Official VAIO FW Series Owners Thread

i'd like to find the answer to this question too... i can get that same processor. but not sure about the firmware/bios would support it. i would like to change the p7350 that came with my vaio to something higher.. it appears to be the bottleneck of the system.

 

I am planing to to and have ordered a service manual from Sony. Here is a link to an Intel site with processor info for this chipset http://ark.intel.com/chipset.aspx?familyID=35515

 

Try this Intel site for info http://ark.intel.com/chipset.aspx?familyID=35515. Also, if you go to Sony's site for this model and look at the options for build to order, you will get an idea of whats possible.

 

Does anyone know how to get a copy of the original BIOS for FW490? Sony says they will not release BIOS to end user. Can you believe that?

 

What tool do you use for overclocking?

 

GPUTool its in beta but google it. I use 9.6 drivers.

 

What is the battery life like on the VGN-FW490JEB?

(1080p screen, 4650, P8700)

 

Does the FW4's ATI 4650 use GDDR3? I just read it can use DDR2 or DDR3 (system ram) instead of GDDR3. I wondered if this was the case with the Sony FW4.

Or, do you think they meant that it has the 1GB dedicated GDDR3, with the ability to use the main DDR2 ram?

http://www.notebookcheck.net/AMD-ATI-Mobility-Radeon-HD-4650.13883.0.html

edit: now i'm even more suspicious because of how it says vRam on the sony page when you buy it...

 

I'm confused at the question

GDDR memory is a special type of memory derived from DDR memory type specifically for video use. Regardless however, VRAM can be of type GDDR or DDR, the latter being cheaper so some companies use that as an alternative.

That being said, this has nothing to do with system memory. The system RAM will be a separate module from the VRAM. In certain scenarios, it is possible for the GPU to "borrow" system RAM if it doesn't have enough but 512mb is generally enough for most gaming at regular resolutions.

To answer your question, depending on which model for which country you get, it's either DDR3 or GDDR3 VRAM, but really the difference between both isn't anything to make a fuss about.

 

Okay. Yea I understood how it can borrow from the system ram, I just wondered what type of dedicated video ram the FW4 was using.

 

maybe windows 7 will result in longer battery life as per the claims.
I'll find out when my CTO order gets shipped and I can get the OS upgrade...

 

I have a FW480J and want to upgrade the CPU. The CPUs I am of thinking of getting are the same as for Sony custom build for this model. Does anyone know if I will have to reinstall the BIOS

 

Thank you.

 

Like I said, depending on the version(US, Europe, Canada etc.), it might use GDDR3 or DDR3.

There's a thread about it here.

 

so its safe to assume its Gddr3 in the US version?
(that's what i'm getting from that thread)
and more specifically, this model here:
http://www.jr.com/sony/pe/SON_VGNFW465JH/

 

Yeah it can be GDDR3 from the test softwares used on several US Vaio FW models. Mind you, the difference wouldn't be phenomenal if it were DDR3 anyways.

 

I never cease to be amazed at how few people ever read the threads or even check using the search engine to see where the model turns up. Or read the very link they're referring to....

Cf. http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=5074610 at posting #10 and following for statements of GPU-Z evidence that the FW465J/B has used DDR3 and not GDDR3. Someone else may have posted GDDR3, as well (I'm not going to search that for you!). All that would mean is that you cannot rely on model number for which type of VRAM is supplied; there is variation.

The JR.com link, http://www.jr.com/sony/pe/SON_VGNFW...are&SiteID=TnL5HPStwNw-egfbHXfYU1v*JEAQZCH6uA, when you actually read the page, reveals they are talking about the J/B model. H may simply refer to the color titanium as it has for many other FW models. Here's the black color link at their site as well http://www.jr.com/sony/pe/SON_VGNFW465JB/

 

what do you think about fw460j/b with proc: P7450 that cost around $1350 ??? the rest like graphic and BD still the same..

is that a good deal ??

 

I could be wrong, but I think you make (customize) a FW490 for cheaper on sonystyle.

 

If that is with an extended battery what should I expect with a similarly specification laptop but with a standard cell. Would it be around 2.5 hours?

 

Received my FW93JS today. I can't say much about it, because all I've done so far is resizing partitions . Windows 7 will be installed tomorrow.

By the way, does anybody know if Windows Vista license is language-specific? I have a retail Vista Home Premium (32-bit, English) which I installed on my desktop, so I'm wondering if I could use the DVD with the Japanese Vista HP 64-bit key on the new laptop?

