in.

3 - Yeah its about 2mm , I can push it in far so it touches the screen and it bounces right back out, i can't seem to snap anything back in, should I take it apart and try to clip it back on again?

I really don't want to send it back, like you said i don't want to get anything worse! but saying that this bezel gap is really bugging me.

 

" So, your original post saying that my skin would fit an EU keyboard is not correct as by your Polish example you do have a US keyboard after all."

Sony sell US keyboards in Europe to. So you can't say , don't buy this skin in EU. But on the other hand, you were correct.

 

I don't think that there is anything wrong w/ your PSU. Did you try any of my suggestions above?

3- No, removing the bezel is annoying & it's very difficult not to break one of the many hooks, see LCD replacement guide in my sig below. I did it for fun but unless one needs to replace the LCD or inverter, I would leave it alone. This said, if one brave EU matte 1080p F owner would do it to post a photo of the sticker on the back of the LCD showing the model # & brand like I did in the guide, it would be appreciated!

There is no hooks (or mounting tabs) clipping to the LCD itself, try folding the screen towards you as much as you can & press about 1 cm below the Sony_logo. To do it properly because of the lack of clearance one needs to remove the speakers cover but frankly why bother for such a insignificant cosmetic detail? Or try almost closing the lid & maybe you could press in the bezel w/ something that would not scratch the finish from behind:






Head to the Envy_17 owner's thread & search for dozens of laptop wobbling on a desk or large gaps between the keyboard & rest of the body.

This guy made a video of his 4th Envy_17 replacement: Envy_17 Wobble & Other Issues



Everything is relative.

*****

 

Well about the PSU, the monitor works fine with a Dell and Acer laptop also I have tried the Sony with a 17inch LCD that has been working fine for ages and it has the interference on that to. I have tried it on a different power loop and with a surge protector also different VGA cables, I have not tried it with HDMI yet as i cant find my HDMI cable. By the way does anyone know off hand what resolution this puts out over HDMI? The external monitor i have is 2048 x 1152

About the Gap, I tried doing what you said and pushing it in under the logo and its not really doing anything, I guess it is a cosmetic thing but also i worry about loads of dust getting in there, maybe i will just have to put up with it. I don't think i am brave enough at the moment to take it apart but if I do I will take pics of the LCD for sure!!

 

With this additional info then your PSU is maybe sending a secret message to some aliens? Can you read the secret message on your external monitor?

What is the exact model # as seen on the PSU's label? Just curious.

Did you try pushing in the bezel from behind w/ the lid closed?

If it does not work, just run some demanding tasks on your F & play with it. Maybe the gap fixation will be fading away, deep in your mind & you won't even think about it anymore?

 

haha yes it's doing something strange! It seems that the model number for the PSU is VGP-AC19V46

Have tried pushing it when its shut from the bottom of the screen it seems securely fixed there its just above the SONY logo, i guess it maybe warped or something, I suppose i really should try not to think about it...

 

Maybe you missed it but on the right side of the space bar on the photo above from the Polish review there is Alt Gr & a third symbol on the #5 key: Euro which is not on my US keyboard so in the end, you were the one who was right!

Except that I never wrote: "don't buy this skin in EU".

*****

 

Hi guys, I'm hoping you can help me out.

I have a Sony Vaio VPCF11S1E/B.

My problem is that the laptop is running at seemingly high temperatures (I used a program called 'Speed Fan' to check the temperatures, see attached).

Basically I am thinking that the fan flow may be blocked with dust/hair or something. I was wondering if there are any step-by-step guides, pref with pictures on how to open up the laptop and access the fan?

Thanks in advance
Steve

 

Hi guys,

I currently have a problem with my external monitor connected via HDMI, which I use as the main screen in Windows 7. Everytime I leave my laptop unattended, both screens go into sleep mode (which is what I want), but upon return, it moves all my windows and open applications onto the laptop screen.

Does anyone know how to prevent my windows/apps/taskbar being moved about?

 

Posted this before and I believe now I have the answer.

How to Change the Priority of Wired/Wireless Network Cards in Windows - How-To Geek

 

Anybody orderered F12 in grey? I can't choose between gray and black. Is the gray close to white? Its difficult to understand color on sonystyle.ca pics.

I think the grey looks like:
http://www.notebookcheck.pl/uploads/pics/klawiatura_30.JPG
http://www.notebookcheck.pl/typo3temp/pics/cbc86671d5.jpg

 

The unofficial guide to installing iTunes 10 without bloatware | ZDNet

and QuickTime Alternative will allow you to play QuickTime files (.mov, .qt, .3gp and other extensions) without having to install the official QuickTime Player. It also supports QuickTime content that is embedded in webpages. I've been using this for years.

Free-Codecs.com : QuickTime Alternative 3.2.2 : QuickTime Alternative will allow you to play QuickTime files (.mov, .qt and other extensions) without having to install the official QuickTime Player.

bonjour.exe sucks but I do keep it running in the background. My Adobe CS3 kind of requires it too.

Bonjour (software) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

And clean way to remove what Apple most probably left behind: Completely Uninstall and Remove Bonjour Service and Files (mDNSResponder.exe, mdnsNSP.dll) for Windows

http://arai.wordpress.com/2008/02/1...ce-and-files-mdnsresponderexe-and-mdnsnspdll/

 

For North America, check the More images on bhphotovideo's_Vaio: silver vs black.



Photo posted by To_No_End way back in the F owner's thread #1 here. Note the sticker with a white box vs the silver finish:

 

Thanks!

