Official VAIO SR Series Owners Thread

That's good to hear. I may pull the trigger this week to take advantage of the bundle offer. Thanks.

 

Guys, anyone tried to install windows vista ultimate x86 on the sr165n/b?
I couldn't find the suitable drivers what should I do?

 

Guys, anyone have the sr35g?
Is it right that it comes with no fingerprint feature?

Thanks

 

Hey guys do you know if you can buy replacement part for the rubber feet. one of the feet fell off and i can't find it. Anyone selling them or is there a replacement for it?

 

FYI, Sony does not ever provide the Restore Discs, but your laptop should have notified you like 10 times by now that you need to make them. The Recovery CD will be an exact factory image of whatever came installed when you first recieved the laptop(including Office 2007, etc.). PM me if you need instructions on how to make the recovery discs, make sure to have 1 dual layer DVD-R or two regular layered DVD-Rs for the discs.

 

That 32 gb is your partition containing the restore info for your recovery discs. If you use any kind of format utility it will give you the option of removing thaat. You're correct, the recovery discs do not give you a clean wipe option. But, all of the drivers are available on www.sonystyle.com, (make sure your not using safari or chrome to DL from there...it will look like a dead link for some odd reason... the downloads for the drivers...not the sonystyle site). Good luck.

 

I am a first time laptop buyer. I have been looking at the Sony Vaio Sr for about 2 months now and it looks like the laptop for me. However, I'm not sure if I should go for the ATI graphics or the Integrated. I will only be playing games like Counter Strike and WoW. Will the Integrated be able to handle those games without lagging up? Is it worth going with Integrated for the extra battery life?

I'm looking at buying it this month so I just want to finalize my decision.

 

Overall, how happy is everyone with their SR?

How much battery life are you guys seeing with the 6-cell?

 

Well it depends, for me ,with the ati card, i get about 3 hours or a little more with wireless turned off and brightness at about 5/8 bars.

As for the question about if i was happy, i m totally satisfied with my purchase, even tho the battery drain is a little annoying, but i dont really mind it. I dont use the battery with the laptop 75% of the time. Its just a/c powered

 

I really love this thing. I have the extended battery and am seeing very good battery life. I have the standard 6 cell coming as part of my mobility bundle so we'll see how well that goes.

My only complaints, albeit minor, are:

1. Battery drain (seriously, ?)
2. Sony bloatware
3. Only 2 USB ports
4. Vista is a bit of a pain

Other than that I really love it. It is seriously a great machine.

 

Could someone please comment on noise levels for the SR series (VGN-SR29VN/S preferrably)
Is the fan working when in idle mode, "power save", browsing, using word, etc ?

And another thing, about the keyboard. I visited a tech shop the other day to check the laptop, the "rubber" keyboard looked & felt very strange... Is it comfortable, can someone write fast ? Or does the small gap between the keys somewhat hinder typing, forcing you to "search" for the key ?

 

the restore partition should be about 10.4gb, plus since you have a 320gb drive, actual space will only be 297.5gb (minus 10.4gb recovery = 287gb)

see this thread.

 

minimal sound level. u can even turn fan to silent mode on the fly and make it even quieter. the only sound i notice when i turn it on the the early morning is the dvd rom starting up.

 

If you're priority is longer battery life, go for the integrated. If you see your gaming itch intensifying, choose the one with the ATI graphics. Either of the two, however, is a good choice.

Good luck on the purchase.

 

i contacted sony the rubber foot in the back of the SR is called:
The items you requested are listed below.

Item - ( M750 RUBBER FOOT BACK ), 387837301, $38.40 ea.

Kinda steep anyone know if they sell this in ebay...

 

I am about to go for the SR, but debating the integrated graphics vs the ATI. My purpose would be for the HDMI output. But, if I get the docking station, it at least has DVI. Thoughts?

