Official VAIO E Series Owners Thread

GTA4 definitly does run better from an external, I only keep the main few games I'm into atm on my SSD, once I'm finished with them I throw them onto my exernal drive (eSata, obv usb would be no use).

The first thing I noticed when playing GTA from it was not an increased framerate but just a general smoothing out, e.g. the fps dips and jumps most likely from new stuff loading were gone. Wether this is something to do with keeping it seperate from the OS and Pagefile I dunno but it really does work.

 

Hmm, odd.. I know exactly what you mean by the smoothing, I have plenty of problems with uneven framerates. Don't know why an external HDD running on a slower interface would help, though. Not the pagefile - I don't have one.

Anyway @ dafour: a new internal HDD won't make it any better. Hmm, actually, I wonder if having a second HDD installed in place of the optical drive would have the same result.

 

I'm running the external drive via e-sata.

 

You know I've never bothered updating myself on the pagefile situation these days have always where possible simply kept it on a seperate drive, straight away I noticed the recommendation not to have one on a SSD so have turned it off, and I don't know if I am imagining it but i would swear Dirt 2 just loaded in about half the time it normally does.

Anyway will run without one and see how it goes, any actuall problems with not using one with 4gbs ram, have no interest in upgrading to 8gbs ram simply to avoid a pagefile.

 

It's still slower than an internal SATA HDD, so it's not the speed of the drive that's the issue

Yeah, I've noticed some things are a bit more snappy without the page file too. 4gb of RAM really is plenty for the average user, I've had my pagefile off for months and never had an issue

 

thanks for that reply. Just looking at the posts above and was wondering what type off drive my Vaio EB1EOE has and if it's a SSD!.
here's my problems with my new laptop. From day 1 i've noticed cursor freezes for a split second then go's back to normal.

And my Atheros Wireless Network Adapter AR9285 has allways had a yellow mark against it since the day i bought laptop, i use windows 7 64bit. I use laptop with 3 mobile broadband dongle and its not connected to nothing else. Any ideas why it's like that?

Also same with TCP/IP Protocol Driver entry under Non Plug & Play Drivers and it says - This device is not present, is not working properly, or does not have all its drivers installed. (Code 24)

 

The E series are not premade or customizable with a SSD drive on any sony site I have seen, according to spec lists for that model you have a 320gb 5400rpm hdd.

Not sure about your wifi driver issue other than try uninstalling the current one and reinstalling the latest one from sony support site Here

 

Has anybody tried Hackintosh or similar option to install Snow Leopard on E-Series?

 

Have bought Split/Second from D2D since it was on sale, been looking for something to replace Burnout after doing everything in the game.

Has anyone got experience with playing it on an E series, e.g. does it run fine at high settings and how is the game generally, reviews seem good so fingers crossed anyways.

 

Btw, have you played Rally Trophy, Richard Burns Rally or GRID? I ordered those, seem very good if you're into driving games. Of course a wheel would be a must, but DF GT costs only 60-80€.

---

"How to troubleshoot noise issues specific to the VPCE Series"

http://genesis.sony-europe.com/inst...search.jsp?DocId=49806&l=fi_FI&m=VPCEC1M1E_WI

 

I own grid but have never been able to get into it, keep starting then abandoning it. Havnt tried those other rally games since I thought they leaned towards realism and I definitly prefer arcade style racing.

 

Guys.. Get the latest drivers v1.9 here Enjoy...

 

Those are desktop drivers. There are no mobility 10.9 drivers, they're being skipped and going to 10.10 next month.

 

flashed bios to the latest one
and now my gpu temperature increased idling from 47c to 52

 

Idling around 50 is normal with ambient around 22-24

 

I idle around 36 - 38 but I do use a logitech n100 laptop cooler /stand, without it sits around 40 - 42, so to me 47 - 52 does seem kinda high but I guess that depends on the room temperature where you are and do you have your card overclocked constantly or powerplay disabled, e.g. when I'm idling, surfing etc mu 5650 is auto clocked down to 150/150.

Currently sitting at 39 without laptop cooler due to office being freezing, someones being a cheapskate with the heating.

 

Hello E owners!

I have a question for you guys.

Do anyone of you know where I can buy the slip case on the following link?

¶à²ÊìÅÔù¡ª¡ªË÷ÄáVAIO EA3Ë«½ÚÏ×Àñ_ÖйشåÔÚÏß_Ë÷Äá EA300C£¨°×£©_ÐÐÇé

Thanks!

 

If anyone was wondering about how Split/Second runs on the Vaio E Series, its pretty damn good, the game has a fps cap of 30 (prob due to being a console port) and on the 5650 it flys along at the fps cap never dipping even in pretty busy scenes. This is with quality set to high, there is a very high option which kills the fps but I found out the only difference between High and Very High is 2xAA vs 8xAA and thats it, so your not missing any efffects or texture differences just AA and imo its plenty sharp with the 2xAA from High setting.

