Official Sony Vaio F22 2D Owners Lounge

Lol. I though I was the only one bringing this laptop everyday with himself. You gotta love the 125% Display Zoom on Windows 7, having a 16.4 inch1080p screen. Texts are sharper and thicker, making them so comfortable to read and looked at. And for a programmer like you, that is essential.

Though i wish the next F series will be 50% thinner and lighter. I prefer big laptops over small ones mainly because of its bigger work space. I just can't sacrifice the screen real estate to save weight and battery life. I would love to carry a 16-17 inch laptop at 4lbs maximum

 

Could some people post their CPU and GPU temps under load (i.e., while gaming)? One person did earlier in the thread, and they were surprisingly high. I'm just curious if that's true across the board, or that was just an anomaly.

 

I am considering purchasing the Vaio VPCF226FM (Best Buy version) and was disappointed that it comes with a 5400 rpm HDD. I was wondering if any of you who own one have swapped out the HDD for an SSD and how difficult it was. I contacted Sony through Best Buys web site and they basically told me to contact them for any up grading and made it sound like any changes I made would void the warranty The manual shows how to upgrade the RAM but nothing on the HDD. Any info/advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

I just got mine last night , pretty good computer !!

 

I went to the Sony Store in Woodland Hills (CA) to find out about this very thing. The person i talked too checked the 2200 they had in the store and he said it can be changed to an SSD and that it isn't hard to do. He then went in offering his suggestions on different after market brands of SSD's that he feel are the best. He said it would be much cheaper then getting it from Sony. I am now a little upset I upgraded the HDD, instead of getting the one that Sony had in the CTO (5400), knowing as soon as I can I will be swapping it out. Oh well. As for when I end up installing it, I will follow the instructions on this forum. Hopefully it works out ok. I just have to wait until I pay off some of the money I spent on the actual computer.

 

Cant agree more. As an architecture student the screen is gold, the extra space is so handy! And I dont know of any other machine with that ability in the equivalent of a 15" screen sized package (in width anyways).

It has got quite chunky though, especially compared to the FW. But I suppose thats the trade off for the extra power. It almost like Sony are moving the F closer towards the old Vaio AR used to be in a number of respects . . . .

 

Hi , I love this laptop but the only problem i have is , I been getting a message about my bluetooth "Error: Unable to start the Bluetooth Stack service" , anyone knows how to fix that problem? Thanks!

 

I saw all vaio notebook's display in s.korea some days ago and I can surely say that this(US F2290X) display is premium same quality with new Z2 display.

But F217 3D model, has more good viewing angle than Z2 or this model. So it must be beyond premium. Something special one.

 

^^
Yes
The F217 has a special panel hence the great viewing angles. It has the best Sony screen currently, better than Z2 and F22.

 

I need 16.4 laptop pouch and backpack for carrying. Please recommend something.

 

has anyone managed to use a second HDD (SSD) on the optical drive bay?

 

Hello,
Looking at buying one in the UK just wondering if the memory is easy enoughto get to as if I upgrade from 1x4gb ram to 2x4gb ram it is £80 although if I just buy an additional 4gb ram from crucial it is £23 delivered... Seems good to me and saves best part of £60... is it easy enough to get to? My current dell I would have to take the whole back off not just open a memory window.....

 

You sure do pay for it though . . . $500 odd on top of a CTO machine last time I was on Sony.com

 

Yes you can upgrade RAM easily.

 

I'm interested in this notebook, but I'm confused about the screen.
I can see two different models in the online stores:
1920x1080 matte VAIO Plus-Display
1920x1080 matte VAIO Display Premium
Can someone tell me how these compare?

 

Premium Display is better than the plus grade display On any Sony laptop.

Vaio Display - good
Vaio Display Plus - Better
Vaio Display Premium - Best

 

Yeah the F2290X with 3D configuration has IPS viewing angles. I saw it myself on a Sony Style store and colors doesnt change even in extreme angles, just like w/IPS. Though the viewing angles on my 2D F2290S is very good, especially the horizontal viewing angles. And the colors are rich and the blacks are very black, even blacker than my entry level HDTV.

 

^^
What did you think of the colors and blacks on the F 3D ?

 

Hi,

Please don't think me a troll, being my first post here and all. Been lurking for a while.

