Official Sony Vaio Fit multi-flip PC Owners' Thread

Is a Samsung Pro 256gb SSD overkill for the Flip 14A model? With an integrated GPU and a low power i5, I doubt I'd be able to utilize some heavy resource apps like Adobe Premiere and After Effects CS6 to warrant the install of the Samsung Pro SSD I have laying around. Am I right?

I do plan on doing some light HD video editing in Premiere CS6 so the Samsung Pro SSD may come in handy but I still think it may be overkill for an ultrabook. What do you guys think?

The alternative would be to install the Samsung Pro SSD in my desktop and use an older SSD I have laying around in the Flip 14A ultrabook.

 

My 15A with i7, ssd, 12GB ram and 2GB gforce gpu does run premiere and after effects smoothly.
It depends how heavy video editing you want to if you would need these specs. Memory is important, at least 8GB RAM (preferably more). Not sure about integrated GPU and i5 CPU. I guess the integrated GPU would not suffice.
To illustrate, I created an HD movie in premiere. Basically just non-moving images placed behind each other with some transitions. Won't get more basic. But when exported as AVI, windows media player was unable to play it correctly (green lines in the video). Turned out that it was set to use integrated GPU. When set to use the geforce GPU it worked smoothly. So if media player already has difficulties playing an exported movie from premiere when using integrated GPU, I guess that premiere itself would be a disaster when using with the integrated GPU.

 

Did you install Samsung Magician?

 

Did you install samsung magician?

 

Hi there LightC

As a complement to WimadS's post : I don't use Premiere myself, but have a 14A with the i5 and intergrated graphics. I've swapped the 500GB hybrid for a 480GB M500 SSD and couldn't be happier with the overall speed benefits. As I've said before here, the Flips or any ultrabook aren't really designed for "heavy" video editing or hard gaming ; let the powerbooks do that stuff. And who knows, ultrabooks might just pack real power in 2 or 3 years.
That's not helping much with your question though. I guess you're the only one who can justify sticking the 840 Pro in there, or not. For me, SSDs are awesome and I can't live without 'em anymore.
If you decide you want to stick the older SSD in the Flip, make sure it's 7mm thick only ; some older SSDs are 9.5mm and won't fit inside a Flip (one member here found out the hard way...).

Good luck

 

What if I edited the video on the Flip using the integrated GPU and rendered the output using my desktop PC (dedicated nvidia graphics with CUDA support and quad core)?

I basically want to be able to put together sequences in Premiere while on the Flip. I can always use the multi-machine rendering feature built-in to CS6. I just need to have the videos saved on my network fileshare.

 

Hey, I just checked the nVidia configuration panel, and it appears that I use the integrated GPU for premiere. I probably never changed that, as it appeared to be working fine So you should be fine if you render your stuff on your desktop. You might even be able to render it on the flip (i did that as well with integrated graphics as it appears, although it was not a very complicated sequence). However, playing it with media player required the dedicated GPU.
One note though, i did this all with an i7 processor, this might be different with an i5. But I'm no expert, so I wouldn't know. Just concluding from my own experience here.
I would opt for a fair amount of RAM though, premiere (and other video editing) is quite intensive when it comes to memory.

 

Hi how did it go? Have you tried to get recovery media and install it to ssd? Did the memory you raised work fine. If yes i wont waste time for waiting i7 versin releases in my country. We have 13A only with i5 4gb memory and 500gb storage.

GT-I9500 cihazmdan Tapatalk kullanlarak gönderildi

 

Is it recommended to stay with the Sony Nvidia drivers or better to install the geforce experience and use the updated drivers it recommends?

 

Hi there ultrabook

Not so fast... BlkR has a Flip 15. Only the 14s and 15s have upgradable RAM. The memory stick in the 13s (one stick only) is soldered to the motherboard. The 14s have only one stick as well ; if you order a 14 with 4GB of RAM, you can remove that and use a 8GB stick. Not in the 13s. The 15s have two removable sticks, with a maximum of 16GB allowed (8+8).
Another important thing about RAM in the Flips : it is low voltage RAM, meaning 1.35V, and it is also known as "DDR3L" ("L" for low voltage) or "ultrabook memory".