Also, is there's anything I should know about installing Win 7? I think I'll be following this ( http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=355715) guide.

Help appreciated

//nevermind:
Win 7 installed, and everything is working fine. So far so good

 

Well I'm new to sony vaio computers but I'm posting on behalf of my girlfriend who is about to buy a FW465J/B from the sonystyle store later this week.

I was wondering about your thoughts on the accidental coverage service plans. Are they worth it? Is sony tech support good to deal with or a hassle?

Their is currently a $100 rebate on this laptop and $150 off when you get an extended warranty with two accessories. We found two accessories totaling less than $50, and were planning on the 2 year accidental coverage plan. So after taxes, rebates, and instant savings the total sale would be $1300.

Or the alternative route would be to not get coverage, and take the $100 rebate and an additional 5% with student discount savings (The student savings can't be combined with the $150 offer above). Which would come to just shy of $1100.

When you break it down it's $200 for 2 years of warranty.

 

You must get the ADH at the time of purchase if you're going to get it from Sony. Note that even Sony reps will give you conflicting stories on that. A friend of mine has told me that Sony instructed her that ADH from third parties with Sony's name on it are not good unless purchased at the same time as the computer. This is NOT what many ESP retailers tell you (e.g. Provantage, etc.). So, it's hard to know what's going on.

The main thing with these warranties, which no one seems to stress, is that they are linked to the price you paid for the computer. So, when the computer's price is discounted, then the warranty replacement coverage has been reduced as well. So, it's very important not to waste the coverage. Each repair is apparently clocked for its value up to the amount of your purchase price: http://www.registrationhost.com/pdf/06-SONY-AE_CE-101(BB)-110106.pdf

The upshot is, don't be like my friend and do Sony any favors. If the computer arrives and needs repair within the exchange period of 30 days, DO NOT REPAIR IT -- RETURN IT AND GET A NEW ONE. If you let Sony repair it, then the cost of the repair is probably being tallied toward that total owed you: the price you paid for the computer. And Service Net counts all repairs during the manufacturer's warranty towards that, as well.

My guess is that Sony will treat you well during the manufacturer's warranty period and won't be counting every penny. But I wouldn't trust Service Net to do the same because after year one, it comes from their profits, and not Sony's even though you'll always be interfacing with Sony tech support.

Full disclosure: I have not personally had the experience of using a Sony ESP plan. I'm only reporting my friend's experiences as she is in conversations with Sony to acquire one.

All that said, if you travel a lot, or think it's just plain likely that sometime the notebook might get dropped, get the ADH. At the worst, you're getting one more year of service and at the best a replacement if your laptop is destroyed. But note that normal wear and tear isn't considered accidental damage.

Another hint: If you have Platinum Master Card (maybe Visa does this, too?), and you purchase the computer with it, then you automatically have 90 days accidental coverage from Master Card and a doubling of the manufacturer's warranty for up to a year. You are responsible for paying for any estimates in that second year after Sony's manufacturer's warranty ends, but Master Card will then pick up the tab if, say, your screen just died for no accidental reason in month sixteen or so.

Good luck. Hope this helps.

 

Well we are pretty decided on purchasing the ADH coverage because when configured on sonystyle.com with instant savings it comes to $1291.13 shipped, plus the additional $100 rebate bringing it down to $1191.13.

If I was to buy the laptop in store without the warranty it would be identically priced as above.

Thanks for your recommendation.

 

Nice thread, thanks
I just purchased VAIO FW490J and launched FIFA 09 to try it, I found that there is problem in the keyboard, when I hold narrows Down, right or left, and another button, the game doesn't response to the third key button whether it's pass, shoot, sprint, or ...
I opened Word to check, when holding Down, right or left, and a letter button for example "q", the letter "q" isn't printed.
But when I hold UP, right or left, and "q", "q" is printed so well.


So to who have VAIO FW, can you try your keyboard? I want to know whether all FW models have this issue or just mine?

Thanks

 

Hello FW owners. Can any of you point me to pictures of the FullHD screen next to an ECO screen. I've searched the forum and this thread but can't seem to find any comparison pics. Thanks in advance.

 

i would suggest to go to your nearest sonystyle store (or frys) to see the difference.

 

Yes I would love to see a comparison rather than the varied user opinion.