I received my CTO VPCF2290S this week and have to say that I feel a little underwhelmed by the display. When I park it next to my FW275 (also 1080) the colours don't seem nearly as rich and vivid. The screen on my FW275 has always blown me away compared to any other laptop I have seen. I've tried adjusting the brightness, calibrating the colours using the options in the Control Panel & the nVidia utility, and still it seems off.

Has anyone else experienced this? I see so many replies here saying how great the display panel is, it just feels like I'm not looking at the same machine.

Thanks for your help,
D

 

I would say that the 2D and 3D model has the same color saturation. The only diference is the 3D has perfect horizontal & vertical viewing angles whereas the 2D has very good vertical angles and nearly perfect horizontal viewing angles. This is what I have examined. The best way for you is to compare it yourself

 

This question just came to mind this morning: Does the 2D F2 model still utilize the 120Hz display that is on the 3D model, or is it a 60Hz?

 

I am a die hard fan of Sony Vaio. I already have a 15.4'' Vaio VGN-FS115B model purchased in the UK in May 2005. It is more than 6 years old and still works well but has been slow when using internet, MS office, Adobe photoshop altogether. It is a 60GB HD with 512MB RAM, 1280x800 TFT display (I love the display which is better than most of the current E series).

I am planning of buying a new Sony vaio with a wider screen and with latest i7 processor, HD display. I will be using this laptop mainly for internet, MS office, picture editing software, movies, music. I play games very rarely.

I was initially looking at the EJ series 17.3'' display in sonystyle.com (VPCEJ190X CTO). But they do not have a i7, a backlit keyboard, bluetooth in the EJ series.

I was chatting with Sonystyle sales team. One of them suggested the F series as it has the i7, a backlit keyboard, bluetooth.

When I looked in google, I ended up in this forum thread where you all have been discussing about the F22 2D series.

I am really concerned about the thick lid/bezel and the fan noise mentioned by the owners of this model.

Please let me know if I should go for the EJ series with customizable option to i5 (but no backlit keyboard, bluetooth) or the F series with i7.

If I am correct, does the laptop gets louder and hotter with an i7 quadcore processor? If so, I will be happy to stick to the EJ series with i5 processor (and does it remain less louder and hotter). I am a novice when it comes to difference between i5-i7

VPCEJ190X 17.3''-comes with 17.3" LED backlit display (1600 x 900)
VPCF2290X 16.4''- 2D Full HD LCD display (1920x1080) with LED backlight

Please let me know which one should I go for.

 

I have the F2290S which is the canadian equivalent of the F2290X american verison. I opted for the i5 confiuration because of the nature of quad processors being louder and hotter than the dual core ones. I'm sorry but I can't give you an expert advise about the difference of the i7 and the i5 processor since I havent had an i7 computer before. One thing i can tell you though is that the display quality is close to the ones with IPS. e.g. HP 8760w, $1900 and Dell Precision M6600 $2000.

 

I have had the F series 2290x (american version) for almost a month now. I mostly do internet, video streaming (movies, etc), MS office, turbo tax, etc. I have not played any games and don't expect too. It is not noisy at all, in my case. It does make a little fan noise when I have a bunch of browser windows open and a couple of programs opened, but it isn't loud and hardly noticeable. As for it getting hot, it gets warm but not real hot. The American version comes with just the i7 option, with 3 different choices. I got the 2820QM quad processor and it is very fast. I love this computer and am real happy I made the choice to get it, after choosing the C series first and sending it back.

If I were you and depending on your budget I get the F series over the E. You will love it and forget you were even thinking about getting another computer. There is no choice in my opinion, unless you are on a budget. If money is no problem then get the F.

The size of the computer is no problem. It is bigger but it isn't heavy at all. I bought a bag for it, for when I take it out but haven't used it yet. However taking it up and down the stairs is nothing, as it isn't heavy at all. It just might be lighter then your older F series. I hope this helps you and good luck.

 

I recently bought the F223FX off of Amazon. I've come across an issue that is driving me crazy. My VAIO seems to randomly lag on audio and video from any source and from all outputs.

I'll be watching netflix for example and it will stream fine, but then the sound distorts for a split second. It's subtle at first, but it occurs often and it's driving me crazy.

I've updated all the drivers off of Sony's website. Windows is up-to-date. I had Amazon send me a replacement and the same issue came up with it. I even partitioned the harddrive and installed a clean Windows 7 and same issue after I installed the drivers.