As far as gameplay goes, already hooked, its just the kind of arcade / over thetop style racing game I like, so this should keep me entertained until Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit. Although with Fallout Vegas, new CoD and MoH games out in the next more or so looking like a busy time for my Vaio

 

Just installed my new rams (Corsair 8GB DDR3) . I want to replace my HDD but I need some help to how to remove it and install other one. If there any video or photos showing that it will be better.

I would like to do that stuff my self and save the 150$ which Sony Service center want to charge me

 

It's very simple. Undo the two screws on the HDD panel, pop the cover out (it's clipped in place), undo the screws holding the HDD in, take it out, pop the new one in, screw everything back up. Done!

 

room temperature about 26c
im using cooler on the bottom of the laptop though
maximum temp when playing games overclocked at 650/920 was 69c max
is this normal? =/

 

I don't bother overclocking but my peak temps while using a cooler are around about 58 usually, so with such a large OC 69 is probably about right.

 

Hey, I just have a quick question about the EB series. Sorry if this has been asked already, but going through 218 pages of posts is tough...

Does the "large capacity battery" stick out from the computer at all? Is it oversized or the same as the standard battery, just a higher capacity?

Also, is 3.5 hours with standard and 5 hours with high-cap as advertised on the site really accurate?

I was really looking into the HP Envy 14 but their recent removal of the 1600x900 screen really killed that deal for me, and the 14" EA also shares the same 1366x768 res. So now the 15.5" EB is looking really good with its 1080p screen, bluray, 5650, etc.

Thanks.

 

Didn't realise they had removed the 1600x900 option from the EA series, but seems there are quite a few changes, to create the laptop I did in April but with only an i5 460 since no 520 anymore costs £60 more than I spent, or a whopping £230 if I choose the i7 which I hate the naming system intel used there since its still only a dual core.

Don't Sony know things are meant are meant to go down in price as they become old technology.

As to your battery question, I'm unsure wether it sticks out but I believe a couple people who post here bought one so may know, but I think 5 hours even on it would be optimistic, I was thinking 4 would be top end with balanced power settings etc

If battery life is important you might want to conisder everything you want to do on the laptop then see if theres something else because the E series definitly isn't known for its battery.

 

Thx for those readings with a cooler,looks like its time to invest in one for me
(this is idle without any oc btw)

 

Looking for some info on the new VPCEB series (390X to be exact) since it isn't on their website...want to pull the trigger but...:

How good is the webcam?
Does the computer run pretty hot?
How good is the Premium display?

My proposed specs:
i5, 5650, premium 1920 display

Thanks in advance!

 

webcam- poor, does not run rot, 1920 display, is excellent.

 

Alright, thanks. Battery isn't a huge concern of mine, as long as I can get a least a couple hours in. I'm coming from an AW M17x-R2 that I returned, which got an hour and a half max without integrated graphics that the R1 had.

My main concerns are decent graphics (as I now have a desktop for serious gaming), nice screen, blu-ray, and a good proc. The EB seems to have all of these.

But if anyone does know about the size of the battery I'm still wondering about that as the extended battery would be nice if it fits normally.

 

Hey guys,

I can't upgrade the Wireless drivers for my Atheros 9285. I've searched for the newest ones, but during the updating, the laptop freezes! I have to change them, because the WiFi likes to disable automatically when using uTorrent or downloading files. Power plan is set for Maximum Performance.

 

Looking at a 15" E series to replace my desktop....some questions!

Is there much difference between white and glossy white as both say they have a silver lid?

What sort of battery time when surfing could i expect from an i3 / 5650 / 4Gb ram on wireless?

I'm thinking of upgrading to the 1920x1080 screen but i'm a little concerned on the text, icon etc size on a 15" screen...anyone any screen shots to compare this to the lower standard resolution?

Would the 5650 run games (Team Fortress 2, Counterstrike source) at full res with at least some settings turned on?

Would the laptop be to hot to use on your knee when surfing (ie with a i3 / 5650 / 4Gb ram on wireless)?

 

1. Glossy white looks nice, but normal white is better for keeping it clean.
2. Poor battery. You can buy a new one for around 150 € with 5000 mAh (original is only 3500 mAh), with the original one you can get around 1 hour with Full Performance and around 1.5 h with lower brightness.
3. No! I had 16.4" Sony VAIO with Full HD screen, looked nice, but your eyes will get tires. Anyway, don't think the original 15.5" screen will be the best, it's poor quality and has no LED backlight. Try to look for 1600x900 screen option.
4. 5650 can handle most modern games, I'm playing FarCry, CSS, CS 1.6, Starcraft 2 and Civilization 5 every day and all of them work smoothly.
5. The laptop is not getting hot, not even under full load. I always stick with High Performance mode and use it on my kness and it's comfortable.

Got more questions just ask.

 

Thanks.

Suprised by the battery time, my power setting would be knocked right down (screen brightness, CPU speed etc), i was expecting 2-2.5 hrs.
What option would increase the battery life apart from the bigger battery of course? (more expense!).
I'm in the UK and 1600x900 is not an option on the configuration screen page on Sony UK.