I just ordered a Vaio FW 490 CTO with these specs:

 

Guys im seconds away from ordering this from newegg, http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834117939

but the same exact build is $989 on the sony website.

Does it matter where i order it from?

 

If I'm not mistaken, Sony's return policy is more generous than Newegg's. For SonyStyle, no questions asked for thirty days.

Also, is your price taking into account the discounts and bundles on the Sony site which might include extended warranty offers?

And I don't see the exact same model here: http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs...Id=8198552921644564390&parentCategoryId=16154

The SonyStyle FW465 has a Blu-ray player and the Newegg FW463 does not. That's gleaned just from a quick glance. There could be other issues....

 

Would i get the basic 1 year manufacturers warranty if i ordered from newegg?
I presume I'd get the free sony windows 7 upgrade?
But doubt i'd get the 100 free songs?
https://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ContentDisplayView?hideHeaderFooter=false&storeId=10151&catalogId=10551&langId=-1&cmsId=vaio_musicpass

 

Not easy to do -- they are not in every major U.S. city, even. Best Buy, which has more stores, is not carrying both screens.

So, when searching the Net for images, try Eco and HiColor combos since they are similar (but I wouldn't say identical) to the current Eco and FullHD.

Also, you can search "Phil"'s and my postings on NBR with all of the data on the screens gathered by notebookcheck.net in its reviews.

Nothing like a 80 cd/m2 or so difference between a HiColor and a FullHD, for example, to give one some "objective" evidence. After all, the quality of your own computer screen will determine just how well you "see" the differences in imaged screen shots, as well.

 

Gotta run, but I thought Newegg said that the manufacturer's warranty applies (lower left of the top half of the screen, if I recall correctly). Newegg is an authorized retailer. No idea about the 7 upgrade. Ask each. And again, check out the bundles on SonyStyle as well (or, if you're a student or faculty member, their education discount).

Good luck.

 

Winner winner chicken dinner...
I sold my laptop for alot less than what i wanted + had to deal with some crazy person...., but it's all worth it because newegg has a pretty sick deal on the FW series (as long as you dont want blu-ray)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834117938

 

Or just visit sony's student site, pick a university, and get a $100 mail in rebate on the fw465j/b, bringing it 1047.11 shipped.

That might be cheaper then newegg with shipping and you get a blu - ray drive.

Actually just took a look, free shipping on newegg's site for the laptop. So you have to decide is $97 worth a blu ray upgrade.

Disclaimer: only use this option if you are in college

 

Does Sony, in any way, verify the school?

 

Uh.... Let's not be advocating fraud here at NBR. It's against the rules of the forum to engage in any form of illegal activity. Impersonating a student or faculty member is fraud.

Oh, and in Sony's favor, I repeat: generous no-questions-asked 30-day return policy with no restocking fee (scroll down to bottom of page): http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs...erms_cond&hideHeaderFooter=true&storeId=10151

Here's Newegg's policy with its 15% restocking fee on returns: http://www.newegg.com/HelpInfo/FAQDetail.aspx?Module=6&name=Returns-RMA-at-Newegg

Hey, if you really want to lose 15% if you decide to return it, then don't buy it from Sony directly. Sony just won't charge you, sorry.

 

I appreciate any comments, I don't live near a Sony store or where I can see these in person!

I'm looking at getting the fw490 for work in panorama photography and rendering - in Sony's store "configure to order" what is the best bang for the buck? Which of these should I get?

Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T6500 (2.10GHz)
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor P7350 (2.00GHz) (Reg. price $50.00) [add $0.00]
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor P8700 (2.53GHz) (Reg. price $100.00) [add $50.00]
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor P8800 (2.66GHz) (Reg. price $150.00) [add $100.00]
Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T9600 (2.80GHz) (Reg. price $300.00) [add $250.00]

Also, this will not be used for movies, and so I don't think I will get the blu-ray drive, and this FW will be used for presentations with a 24" lcd that runs at 1600 x 900. Should I spring for the FullHD or stay with the default ECO screen?

Thanks!

 

Who said anything about fraud? I am currently in college and was just mentioning the additional 7% off the Sony provides for students. How am I to know if he/she is a student or not? Most laptop purchases at the end of Summer are for back to school students.

Also I would get the P8700 for the additional $50, I think that is your best price for performance. However, many people will tell you to get the T9600 for the 6mb cache, it is up to you to decide if it is worth it!

 

Could you please expand on this rumor? I am very close to placing an order and if these rumors are true, then that would help sway me in the direction of FullHD.