 

According to the specs for the SR Docking/port replicator, the DVI output is NOT does not function for SR's using the integrated graphics. I mainly want the HDMI in the event my CRT craps out and I need a new monitor. The SR will crush my current desktop in performance and I'll probably use it instead of my desktop for photo editing.

Inputs and Outputs
DC-In : 1

DVI Output(s) : 1 DVI-D (not available on models with internal graphics)

Ethernet Connection(s) : 1 (10Base-T/100Base-TX/1000Base-T)

USB Port(s) : 3 (2.0)

VGA Output(s) : 1

 

Could you explain the differences between :


1.
Sony Vaio VGN-SR 190NAB - Black (Made In USA)

Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor P8400 (2.26GHz, 1066MHz, 3MB), RAM 1GB 800MHz (1GBx1), 120GB G-Sensor™ Shock Protection HDD, DvDRW +/- Double Layer, 13.3" WXGA (1280 x 800) XBRITE-ECO™ Technology, Mobile Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD with Intel® Clear Video Technology Total Available Graphics Memory: 820MB (max.), Built-in 1.3 megapixel MOTION EYE® camera and microphone, Integrated Stereo A2DP Bluetooth® Technology, Biometric Fingerprint Sensor, Intel® WiFi Link 5100AGN (802.11a/b/g/n), Microsoft® Windows Vista® Business with SP1/XP downgrade.
$ 1228

AND

2.
Sony Vaio VGN-SR 130N/B - Black (Made in China)

Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor P8400 ( 2.26GHz, Bus 1066MHz, Cache 3MB), 2GB PC2-6400 (2GBx1), HDD 250GB, DVDRW +/- Double Layer, 13.3" (1280 x 800), Mobile Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD with Intel® Clear Video Technology Memory: 820MB (Max), Integrated Stereo A2DP Bluetooth® Technology, Built-in 1.3 megapixel MOTION EYE® camera and microphone, Biometric Fingerprint Sensor, Intel® WiFi Link 5100AGN (802.11a/b/g/n), Genuine Windows Vista® Business 32-bit with SP1 /XP downgrade 32-bit

$1259

RAM and HDD of the 130 is bigger than of the 190. But, Is there any improvement of the 190, because I guess that 190>130 so it could have some little improvement?
SR130 also has "G-Sensor™ Shock Protection HDD", right?

Thank for answering my newbie question !

 

Thanks S.Prime, you've been really helpful and I appreciate it! I'll check out that thread.

 

if you plan to equip the notebook with a Blu-ray drive keep in mind that you can send HD video via HDMI but you cannot send HD audio across the HDMI connection. the hardware in the SR does not support Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio.

 

Not planning on going with the Blu Ray. I am just looking to the possibility of getting a new monitor in the future that may not have VGA input. Or do most new monitors still have VGA? I looked at a few Dells and they still have VGA. Perhaps a cost I don't need (the discrete graphics)?

 

So can you get any sound out from your TV when you hook up your laptop to tv via HDMI? Or Can you only get pictures?

 

Question again, thank for answering:

What is the difference betwwen SR 130, 190, 240, 390 ?

 

Hey, I have a problem with my SR.
I was using a Dual Monitor configuration for a while. Meaning I hooked up my 19inch monitor and had two screens going (the external one and the internal one) with different things on each (not mirrored).

Now all of a sudden since last week I can only use the external monitor.
The SR's monitor is always off. If i try to select it form the display options nothing happens.

Any suggestions?

 

Hi,
Anyone tried to intall an Core2Extreme Mobile X9100 in the SR?

 

Try clicking on the battery icon in the Task Bar and going to the Windows Mobility Center. Click on "Connect Display" and make sure you have dual monitor support selected.

 

Hi. I have running Windows 7 Ultimate Beta x64 on my SR. I have found all driver but not the Ricoh SD/MMC Card Driver for x64. Can anyone help me?