I want to order F1290 with matte 1920x1080 Full HD display. But the info on sonystyle.ca is - 16.4" VAIO Premium Display (1920x1080) Full HD. I mean no info it is matte or glossy.

How can I order matte version of it?

 

Hi guys, what laptop cooler you recommend for Sony Vaio VPCF11S1E?

The bottom of the laptop requires some especial atributes?

 

I had the same problem with my power supply (VGP-AC19V15). It was interfering with the external monitor and the lights that were on the same circuit. Also, the green LED was flickering almost all the time.
I contacted Sony and they sent me a new power supply. Guess what? The same thing happens with the new one.

The only way I found to "fix" this was to connect the power supply on my UPS. The LED still flickers, but at least it doesn't interfere with the lights or other stuff on the same circuit. I guess the UPS has some sort of protection against this.

 

Sorry late! But wanting to share out there for my little experiences w/ my laptop before one HP, and new vaio F12 i740. When i first bought it,I install and update all programs (250g of applications and files) immediatly. i found out that it became slower and slower with a 3mins(HP),6+mins for(VAIO) booting from the start it open windows. thinking it might be software, drivers, and finally hardwares. not until I re do everything w/ the recovery dvd. Start re-installed all. (ecxpt some jpgs deleted)from the very beginning w/out removing the bloated softwares(only the virus progrms) as i did earlier.
I wasnt expecting it but it became fast as what it should be booting 30sec 2 1min or so,after windows start w/ HDD lights stops or just few flickrs. and w/ all my software respond is quick. By the way I have 3 HDD, with same files applications for back up. Xt 500g seagate seem to be faster among the rest.

 

does anyone know of a laptop cooler that would work with the large capacity battery? I want to try to minimize the whining fan noise I am getting.

It didn't make the noise for the first 2 months of use now it seems to do it every time there is more applications are running.

 

LED flickering is normal, depends on the F's power needs fluctuations. My VGP-AC19V15 power supply is doing it since 7 months, even plugged in a UPS & all is OK.

With your F running OR NOT, unplug the PSU & you will see that it takes a while for the LED to completely turn off. It's not just a dumb PSU, acts also as a kind of UPS. Plug it in a power bar & flip the switch on/off/on quickly & the current fed to the F will not be interrupted.

Or: turn off F, boot & observe the LED on the PSU.

 

Yeah, I know. I didn't plug it in the UPS to fix the flickering, but to stop the interference with the lights and the monitor.
The flickering didn't bother me much, but the interference was quite annoying.

 

I understood that, it was why I suggested the UPS or other circuit in my previous reply on the subject.

Maybe you missed the quote in the previous post. The F consumes 110w max, it's not trivial. The CPU alone power demands vary widely from LFM to max Turbo Boost depending on tasks kicking in/out & that's enough to make a light bulb connected to the same circuit flicker & that's not talking about GPU & other stuff.

If the F draws max power then suddenly goes to power saving mode, the PSU feedback's the unwanted juice back in the power line.

 

Quick question. I bought the cooler master U3 and wow it is nice. Where should I place the fans on my F12

 

As posted here: VAIO_F Series DIY Laptop Cooler Testing, under the 2 biggest air intakes. The third fan of the U3 is superfluous IMO because the rest of the F's underside is cool anyway.

 

Sorry if its already posted but here are some specs of the F13.

No change in processor (i7 740QM)
Graphics card updated its now Nvidia GT425M with CUDA
USB 3.0 included (USB3.0 x 2)

HDD size increased (640gb vs 750 gb)

Also see Sound Reality™ mentioned under Audio Technology ( Not sure if F12 has this or its a new addition)

No other differences

 

Since last night I have some problems with USB mouse. I get that plug/unplug sound from time to time. I switched to the other usb port but it's the same. The mouse is A4Tech X7. I don't know how to solve this and I hope the mouse isn't the issue.

 

Do you think the Zalman ZM-NC2000 is the right choice?

 

If these are correct then you'll see no buyers remorse from me the GT425M doesn't seem like enough of an upgrade to be sad with my yet to arrive F12, slightly more power and DX11. Very happy with that as if I wanted USB 3.0 I'd get the expresscard to have extra ports also, and HDD size is trivial when you think of the ease of upgrade. Not a big deal to F11 or F12 owners and not a big splash for new buyers but it's a tried and true formula and judging by the GPU choice the F series will continue to be one of the coolest i7 laptops outthere! Great news.

 

Thanks for the concise set of links, gives all the information and tools someone would need when dealing with the irritant that is iTunes. This which is the last iPhone I'll probably get the iPhone 4 means I have to use iTunes. It doesn't even want to update to 4.1 firmware for now. Anyway thanks for the information for a cleaner system, would +rep but can't give that you again yet .

 

Here is a link to what I think is a thorough review Notebookcheck F12Z review.

Notice under performance there are some pictures of HDTune results and DPC latency checker. Also under display there is a look at the viewing angles of the F premium screen. There are also pictures of the RAM and HDD slots. Although the review may not agree with all the information found in the owners threads here, it's still a great review worth checking out. The HDTune results of particular interest with it's flat curve.

 

Sorry I can't help with your problem but wanted to say that I use a Microsoft Bluetooth Mouse 5000 that seems to work very well on my F12 for the month that I've had it plus I like the fact that it doesn't occupy a USB port.

Amazon.com: Microsoft Bluetooth Notebook Mouse 5000 Mac/Windows: Electronics