At first I thought it was a defective laptop, but after receiving a new one the next day with the same issue has me thinking it's a problem on Sony's end. I love the laptop, but this issue is going to end up making me get a refund and buying a Samsung RF711.

Any help would be much appreciated.

 

Thank you AG for replying Yes. I am sure you on right on the money about the display in your F2990X.

I had a chance to look at the E series display in the store (not in the USA). The viewing angles are not that great. Even my older VGN-FS had a better viewing angle.

 

Thank you Puck28 for sharing your experience.

Did you configure your VPCF2290X and buy it from sonystyle? Do please let me know. 2820QM should have been a bit expensive right? I am ready to spend upto $1300 and willing to invest a bit more for something with which I can work for the next few years.

One concern was, I was thinking about the thick lid/bezel. Do you have any photos of your laptop. If so, can you please post it. The VPCF2290X is 6.4 lbs, which is the same as my old laptop (u r spot on).

How about the battery life? the sony webpage says that max of 2.5 hrs battery life. I asked the sales team rep in chat. He replied that it is 2.5hrs with standard battery for DVD play back and with the standard battery on default settings is up to 5 hours and with large capacity battery it is up to 7.5 hours.

Did you get a large battery too? Do please let me know.

Many thanks.

John Milton.

 

I ask alot of the same questions before i got mine (F2290X CTOed off Sony.com $1150 before tax. only upgrade was to the GT540M GPU)

I went with the i7 2630QM which is really quick. Havant been able to get anywhere near maxing it out with standard use. Not sure the extra speed of the 2820QM is needed unless you know your really going to need the power . . . .

Regarding the screen thickness i was curious myself about it because it did seem a good bit thinker than my old FW, so i measured it and it worked out at only 1 or 2 mill thicker than the FW. So i think its more a perceptive thing. The weight of the machine is actually really good, feels lighter than my FW and while it is a relatively big laptop it rarely feels cumbersome . . . the charger is on the big side though.


I got the standard battery and 2.5 is about right. however if your out and about with it away from a plug switch just switch off the WIFI, put it on power saver and drop the brightness and you'll do a descent bit better.
IMO forget the bigger battery, save the weight and the money and put it towards a new standard battery in 2/ 2 and a half years. my FW is 3 years old and a full charge lasts 45mins if im lucky.

Btw buy from sony style over the phone, ive heard they often give a 5% discount if you ask nicely!

 

its 60Hz.

here my specs. (F2290X)
http://forum.notebookreview.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=68369&stc=1&d=1312117663

 

G50, can you post the hardware ID of the screen ?

 

Ah, thanks for that. This matter had me curious.

 

Thank you G50

After looking at the 3D Fseries, I am very tempted to buy the Sony VAIO VPC-F215FX/BI Quad Core 16-Inch 3D Display i7-2630QM Quad-Core.

I am glad to spend an extra few hundred $ to get a 3D laptop...I have seen some great reviews about the F series 3D laptop and I am a moviebuff

 

you had bought the Sony VAIO VPC-F215FX/BI Quad Core 16-Inch 3D Display i7-2630QM Quad-Core model right? I remember seeing the pictures that you posted in the 3D laptop thread

 

^^
He has the one with maxed out specs 2820qm,8gb ram,bluray burner.

 

thanks avmaxfan

yayyy...I have ordered the i7-2630QM,6gb ram,bluray player....so excited

I dont think I need a very high end specs

I will post the pictures in the 3D thread as soon as I receive it.

 

Cool that you got the 3d. I got the 2d because I have the Sony xbr hx909 and it can do 3d, although I haven't done it yet, so I didn't feel I needed it on my laptop also. I got the 2820, while I was a little more expensive, I decided to splurge. My last laptop is really slow now, so I wanted to try and make this new one last as long as I can. Btw I noticed that you got it with 6gb ram, how come you didn't go with 8? R u planning on upgrading it to 8 by yourself after market? If so I can understand that. I am also later on going to upgrade my hard drive to an SSD, as it is much faster. I bought it over the phone with Sony Customer Care, as I did it after I sent back the Sony c series laptop I got. Hope you r real happy with your purchase, as I love mine. I am sure, other then the fact that yours will be 3d, they are similar.

 

Thank you Puck28. True, if you already have a Bravia, it doesnt make any sense to get a 3D laptop.