Has anyone testet 8 GB SO-DIMM with x64 OS in the SR?
Which Processors can be installed? Will the upcomming P9700 work? Or the X9100?

 

Did you try toggling the Fn + F7 key? that is supposed to toggle between lcd or external display or both.

I wonder if the SR could handle that because that is a 45w processor. All the other supported ones are 25 or 35w.

I imagine the P9700 would work. its a micro-fcpga and only 35w!
supported processors so far would be anything under the fcpga package type, ( I think )
....

 

Definitly go with the HDMI option. I have my SR connected to a 22 inch LG monitor when at home using an HDMI-DVI adapter and it is stunning. I tried VGA to compare, and there is a HUGE difference in color, sharpness, clarity, etc... Don't think about it, go with the ATI card, the HDMI is worth it. Good Luck!

 

you will get HD video and stereo (two-channel audio) if you connect directly to your LCD.

 

Hi guys, I have seven questions I hope you guys can help me out with.


1. On the Canadian Sonystyle website, the SR290 is "out of stock". Does that mean SR390 is coming out, since it has been released in US for a while now?

2. Would it be thicker in the back or heavier to use extanded battery than the standard one? I would like to have extanded battery but I care more about the thinkness and weight of the SR-laptop more.

3. Would there be a huge different in battery usage between 5400rpm and 7200rpm hard drive Sony offered?

4. I know P series Intel processer is more energy conserving than T series, but would there be a huge different in battery usage between these two types of CPU?

5. I have Windows XP installation disc (not those pirate one), is it worth it to customize my future SR with Vista Business 32-bit just for the "fresh start" option? I don't think my XP and Vista Business, both are 32-bit, would have any different in term of the computer speed, such as playing games, watching high-def youtube video.

6. What advantage do I have for using 4GB memory instead of 3GB if I am running 32 bit operating system, like XP, which can only use up to ~3.25GB according to some of the website?

7. Lastly, would the Biometric Fingerprint Sensor in the SR works in Windows XP? Is there any way to make it work in XP?


Thanks in advance for answering my questions.

 

man i'm so wishing i waited a bit before buying my SR so i could have gotten the hdmi port

 

I'm in the same boat- I have a SR 190 (we have dozens and dozens of Sony laptops at work, we ordered 10 SR190's when they came out) which were pre-installed with the Windows XP downgrade... There's no recovery icon in the control panel, no recovery disc mention in the programs menu, no recovery program in c:\program files\sony\ and booting to the recovery partition offers no option for creating recovery discs!?!?! I think Sony sold these SR-190's with absolutely no way of recovery windows XP, the recovery discs included with the laptop are only for Vista... worse when I tried replacing the factory 120GB hard drive with a brand new 320 GB hard drive the vista recovery discs kept bugging out- I got an error that I tracked back to basically say since it's a non-Sony hard-drive the sony recovery discs won't install on it...

So now I have the SR with the original Windows XP install and no way of upgrading the hard drive, let alone upgrading and keeping XP... I know I could ghost the image and whatnot but that's not something most users would be capable of doing if for the lack of extra hardware if nothing else... How could Sony really let this scenario happen?

 

Hey guys, is the student discount for the SR available in Canada as well ??

thanks !

 

as i write this the SR290 is still available
http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs...Id=20153&langId=-1&LBomId=8198552921665706668

note... i realise the link points to sonystyle. com. you get directed to the above site if you choose to customise the 210 from the Canadian site http://www.sonystyle.ca/commerce/se...categoryId=100497&navigationPath=32009n100299

yes. the larger battery increases the overall dimensions and mass of the notebook

people have varying acceptance levels of so-called bloatware on the SR (i.e., applications for content playback and/or manipulation). the very term bloatware has a very negative connotation for some people and they prefer not the have such apps on their notebooks.

to answer the question properly requires us to know how much memory address space is required by the bus, video adapter and other resources in your notebook. in general, it is worthwhile getting 4GB RAM for a notebook running 32-bit Vista SP1. don't expect the amount of usable RAM to be more than 3.5GB, however.

