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

That's funny Fishon......I received my power over eSATA enclosure last week and just ordered the same drive from Newegg for a little less than Amazon with free shipping and no sales tax!

 

You paid $3.52 less than me. I buy on Amazon often so I went with them. I live approx 25 miles away from Computergeeks.com so my $13.99 enclosure had no shipping charge. BTW they seem to specialize in second tier merchandise and 'off products' at a very good price. Did see a Sharp 46" LED LCD 120 Hz for just over $600. Refurbished but a good deal nonetheless. Cool guys and good vibe in the shop as well.

 

Thanks for the link - the memory leak tool looks nice! I'll have to look into that.

The largest issue for me was the memory leaks (memory isn't properly cleared and assigned). FF woudn't necessarily use too much memory at first - say something like 56mb - but leave that same tab open for 50 minutes (no changes whatsoever) - something like grooveshark or pandora - and the memory usage gradually rises up to 500mb. Kinda like Crysis (you could play Crysis MP for a few hours and your FPS would slowly degrade at the same settings because there were some serious memory leaks - if you were on an unrestricted server that allowed developer tools enabled in-game you could actually see the video/system memory usage slowly climb up)

Thanks! I hope it was worth the cost. I've heard it has some tracking issues (the philips_twin-eye sensor has a very good dpi, but it's notorious for having z-tracking issues where lifting the mouse causes the cursor to move). But the more recent reviews with the new drivers say that the issues have been fixed, so fingers crossed

 

I did get my enclosure from Computergeeks.com.....my first order from them. I do order from Amazon often but if I can get it elsewhere for the same price without sales tax then I go there. Don't know about you but I have to pay 8.5% sales tax when I order from Amazon too.....plus I had a 10% off coupon code from Newegg after my last order there anyway.

 

I will respectfully disagree. I find RAMback and Leak monitor kind of gimmicky and lacks transparency in what it's doing . There is a list of known plugins that have known memory leaks. I do agree with you when I notice increased memory usage just through time and nothing else. I am not one who keeps my computer on forever and I use CCleaner often. I believe this is the easiest solution. And with 6GB of memory I care, then again I don't. Also one should close FF by using File and Exit instead of the Red X. This fully closes FF.

 

Totally off topic but I will give you guys one of my all time gems. If anyone has interest in leadership skills this video is a must.

Leadership Lessons from Dancing Guy | Derek Sivers

This guy spoke at the TED conference. If you do not know what TED is you should.

http://www.ted.com/

 

That's brilliant! I'd be one of the people still sitting on the lawn.

 

It's Friday!!!!!

 

You on Reddit? I saw this posted like an hour ago on there...

 

It's a possibility...



Just a little giddy today as my birthday is tomorrow and my boy pre-ordered Fallout New Vegas for me. Should be fun on the F.

Fallout New Vegas

 

Awwww, Happy Birthday!! Hope you enjoy the game

http://i.imgur.com/3lhoT.jpg

 

Are these available in the UK? A dumb question but how would I keep the second one charged, just charge it through the laptop itself? Might become a bit of a pain switching it in and out.

 

I promise this is the last one...

 

I know what cyanate does, unfortunately in my case it didn't melt anything. I wish it could make the rubber and plastic one, but no.

 

Happy Birthday!!!

 

I see that sonystyle.ca has adjusted the pricing for the F1390 CTO. The i5-460M is available for $70 less thant the i7-740. It's only $100 more for 8GB of RAM, same as for 6GB. Also, a 256GB SSD is available for $500 more than the minimum 7200 RPM 500GB HD.

Does any body know the difference between these displays?
16.4" VAIO Premium Display (1920x1080) A HD
16.4" VAIO Premium Display (1920x1080) Full HD [add $100.00]

Could it be that the full HD includes the 1GB GT425M video, as in the US version?

 

Super Glue (cyanate) works best on clean surfaces with a very thin layer of it. Excess actually weakens the bond.