About hard drives : you mention a 13A with a 500GB drive ? That's impossible, because 13s (last time I checked) were only available with SSDs of 128, 256 or 512GB sizes. So did you mean 512GB SSD ? Or has Sony started selling 13s with HDDs behind my back ? lol.
Anyway, just know that SSDs in the 13s are different than the ones in 14s and 15s, because they are "M.2" drives, not regular SATA drives (the connectors are very different, and so are drive sizes).

HTH

 

Hey, new guy here, sorry to interrupt but long story short, i'm looking for a decently capable laptop that can also function as my graphics tablet. Ergo i'm considering the Flip line for my next machine (Specifically the 15 with all the bells and whistles), but want to get the most up to date information on the models, since all the reviews are months old.

1. Is the fan still crazy after all the BIOS updates?
2. If so, is it just as crazy as ever? or has it gotten better?
3. I have heard of issues with the WIFI, have those been fixed?
4. I have heard of issues with the trackpad, based on the last few pages this seems to still be a problem, is this true? is it fixable?
5. I have heard of issues involving the Windows 8.1 Upgrade breaking USB functionality, is this true? Is it fixable?

Having heard about the sale of VAIO, do you guys think there will be a second generation of improved Flips?
I feel like they are conceptually near-perfect (for me anyway) machines with a ton of execution flaws.

 

Samsung Magician is not necessary for using a Samsung SSD. After you've updated the SSD Firmware i would uninstall Samsung Magician or delete it form the automatic startup. Otherwise you'll get an UAC prompt on every boot without any benefits. Furthermore the software offers some optimisation-options for the SSD, but i would NOT reccomend them to you. Better leave the Windows default settings and be happy with a perfect working SSD.

 

1. I guess the current Flips are shipped with the up to date BIOS, so the original problem does not exist anymore.
2. This is quite subjective. It has improved with the updates, but not everyone seems to be satisfied yet. I myself have no problems with it. It is only loud when I'm intesively using it (graphics, 3D CAD, video). In my opinion it is nothing to complain about. It is no louder than my previous workstation. When using it for only office/internet, it is dead quiet.
3. I had some WiFi issues, but those turned out to be an old driver in combination with issues with the network I was on. So the adapter is (in my case) working fine.
4. Trackpad freezes every once in a while. Tap the touchscreen onece, and it becomes responsive again. It is annoying, but trackpads in combination with win 8 are a disaster anyway. Just use a mouse.
5. I have not experienced any issue of that kind. It is important to first do ALL VAIO updates, then ALL windows updates, BEFORE upgrading to 8.1. Then check for vaio and windows updates again. In this order everything should turn out fine.
I do think that win 8 itself is one big issue though... it is just an anoying OS. But nothing you can't get used to.

 

Thanks for clearing that stuff up, I was most worried about the fan.

Wow this sounds really irritating, is this an unavoidable issue? There is no fix available?

 

TickTack,

I agree with WimadS, get a mouse. I mean if you're in a mobile situation where you're not long hours on this, then you can get away with the track pad. But if you're going to be doing a lot of work than you'll want a nice mouse. I actually like the mouse on the flip, but it does break from time to time; like right now I have to reboot it to get the pinch and other functions working properly . It's just quirky. And I've never had good luck on any of these trackpad mice. They all are horrid to me. But I'm one of the flip users who is willing to put up with the issues because I like the laptop that much. If you're on the fence or are looking for the best running most powerful laptop in this price range, this isn't for you. If you're looking for the most capable ultrabook in it's class and price range than this is worth looking at.

 

I am trying to decide between this machine and the Fujitsu Lifebook T904, The biggest reason i've been looking at these machines is the digitizers, previously I was in the market for a Cintiq 13HD, but If i can get a good machine with a good digitizer I can kill two birds with one stone. I actually recently bought a Duo13, but returned it because the keyboard was hopeless.

Power is not a super big deal for me, but I will be spending hundreds of hours coding and painting on this thing so it needs to be functional and practical.
Do you think this trackpad thing will be fixed or is it a hardware flaw?

Sidebar: have the fan updates done anything for the battery life at all? I'd imagine dialing back the fan would yield some kind of battery life improvement.