 

Hello everyone, new SR owner here. I purchased an SR390 on the 27th and it arrived on the 31st around 5PM or so. First impressions, wow, just wow. Man am I glad I took the plunge and purchased this machine. Build quality is excellent. The back of the screen flexes a little bit but I don't plan on setting anything on top of it anyways . I ordered mine with XP Pro installed instead of Vista. Performance right off the bat is great. I have not removed any of the bloatware yet and still the performance is pretty peppy. First thing I did was remove all the stickers. I don't like having the stickers . I also used Acronis disk director to create a nice little 40GB partition and installed Windows 7 7000 Beta on it. Runs perfect. Glass effects on first boot and ran Windows update and it found updates for all devices. Noice!!! I have been using the XP and I had a quick question. I have managed to setup a "Media" mode where the 5 buttons will give me the following functions: Volume Up, Volume Down, Play/Pause, Previous, and Next. I got the last 3 functions on there just fine but I can find shortcuts for Volume Up and Volume Down to add to the settings page. There is mute and I know I can use the Fn Key + F3 and Fn+F4 but I'd rather use the handy buttons up top. Thanks. Im still playing around with it and so far I'm 100% satisfied with my purchase.

 

Alright so I just purchased a SR290.

I was wondering what size laptop bags do you guys use?

I purchased a Tucano Stile Workout bag...I have both the 13" and the 15.4" one.

The problem is on the 13" it is really tight and I'm afraid of scratching the corners of my laptop (already happened with the Sony 13.3" neoprene). The 15.4" on the other hand fits nicely, but it slides around a wee bit...which one should I stick with?

Thanks a lot .

 

if you get the volume up/down to work with the "mode" buttons on the SR please let us know...
thanks.

 

My workaround as this point is using the trackpads Tap Zones. I set the upper left corner as volume up and the lower left corner as volume down.

 

Bought today the VGN-29SRVN! Very happy with it!

However, the fan seems to be always working, even when in silent mode.

Are there any tested third party applications that can control the fan ?

 

Hi ..
I played Battlefield 2 for two hours yesterday, after that my SR19VN was very hot.


The max-values
What are the TZ00 and TZ01 temps?

So is it normal? It worked fine, just a little bit hot .

 

Hi! Can anyone help me? I want x64 Drivers for all components. Especially for the Bluetooth Device. I have Windows 7 x64, Bluetooth works, but crashes connection before downloading the wanted file from my sony ericsson C905.
I also looking for a x64 Driver for my DCU-65 Cable of my C905. I cant finds anything.

 

have u done undervolting? that would help with heat dramatically

 

Hi,
Well, my SR19VN now has a P9600 (instead of the P8400). It runs a bit cooler, maybe because of some thermal-compound instead of the pads that were between CPU-die and cooler.
The change was no problem, you just have to remove all screws you can find (many ). If you opened it, plug out the docking-port-connector, then you can completely remove the back-cover. To remove the cooler you have to remove the screws from the gpu- and cpu-cooler (they are connected with each other), then you can (carefully) remove the cooling-unit.

 

was anyone able to save the vbios of the 3470 to a rom or bin file? i have tried to save it with atiflash but it cant read the vbios.

 

those temperatures are very very low for a laptop that has been playing games for 2 hours... don't even worry about it.. a lot of laptops get up to 70C or above when gaming..

 

I don't see the option of adding a ATI card to the SR290 anymore on SonyStyle Canada .. It was there till last week .. any ideas why ??

 

The maximum-values .

 

LOL wow i totally missed that... that is pretty hot! When I play left 4 dead for hours straight, my laptop never get hotter than 65C...

 

The P9600 stays about 15°C cooler. But maybe it comes with the thermal-compound instead of the strange pad on the cpu and gpu cooler ...