 

There is no 1600x900 option for the 15" thats for the 14" EA build, unfortunately thats no longer an available choice either, I have a 1366x768 screen and think it looks great, so ultimately the best idea is to get to a sony store or pc world etc anywhere stocking the E series and take a look at both screens so you can see what suites you best yourself before commiting to either.

The previous comment about white being easier to keep clean than glossy, not sure where that came from I have a glossy white and would say its the easier of the two to keep looking clean as thanks to the extra layer you dont see finger print smudges ever.

 

I was also surprised, I have i3 350, 4 GB, 500 GD HDD and R5650 and I expected alot more from the battery. Just look at the original battery, it's really small
The only solution is lowering brightness and chaning the Power Management options to Energy-Saving. This would give you about 2 hr, but don't expect nothing more.
I have 15.5" option and the screen isn't the best part of the lappy, I'm kinda mad about it.

More info:
- great design, the laptop is well-built!
- Radeon 5650 is a powerful graphics, but there's one thing to remember - Sony lowered the clocks from original 550/850 to 450/790 MHz, but you can overclock it by yourself
- Built-in WiFi (Atheros 9285) likes to disconnects randomly, this is probably a hardware issue, look for Intel option, until then you won't be able to download much stuff...
- the lappy is quiet, the cooler is really quiet!
- keyboard is amazing, really comfortable!

 

Noticed a few people mention unreliable connection with the E series however I've had mine since april and can't think once of ever having connection issues, used to play WoW and was never disconnected when raiding, since quitting that game played a lot of Dirt 2 and SC2 and simply never had connection issues.

Using default windows 7 drivers for the WiFi btw after a clean install.

 

Maybe the disconnections are router related? I have a Netgear DG834GT.

JonnyCasino - how are you finding the battery life when just surfing or under other less intensive uses?

I will have a look in PCWorld or Currys for the E series and see what the screen is like.

 

Re: Atheros AR9285 disabled connection - Page 3 - HP Support Forum

I also have the same problem, maybe it doesn't occur when playing games, but definitely when downloading some stuff.

 

To Dux: Battery wise its not great, think the longest Ive managed while simply browsing, checking mail etc was around 2hours 45mins or so, the battery wasnt dead yet but was definitly <10%, this was on balanced power setting e.g. brightness down etc, ati powerplay had the gpu clocks down to 150/150, also have a SSD which I believe uses less power but no idea how big an effect that has in the end.

To Winter: I regularly download games from steam and a few days back downloaded Split/Second from the D2D website which was a 6.7GB download, got the entire file in one go with no DC issues, during the download was browsing some of the time and sometimes just had it sitting closed on the table, just downloaded via firefox no DL managers or anything, I have a black BT Home Hub router.

 

Well, I tested the connection with two different routers. One is Thomson 787 and the other 789vn with N. The problem doesn't only occur when downloading, but also when internet browsing. Maybe it had something to do with the Atheros drivers, now I switched to the original ones from Microsoft and they seem to work fine. Also, we can't compare problems from other laptops, especially from the most problematic (vide: HP) . I'm aware of it

 

2hrs 45mins would be fine in my book! Thanks.
Do you have any pics of your laptop? Is it only the keyboard that is white, rest being silver?

 

I forgot to mention that 2 hours 45 I wasnt always even browsing some of that time it was simply idle while I watched tv or was doing other things, but was always turned on for that time.

 

Johnny what is the name of this laptop and resolution and screen size?

 

Jonny@
Is it EB2 or EB1? I have EB2 and the black version is not glossy, it's much better. There are no fingerprints, but the white version looks quite better.

P.S: I can see that the touchpad is transparent?

 

Its a EB VPC1C5E, 15", 1366x768 res

 

Hey guys, I've just purchased this laptop.
The display is advertised as Sony Vaio Display Plus which on the sony style website is shown as full HD 1080 but on the spec on this website the resolution is shown as lower (Resolution: 1366 x 768). Is the display full HD or not?
Thanks.

 

It's probably 1366x768. Anyway, why u chose Bluray instead of Radeon 5650? Bluray is senseless.

 

I didn't it's how it comes on play.com. SonyStyle don't seem to have any promotions on at the moment since the new processors have come out.

 

Is there a big difference between the two displays then?

 

hey everyone. Do any of you guys play poker on a sony vaio ?

Also, i see people here mention they can upgrade their laptop to 1080P. How do you guys do that? What site? And how much would it cost for this type of computer. I was going to get a dell studio 1558 but i hear it has ton of problems. It was about $1000 with i5 processor, 500gb 7200 rpm hard drive, 1080p, 4gb ram and is 15.6'.

Is there a sony laptop that has specs similar to this? I want 1080p as oppose to 1366x768 resolution. How much would it cost around? I want a sony laptop now because it seems to have a very good design and i hear it doesn't have heating problems or shutdown problems like the dell studio 1558.

 

Is that with the standard battery or the extra capacity battery?