 

Just FYI, I have a Flip 14 and the keyboard is awful. It's going back because I type a lot and can't stand it. Try to test out the keyboard thoroughly before purchasing to make sure it works for you.

 

Just got my flip 15 from bestbuy last night. Fan was loud out of the box bios update and now I haven't gotten it to try and fly away again lol I didn't really mind it before makes me happy knowing the CPU is cool.... spend the night doing updates and getting ready for windows 8.1 update

I did install gopro studio and it's a bit choppy playing back video at full resolution I set it to use the nvidia card but a quick glance at the resource monitor shows the CPU maxed out. I will look to see if this is an issue with the program or the laptop.

I will play around with it some more also going to try out my rc flight simulator and some auto cad.

Overall I love the form factor the build quality and the size of this laptop it's great but I wish this i7 had more punch.

I have 14 days so if i don't get everything running the way I want j may return it for an i5 flip 14. At 899 vs the 15 at 1249 I can build a desktop to handle all my heavy work for a bit more than the difference between them. as much as I would like to only have the flip 15.



Also the track pad is ok it's not wonderful and it's not horrible. I primarily use a mouse or the touch screen. Also I like the keyboard and I don't have any connectivity issues and no build quality issues. The 1tb hybrid drive also doesn't seam to be too bad it's not as fast as ssd obviously but not bad. I will wait and see if I get any unresponsive touch screen problems or a clicky hard drive down the road but for now it's been flawless.

Anyone over clock their flip yet ?


Also I find sitting on the couch with the flip in display mode works really well its nice for surfing the Web and other casual programs


Tonight I'll upgrade to 8.1 and take some steps to optimise the tablet similar to what they have done in this thread http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=738062 and report back.


Does anyone else use this laptop for video editing ? If so what are your experiences ?

Devin



Sent from my SM-N900P using Tapatalk

 

I will have to warn you about the digitizer combined with photoshop (if you've not already heard that). N-trig does not support pressure sensitivity in photoshop. There is now a driver update out there, which does allow pressure sensitivity (only in the 32bit Ps). But apart from pressure sensitivity, photoshop is just terrible with n-trig. Simple things like panning aren't even performing normal. It's simply unworkable. (with regular mouse use, it is of cours performing like on any other laptop)
However, I found an alternative in Clip Studio Paint (aka Manga studio), which for the purpose of drawing/painting is superior compared to Photoshop. And also very compatible with n-trig.
If it is mandatory for you to use the digitizer with Photoshop, I would recommend you to look for a wacom alternative.

 

That is very personal I guess. I have no problem typing big reports on this thing. But I will have to agree that it is not the finest keyboard out there.

 

Read a few posts back

 

Thank you I did read that I'm more or less hoping for so ones experience with gopro studio.

Odd thing is my galaxy note 3 play everything perfect.

My old computer m11x with um i7 1.2ghz had a hard time in both the media player and in the gopro studio app

Now the vaio does perfect in the media player app and gopro studio is just as bad as before.

Searched gopro forums no real answer to this specific problem.


Devin

Sent from my SM-N900P using Tapatalk

 

Do you have a nVidia Geforce GPU? If so, is gopro studio set to use the nVidia or the integrated GPU? (you can check in the nVidia configuration panel)
If you don't have the nVidia GPU, that might be your problem.

 

Yes I set it to run on the nvidia gpu by right clicking on it and setting the default for that application.

I will download nvidia inspector tonight and see if that shows the gpu active while running gopro studio


Devin

Sent from my SM-N900P using Tapatalk

 

All upgraded to windows 8.1 but now my bluetooth is no longer working...

Sent from my SM-N900P using Tapatalk

 

So I was hoping to buy a back-up stylus from Sony Store Online. However it isn't available anymore?! Does this have anything to do with Sony selling VAIO? Will it get back in stock anytime soon?
I still have a €50 euro voucher I want to redeem.

 

Well in that case I can't help you... I'm not familiar with gopro studio.

 

I could not agree more! Microsoft killed the PC market by releasing an OS (W8) which is really for touch input which isnt being used in many bussinesses. Why didnt they upgrade W7 to support the new features of the current generation of intel processors ? The corporate market is that uninteresting ?