And it's not the best choice in this case and is no good for something that flexes as it brittle's. I presume you did not try the search I suggested:

Rubber cement applied like contact glue comes up again & again: "If you use it on one of two surfaces you can peel them apart later. If you put it on both surfaces and let it get tacky before putting them together is near permanent. I have used it to re-skin several cameras with leather and I'm sure it would work as well on rubber." After doing that, you put as much weight as possible on it & let it cure overnight.

Your photo #2 shows layer upon layer of glue, you need the clean that. If you use some goo remover, be careful not to use too much & remove the paint from the surrounding body parts. Check the manufacturer's page: Removing Super Glue

 

Bill, I have a Nikon D300 & a D300s DSLR w/ a 200-400mm F4 zoom + big Gitzo tripod + too many other lenses so... I don't mind the weight when the features & results requires it.

It was a question of repetitive mouse injury related to computer ergonomics. Joints & ligaments have little to do with muscles. It depends on what you do and how much you do it.

Mouse weight, DPI, etc is irrelevant for casual use but not to a maniac gamer for example.

BTW, I ordered the Logitech G700 for $94 shipped to a US friend who will forward it to me via USPS so I'll report in 3-4 weeks. If I don't like it, I know that there is plenty of people in my village interested in buying it from me.

 

It's quit shocking to see the so called premium finish come off that easily. (well that's how it's sold in Holland). I had a lingering unhappy feeling about my plastic fantastic VPC-F12S1E version but it's completely gone after seeing Sony's handywork on these pics.

When I compare overall sturdiness to my other mobile workstation (HP Compaq 8710w) and my previous VAIO's, the F12 feels like its somewhat less solid. No complaints about the performance at all. Thanks to this thread I've already ordered the backlit keyboard and ODD 2 HDD parts. Thanks for the information until now!

 

Wow, that rubber palm rest looks bad. :/
I can say that mine is still perfect and I've been using my F11 everyday for some months now...Great quality on my machine so far.
In fact, I've been enjoying this machine a lot!

 

That's not_Sony's work, it's the user that applied glue several times & did not do it properly. Did he pulled out the rubber a little more to apply the glue? Did the dog do it? Maybe he has a photo of the original problem?

If you follow this search link you will see that rubber coming off unglued from expensive cameras is not something rare, new nor difficult to fix: camera rubber coming off. It's across brands BTW.

To my knowledge, this is the very first time a user reports that problem so far in all the 4 F owners threads so there is no reason to panic yet IMO. Everything is relative.

I'd rather have a cool F w/ a plastic body @ a reasonable price than an aluminum hot palm rest or underside as reported hundreds of times in other threads.

One can always send is unit for servicing under warranty if one can't DIY glue it back on.

 

I'd rather send it back in then glue myself. Then again, I've got a few spare machines on hand. I can imagine one wouldn't want to loose the VAIO for three weeks just to get the palmrest fixed.

 

I knew what you meant. I have no joint problems and I use a mouse for an average of 8+ hours a day. My comment about weight was simply an off topic rant about people complaining about the weight of certain equipment...I'll PM you.

 

Quick question. If you get the F12/F13 " Fresh Start aka Clean Install" configuration can you download the cool Vaio backgrounds and Sony apps like the Media Player from Sony esupport or Sony Update Manager later on?

 

Does anyone here actually use the F as a laptop? XD I almost never use mine at my desk.

 

Just to clarify something: the palm rest looks so messy with the glue cause I didn't bother to clean it before taking the photo. But the fact is that the left side of the palm rest is peeling off day by day. Started at the bottom left, now upper left corner and I can see other places forming "bubbles" underneath. I am looking at Joe Bleau's links and try to find the best solution. Definitely bad build quality from Sony here. And I am really annoyed because generally I do take great care of my stuff.

 

Shh that's perfectly normal. Your Vaio is the best laptop in the universe. Shut up or Joe will summon white Daihatsu vans to come and take care of you.

 

How hot is the palmrest getting during your daily usage? Do you play video games on your VAIO? Is it possible that it's getting too hot, therefore causing a breakdown of the adhesive and an expansion/warping of the palmrest?

 

So funny. And by "take care of you", I don't think he means a mani/pedi.