The model I ordered was not a CTO and I am not a high end gamer (but definitely a high end moviebuff) So I ordered this as I was happy with the specs. If there is a need for upgrading it to 8GB RAM, hopefully I will do it in the future. I have a 1TB and a 250MB external hard drives, so I was not worried about the hard drive capacity. What happened with your C series laptop and why did you send it back? I am glad that you got the right alternative and that you love your F series laptop.

 

I was just looking at the costs of 8GB RAM.

The sonystyle configure to order site says
8GB (4GBx2) DDR3-SDRAM-1333 (Reg. price $200.00) [add $152.00]

while Crucial.com says
8GB Kit (4GBx2) is US $65.99

why is there a huge price difference?

 

Because it is through Sony and they charge more. Most likely because they don't buy a lot in bulk, so they charge more. Like with the SSD they charge like $1200 (Sony) where if you buy from like Crucial or another company it is like $200. So for the memory it wasn't a huge difference in price and I am kinda lazy, but for the SSD it is like $1000 more....For $100 I can be lazy, for $1000 no way. SO I will be going after market for the SSD....

The reason I sent the C series back was I chose Fresh start, which Sony has the option where you don't get any added bloatware on your computer. What I didn't realize was that because of that, I didn't get Media Gallery. Media Gallery is needed if you want to do Sony Internet Essentials (Internet Apps like Pandora, Flixster, etc,) like have on my Tv and Blu Ray. Asking around to Sony there was no way to get Media Gallery without sending it back and getting a new computer without Fresh Start. So when Sony called me up, after I did the whole return, to order a new computer I realize that the F series, which I wanted to begin with, wasn't that much difference in price with all my options I added. So I splurge and decided to get the 2290x, which wasn't available yet when I ordered the C series. I didn't want the 3d as it was a lot more money and I didn't really need it. I also only have $3000 credit limit on my Sony Capital One rewards card. Of course now the CTO is $100 less then when I got mine . Oh well. I love the computer so much, it doesn't bother me that much

 

I think the price keeps going down after we get a new model. When I got my VGN-FS115B in May 2006, it was £920 in UK and the price went down quickly after 6 months, but it is definitely worth the £920 spent on it

 

Nice. ye if you've the extra few quid to spend you may aswell. I had a look at one in the sony centre where I live and the piano black finish looks really sharp!

 

Ye no problem, how would I go about getting that? All the info dxdiag gave me is in that screen capture I posted.

 

Go to Control Panel - Device Manager - Monitor -Generic PnP Monitor- Properties - Details - Hardware ID

 

MONITOR\CMO1601

Why do you ask?

 

So its a new panel that Sony is using from Chi Mei Optoelectronics. The F 3D uses an AUO screen.

 

I was copying over a few Gigs of stuff from my old laptop there today and after id finished I noticed my CPU speeds were well up, 25-75% across the board. Having a look at what was running in the back ground apart my open programs (firefox) the Vaio Analysis Manager looked to be processing the stuff I just copied over.

This might be one of the reasons some people are getting high/loud fan speeds at times for what may seem like no apparent reason . . . .

 

Anyone here wished the F2290X or F2290S had a glossy VAIO Display Premium screen? I myself wouldn't complain about the matte screen. It's a good thing that I don't watch my movies with this laptop.. i hook it up to my HDTV all the time. Movies look better on a glossy screen IMO. I think that's why 99% of HDTVs today come with a glossy screen.


What do you guys think? Should the next F series come with a glossy VAIO Premium screen? Or should they stick with the matte one?

 

Its matte alright but u will not find a better laptop screen for viewing movies in this budget

 

Finally the F22 review is out.Its screen outclasses the F21 3D as far as contrast ratio goes (1000:1). But otherwise its a step down. Colors do not even cover sRGB completely and the viewing angles are not at the same level as F21, especially horizontal viewing angles. Brightness distribution is also inferior.
Though mind you, for the price it has the best screen. The Dell XPS 15 B+RG, Asus G74SX 3D,XPS 17 3D, do not match the F22.

 

2 avmaxfan //

What do you think, the vaio f22 Premium display are better than macbookpro/thinkpad w520 display?

And in which model in US the premium display? Sony VAIO F22 VPCF22CFX/B ? on bhpphoto...
becouse in europe we have 3 type of display.

For me display colors, angles, is very important.

Thx.