It isnt only Sony that is having problem with its Vaio line. Dell is in terrible shape and HP is starting to get hit bad. Microsoft better get ist act together quick or nearly all corporate clients are going to switch to linux.

 

I disagree. The computer market -- and that includes Apple -- is on the ropes at the moment. An editing house I am working with is not only moving away from Apple to Windows, but Windows 8 is their new love. On the other end of the spectrum is my wife who has less than zero computer skills. She uses 8.1 on a non-touch screen. She was nuts when she saw all the giant icons -- but as soon as I showed her how to get to her beloved desk top, problems solved. And she is not good with change.

 

Interesting... I had mediocre transfer speeds then after I installed magician it said I was optimized for HDD, which was originally shipped with . After I let it optimize the transfer rates were off the chart. I disabled it from running on startup.

Still wondering if anyone is using the newest Nvidia drivers from Nvidia or is it best to stay with Sony's Nvidia driver..?

 

I'm considering getting the 13" multi-flip (model SVF13N1C5E). One of the things I'd like in my laptop is TPM (Trusted platform module). When I search the net, I'm getting mixed messages on whether the multi-flip has TPM.

Could someone please check and let me know?

To see if the laptop has TPM, please go to Device Manager. If TPM is being recognised by Windows, it will be listed as Security Devices > Trusted Platform Module. It is possible that the TPM needs to be enabled in BIOS before it shows up in Windows, in which case there will be a TPM entry in BIOS.

If you respond, please let me know which screen size you have, and ideally model model number too.

Thanks

 

I m guessing he means 512ssd.... dont think 2.5 inch hhd will fit on the 13" anyway.... btw ultrabook, that post i made is after Ive done everything =)... all working fine and saving me almost 50gb of ssd space, I have no problems with that at all.

Oh for those who lazy to search through previous post in regards to upgrading ssd and ram..... yes ssd has to be 7mm thick and ram have to be the Low Voltage Ram 1.35V.... I went to buy myself some G.Skill low Voltage ram and works fine.... I was wondering the m.2 drives... anyone want to try strapping 2 x m.2 drives and run in raid configuration ? =) ....... it may work hahahah

 

So is there a refresh of this line coming up in a couple weeks? I assume that there are still fan issues, especially with the 13a models? I don't mean that the fan is tolerable, I mean that the fan acts like all other notebooks in being silent when not doing gaming for example. Otherwise, maybe it's worth it just to get the Duo 13. I could never use it unfortunately while relaxing in bed but at least as a tablet they fixed all the problems.

 

Mine has TPM 2.0 and is the SVF14N13CXB (Flip 14 i5 8gb RAM).

 

Meant to ask you about this a while ago. Clip Studio Paint / Manga Studio goes great with the Flips' N-Trig, and apparently so does SketchBook Pro by AutoDesk. There are other applications too. One does come free with the Flips, ArtRage 5, though not in all countries if I heard some members here correctly. Do you have it ? If so, how do you like it for drawing ? I gave it a go on the Flip and thought it was great, but I am no artist (not even amateur).

The 2nd batch of Flips due out soon should ship with PhotoShop Elements 12. Can you draw in this version ? Just curious...

 

I believe that's the point of bundling PhotoShop Elements 12 with the Flip-- the new N-Trig/Adobe drivers for pressure sensitivity in Adobe apps like Photoshop and PS Elements. The driver certainly works fine with Photoshop, with pressure. Note that you could always draw in Adobe programs, it was only pressure sensitivity that was the issue.

 

Speaking of the N-Trig pressure sensitivity in Photoshop, pdagal/mobiletechreview recently posted a video showcasing the pressure sensitivity and mentions that she has both the 32bit and 64 bit drivers. In the comments there is a link for the 32bit one on Sonys website, but for the life of me I cannot find the 64bit drivers on the Sony site. Anyone have a link.

Edit: never mind, got response from video comments. It's not released yet by Sony.

TS

 

quick update for anyone who may have questions about this in the future

GoPro Studio 2.0: after two reinstalls and forcing use with the NVidia Graphics card the program runs very well on one condition... while editing video you must leave the review quality at half resolution or less. the Flip 15 runs the highest res video without issue in the stock player and with VLC media player but in GoPro studio it doesn't like it.