 

Then it's not just a corner & there are some places that you did not touch: the bubbles so why not send it for a palm rest replacement? Even if they say that you tampered with a corner, there are parts that you did not try to glue back yet, right?

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WD 750GB

Today I received three 2.5" WD 750GB HDD's & 3 external eSATA/USB enclosures. At the present running simultaneously on my F I have 1 main drive, 1 in the optical drive bay, 1 connected via USB (watching some videos) & finally the 750 in the enclosure connected via the eSATA/USB combo port undergoing some surface testing to make sure it's perfect before loading it with photos. The WD 750 GB is amazingly quiet & vibration free and consumes actually less power than a Seagate 7200.4 500GB @ idle because of some firmware green features so I will probably swap one with the 7200.4 in the ODD bay for more on-board storage. It's not as fast but that's not my main criteria for a drive dedicated to data storage. I will report in a day or 2 with some benchmarks & details.

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Mine is deskbased at work and at home. I've bought an additional logitech alto connect for my workspace and left an AC cable pugged in. All I need to do is connect the powerbrick, hook up the logitech alto connect's USB hub and HDMI connector and I'm ready to go.

At home I've got a coolermaster notepal and USB hub all setup. Just plugin power, HDMI, one USB connector and LAN cable and I'm done. I never use the keyboard on the machine, at home and at work I've got separate keyboard & mouse sets connected.

Before the VAIO I used an HP Compaq 8710w with docking station, an even easier solution. ;-)

 

Curious to know what you think. How fast are these new drives? 5400? 7200? Since the optical bay uses a 12.7m caddy, then it's feasible to put in a 1tb drive, right? I don't care much for the idea of plugging in externals too much. Would be nice to have more storage (I like to hoard). Of course, this would mean needing larger backup drives.

 

I tried but even at idle it was scorching my lap. Very uncomfortable after 30 minutes or so. When I do use it on my lap I have to use a tray or a large, thick magazine/book to protect my balls.

 

Errrr.... I don't know if they are available in the UK.

And I was saying that in terms of hibernate your computer when battery is low, and then switch the batteries, turn on computer and keep it going. I don't know how much do you need your batteries to last, but I'll bet you'll need your charger and an energy plug near by

 

I'm thinking of installing an OS only SSD and keeping the 500GB 7200.4 for storage purposes. Would you recommend installing the SSD in the primary slot or in the ex ODD position?

 

Of course I haven't tried to glue the whole thing, the problem with your suggestion is twofold: I have contacted sony a week ago through mail and got no answer and there are no people I can talk directly (here in Denmark) and secondly, I do not want to be without a pc for a month. So, I just got an epoxy glue (as most of the people suggest for these cases) and I will try to do a thorough work. I know that my laptop isn't gonna look the same again but at least I have to stop the arm rest to come completely off.

 

WHAT Is the difference between F12 and F13 except GPU?

 

It has USB 3.0 ports, but eSATA ports could possible be removed, if it IS removed, it's a no buyer for me (already got F11)

Next upgrade I'm looking for a higher end GPU, and seems like Sony keeps implementing low-med end GPUs into the F (310M, 330M, 425M)

 

On the Asian site stated that e-sata will be available. There will be 2 USB 3.0 ports and 1 usb 2.0-esata port.

 

Optional GT425M GPU, a pair of USB 3.0 ports replacing the two USB 2.0 ports on the right side.

The USB 2.0/Power over eSATA port remains the same, as do the processor options.

A larger, 750GB hard drive is also now an option.

Prices are nearly identical on Sony Style USA as they were for F11s way back in March and April.

There may also be untold hardware updates and there is most likely a new motherboard (due to the USB 3.0 ports).

 

Can someone who have opened up their F11 and replaced the thermal paste (if possible) post pictures?
I would also like to drop my temps by a few more degrees, OEM pastes suck anyways

 

Interesting. On the UK F13 it says spec sheet, next to eSATA it has a big fat NO.

 

I have been browsing the web on battery for the last hour with this f11 on my lap (nothing under it at all, I am wearing jeans !) and it only feels slightly warm, not even enough to make my lap uncomfortable or even sweaty... perhaps TMI !