Also, in your reply to my previous request for comparison pics between ECO and FullHD you mentioned checking your previous posts. I did check nearly 100 of them and couldn't find any links to comparison shots. All your help is greatly appreciated

 

See this thread for links to ads by Sony which refer to the European FullHD screens on both the new AW and the new FW as having up to 100% color purity -- terms which Sony has in the past only used for HiColor screens: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=402690 There are also links that indicate how that plays out in the spectrum, etc. which are in the comments on that thread.

I have not posted screen shots (because I have not yet seen an FW4) but if you go to notebookjournal.de and search the FW4 (Eco) and the FW3 (FullHD) and the FW1 (HiColor) series models that they reviewed you can get the test scores for brightness and contrast on each. Both "Phil" and I posted the links and summaries of all of that on this thread: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=5053106 and "Phil" speculates that the screens are the same in the US and Europe (but a Sony Level II tech in the States told a friend of mine that they are not -- but Sony techs have been wrong in the past).

Be careful to note the resolution in the reviews because the European system is simply called X-Black; the 1600x900 is the tip-off for the Eco screen on the FW4 they reviewed.

Someone on this FW owners' thread, I believe, compared the personal viewing experience of past Ecos and the current Eco on the FW series and felt that the current Eco was noticeably better.

But remember that the data at notebookjournal.de are for the European screens and it is not a guarantee that they are the same screens in the States or any other part of the world.

All that said, I would always go for Sony's better screen available -- in this case the FullHD with dual lamp CCFL. But that's just me: I feel the screen is the most important aspect of any notebook.

P.S. My apologies about the misunderstanding concerning pictures. But again, you do get luminesence indications for all major screen regions in the notebookjournal.de reviews. The problem is that no one that I can find has yet reviewed the FW4's FullHD, only the Eco.

 

DO NOT get the ECO screen, if you compare with the FullHD it is abysmal, I know by experience, my friend has the ECO and it isn't even close to being as good as mine. It only has 1 backlight and the colors definitely aren't as good. I guess if you haven't seen each individual screen then you'll think its fine but if you've seen them both, there's no question you will notice the difference. For the FW4 series*

 

I've had my FW for about a week now and am very happy with it. I turned off all the Sony programs so that start up would be fast, but I also noticed that whenever I raise/lower the volume using the media keys, the volume bar doesn't pop up anymore. Does anyone know which program enables the volume bar?

 

If you are saying that you have actually seen BOTH an FW4 ECO AND an FW4 FullHD, then this is very important testimony.

However, if you are crossing from one refresh to another, from an ECO for one and a FullHD for the other version of the FW, the jury is still out.

 

I have seen an ECO and a FullHD screen both on FW4s. The FullHD is 10x better but unless you have seen the two you wouldn't know what your missing, if you know what I mean. As I said the ECO has only 1 backlight where as the FullHD has 2. Also the FullHD has much better colors and viewing angles. The viewing angles on the ECO are horrific, I don't know how much more it is to get the FullHD but in Canada its about $100 give or take $10. It is definitely worth the money to get the FullHD.

 

I was just in the sonystyle store and I compared the ECO and FullHD both side by side and other than the resolution size I could not tell a difference in picture clarity.

This was on the fw465j/b and fw490jeb, the computers came at a $300 difference after the mail in rebate and I could not justify the purchase.

 

Maybe its our attention to detail or maybe its our experience with notebooks but if you put 2 FW4s, one with FullHD, the other with ECO, I would be able to spot at least 5 flaws or more.

 

I just got one with the T9600 processor and the eco screen and a the 1gig ATI video card and 6 gig of ram. Very happy with it. I have tried attaching to external 24" 1900x1200 with excellent results also to a 42" 1080p Panasonic plasma. Needed some color adjustments, but again superb results. The on board display is very good. I did not go go for the full HD because I think the native resolution would just be too small for everyday work

 

i was at frys last week and keep comparing the ECO and FullHD screens. FullHD's contrasts and brightness is very detailed on sample pictures and wallpapers (frys dont have wifi so i wasn't able to compare internet images and videos).... then i went to sonystyle store, surfed and watched flash movie trailers on FullHD, they are way much better than ECO... the text are very small but you can always resize them on windows settings or your browser (Ctrl+Mouse Scroll)

it is a $150 difference for online CTO and im leaning to FullHD before I make the purchase this week...