Bluetooth: Had to reinstall the drivers twice for the Bluetooth to start working after the upgrade to windows 8.1.

flight simulator: Realflight 6.5 which is an RC flight simulator runs very well putting out 80FPS on highest graphics setting although not as crisp looking as I have seen it on other machines it runs great on this.

Overall impressions of the vaio after a couple days. I love this Laptop its literally what I have been waiting for for some time and I cant wait for a few years from now when I can have this same form factor with a real powerhouse of a cpu/gpu combo.

I still have not had any touchpad/ touchscreen issues as of yet and I have been using it allot.

I had to turn off adaptive brightness because the screen wasn't bright enough for what I like.


Devin McGrath

 

Hi, I am considering getting am external mouse as well, however, I would still like the trackpad to behave as I travel quite a bit and on flights etc. mouse isn't the best option. I have managed to get rid of some of the issues, however the only issue that still persist is the charms bar opening up invited. I figured out this happens when when my finger moves from the right end of the trackpad to the middle and this can be disabled by disabling "Edge Swipes".

If you see the driver properties on this link (point 4) https://aps2.toshiba-tro.de/kb0/HTD3101Z30000R01.htm this can be done, however, my driver doesnt seem to have this option. Even though I am sure I have the latest driver. I wonder if others see this option? I believe the driver/hardware is a slightly different one on that link but from Synaptics only. If we can somehow disable those "edge swipes" I am sure there would be a lot of happy users on this thread.

Hi, I disabled "smart sense" and that seems to have helped.

 

lol nope, sony is selling its pc and laptop division so if you like the design you better jump on this.

To be honest, the fan *IS* like 'all other' notebooks (or at least the majority of them) - it audible if u listen for it but thats basically every laptop. If it really bugs you, the silent mode is actually pretty silent though it throttles CPU (which shouldnt matter in the first place unless you're running heavy loads)

 

They came out with the 11A, though... So what is the deal? I looked at the current configuration on their website, but I can see no changes, it's still listed as new... Weird. The 11A's been added, and there's always a new type of discount going on, but nothing else. Yes, I kind of understand their selling the branch (though I don't like the sound of that), but that doesn't necessarily mean they're not implementing plans or the new owners aren't...

I seem to have gotten the 'Flip flue' or whatever it is that makes drivers go nuts. My touchscreen screws up on me from time to time (and nope, a double tap no longer helps), I have to restart like twice a day to get my wi-fi back, and auto-rotate seems to forget its job more and more often... I'm sure it's a driver thing, because up to a few weeks back all was perfect in this regard.

Other than these, I'm having no issues with this second device. Well, there's still the fan noise (the previous one didn't have it), but I'm never ever in a silent environment, so I rarely notice. BTW, I've been called deaf before for calling the speakers good and though I admit I don't have the absolute hearing of my aunt I've showed it to others and we all agreed that watching movies and listening to mainstream music on the Flip is quite a good experience. I'm still a fan of the 'flimsy' keyboard, writing my PhD on it is a bliss. I don't have much grip power, and find typing on keyboards with a lot of spring back very tiring.

 

I cant find the silent mode setting.
I don't have it in the Vaio Control Center -> Power and Battery.
Am i missing something?

 

Think it's only on the 13in models. Is yours a 13?

 

14.
I think i might be stuck in silent mode or something similar...cuz it's lowering the speed of the CPU even on low pressure.

 

Power saver mode keeps the CPU speed down. Click the battery icon on the lower right dock and select Balanced or High Performance to get out of it.

 

Does anybody have bought Fit 11a model?
I need feedback

 

Anyone using the 15" versions with Photoshop? Is it performing well?

 

Hah. I finally foound the Elan settings among the mouse options. I just love using the right edge of the touchpad for scrolling, way more than the page keys. So I set it and all was well -- for a while. Once I restart the flip, these settings go back to default. HELP! Is this 8.1 I'm up against? That would be really sad.

 

Yes, performing great. Use with the n-Trig pen is a disaster though.

 

You will find the option to disable edge swipes in the vaio control center. Took me a while to find that out as well