In fact I can barely hear the noise of the fan, let alone the whine that I used to complain about. I attribute this to the clean install I did, courtesy of Joe's post.

 

Plus we are hopping for a new screen similar to European and Japanese models in the USA with Adobe RGB support. I am crossing my fingers on that one because the 1080p screen on the current F11/F12 models is really, really and I mean really bad.

I am also hopping that the new GT425M will be able to cover the high-end needs of the F13 and be more in mid-range-to-high-end category of performance, than in mid-to-low category. The card is very new so we cannot tell yet but according to nVIDIA the GT4 series will perform 40% faster than the similar models in the GT3 line and they manage to get significant performance boost for DirectX 11. Finger crossed on this one too.

Last but not least the GT4 is a lot less power hungry. The completely new architecture of the GPU offers higher performance and only kick-in the GPU when its needed. That will both increase the battery life and produce less heat for the F13

I also noticed that the Blu-Ray Burner is now at 6X Read/White speed instead of 4X the F12 model use to be.

 

Thanks. Are there any photographers in this thread who use this laptop mainly for editing and design work? I still can't decide between this and a MacBook Pro :/

 

Is the current Full HD screen of F Model that BAD?

 

For the US model, YES is REALLY BAD both its quality and brightness is lame. Go to a SonyStyle or any other retailer to check out the screen. When I first saw it I didn't want to believe my eyes of how bad the screen was for a close $2000 laptop. I also saw the European model and the screen is just GREAT as it should be!

I order an F13 hopping the new model will have the EU or the Japanese screen. If it comes with the current screen they put on the US F12 models is going straight back to Sony the very same day.

 

F13_Ports, GPU Upgrade?

As mentioned above, the F13 has a eSATA/USB 2.0 combo port. See this side-by-side on Sony_Asia: F11_vs F12_vs_F13

You can't upgrade the GPU as it's welded to the motherboard & while it's not Class 1, it does the job for me (photo editing, etc.). Go to page #1, post #1 of this thread (or FAQ in my sig) and click on the Unification Post for a link to Mangosango who posted a ton of data and videos on Youtube on many games that he ran on his F.



CPU Thermal Paste

Well many F owners including me ran stress tests w/ the CPU & GPU running simultaneously @ 100% & the F is one of the coolest i7 laptop on the market currently so... one may deduct that the thermal paste does not "suck". Why void the warranty for very little gain, if any? Again: go to Unification post for some mobo photos including of the cooling unit removed.

This post shows screen captures of those tests ran by several F owners in the previous thread: VAIO_F Series: A cool Cucumber. Nobody managed to go above 84c while the max operating temperatures of the CPU is 100c and 105c for the F's GPU.

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SSD + HDD

Other F owners did that and the main drive should go in the only drive bay available on the F. You can add an other drive using an ODD HDD bay caddy, see my sig below.

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Rubber Palm Rest Glue

What's wrong with rubber cement? Epoxy is radical in this case & next to impossible to remove besides not being flexible.


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US 1080p LCD is Cr@p

Well I presume that the 30 minutes or so that you spent in a store beats the opinion of F owners who have been using it for a few months. The consensus among us is that the default settings do not render justice to the LCD. Before returning the F13 which you don't have at the present, check F owner's created monitor profiles roundup. 1- Disable auto brightness, 2- replace the overly blue default profile. Check the Poll link in my sig below for opinions of actual owners.

"...and brightness is lame" - Put finger on sensor located above F9 or disable auto brightness with key S1. Brightness is fine on my US F 1080p, I usually run it 2-3 clicks below the max setting.

BTW, it's not close to $2,000 in the US unless you add some upgrades. In the North American market, the consumer is driving the glossy finish & the low price point is a very important criteria. Go to any big box store in USA with laptops on display & try to find a non-glossy full Adobe RGB color space coverage screen for notebooks in the same price range as the F and with a similar sized LCD.

If you find one, please post the brand, model number, price & link if possible.

*****

 

Sorry, random question, slightly related to F

Hard drive specifications are sometimes listed as 7200.4, 7200.11, 7200.12, what does the decimal place after the RPM number show?