Official VAIO SR Series Owners Thread

out of stock perhaps; inventories do and can change over the span of a few days.

 

Ahhh thanks man !

 

When SonyStyle Canada is going to have SR with dedicated/discrete graphic card??? I have been waiting..... Hope SR390 will come to Canada soon (US have it long time ago)

 

Not sure if this is an old news, but I just noticed SR4 series is out in Japan and the graphic card option is updated to HD 4570 with 512 MB...
http://www.vaio.sony.co.jp/vaio/pre_include/html/SR4/spec_vom1.html

I don't think it's going to come to US soon, given the fact that we just started selling SR3XX. Wonder if it will show up in Europe soon...

 

whats a 4570 equivalent to?

 

Yeah, but the Japanese SR equipped with 512 MB HD4570 costs around $3000 Canadian dollars (about the same for US dollars)..... Way too expensive, or otherwise I will buy it too.

 

Not a whole lot of benchmark yet, but so far a good guesstimation is half way between 3470 and 3650 in terms of performance, but 80% of the heat and power consumption of 3470.

 

Oh no, of course not, buying directly from Japan for an SR (or any other VAIO) is not cost effective, you have to really really need the extra option available there.

I just wonder when this new video card option is going to show up elsewhere. I hope it may be in time to hit North America somewhere in the mid-summer and maybe a good idea for people who are considering back-to-school purchase.

 

Well been using my laptop for over 1.5 months and loving, except that annoying battery leak problem, very very problematic.
Sorry if its been asked before but where can i get the extended batttery for vgn-sr290. I googled it and searched sonystyle and found nothing. Maybe im looking for something else because i just type in extended battery for sr290 and get no results. What battery shold i be looking for? Also what is the runtime expectancy of that battery. Im getting about 2:30 on my standard.
Thank you.

 

I am a newbie both to this forum and to Sony laptops. I guess you could say that I am a Sony owner wannabe. I found a VGN-SR220J/H on the COSTCO website. I was wondering if this is worth the $850 price.

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11470014&whse=BC&Ne=4000000&eCat
=BC|84|56670|75280&N=4024830&Mo=8&pos=9&No=5&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&cat=75280&Ns=
P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&lang=en-US&Sp=C&ec=BC-EC10590-Cat56670&topnav=

 

Your link is not working, but $850 for Sony VAIO SR is for sure worth it. You got a good deal.

 

I have not bought it yet. Sorry about the link. Not sure why it is not working.
Here are the specifics:

Processor & Memory:

Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Processor T5800 (2.0GHz)
800MHz front side bus speed
2MB L2 Cache
4GB DDR2 SDRAM memory
Drives:

250GB (5,400 RPM) SATA hard drive
CD Read : 24x max
CD-R Write : 24x max
CD-RW Write : 16x max
DVD Read : 8x max
DVD+R DL Write : 4x max
DVD+R Write : 8x max
DVD+RW Write : 8x max
DVD-R DL Write : 4x max
DVD-R Write : 8x max
DVD-RAM Read : 5x max
DVD-RAM Write : 5x max
DVD-RW Write : 6x max
DVD±RW : Yes (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/RAM
Graphics & Video:

13.3" widescreen XBRITE-ECO LCD display; 1280 x 800 (WXGA) native resolution
Mobile Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD
Communications:

Intel WiFi Link 5100AGN (802.11a/b/g/n)
10Base-T/100Base-TX Ethernet
Webcam built into LCD bezel
Modem
Audio:

Intel High Definition Audio speakers
Built-in microphone
Keyboard:

82 key US keyboard
Expandability:

ExpressCard/34 slot
1x Memory Stick Pro slot with MagicGate functionality
1x SD slot
Ports:

2x USB 2.0 ports
1x RJ-45 port (LAN)
1x RJ-11 port (Modem)
1x IEEE 1394
1x Headphone output
1x Microphone input
1x DC-In
1x Port Replicator Connector
1x VGA Output
Operating System:

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium (64-bit)
Additional Software:

Microsoft Works 9
Microsoft Windows Live OneCare
Power Supply:

Li-Ion battery (4,800mAh) 6-cell
Additional Information:

Dimensions: 12.4" W x 9.2" D x 0.99"~1.33" H
Weight (approximate): 4.23 lbs.
[Model VGN-SR220J/H]

 

Guess its a good deal cause at sony style, it will cost another 200 dollars for a 2.4 processor and ati card, which comes down to 1050. At sony style, it would have been 1250. The processor may be a little weak and a little old, but 2.0 should be good for everyday use.

 

Thanks Garmin. That is what I was thinking. Just want to replace my Dell E1505 T7200 with something that is a little less weight and hopefully a little more battery life. I don't do anything with it that is too demanding.

 

He is right, but it would all depend what you are using your laptop for?
Most likely, that one sold in Costco should be enough for every day user, and $850 is definitely a good price. (the min. you pay at sonystyle.com is $1050, and that only have 160GB hard drive, and have the same graphic card, 2GB memory as Costco's, the only better part is that, sonystyle's CPU is only "a little bit" better, and that a liitle bit better should have no difference on the overall performance on the laptop). Again, if you want a better laptop with dedicated graphic memory card (instead of integrated one), more memory (up to 4GB), more hard drive space, or blue ray disc, you would need to pay more buying at sonystyle.com.

 

I am thinking that it would be fine for what I use it for. That is Office 2007, Outlook 2007, Quicken, web surfing and Hulu are the main things. Maybe some picture editing Paint Shop Pro. I recognize that the machine is not a powerhouse but to get a Sony in a nice portable form factor like the SR for $850 seems like a decent price.

 

I believe that battery is the VGP-BPL13.

just go to sonystyle.com and click under computers > accessories. its under there.

 

Hey guys,

What is the max resolution that the VGA out of Intel X4500 can support ?

I ask because I would like to watch HD movies on my secondary LCD monitor .. So I was hoping it can do 1920x1080 ..

thanks !

 

i can tell you that it should be able to do 1920x1080 just fine as mine is connected to my dell 24" and runs it at 1920x1200 just fine.

 

Awesome thanks man !

 

Howdy. Been lurking on these forums for some time now. Been contemplating an SR vs some of the newer laptops out there. Hoping some of you could answer some just a few questions.

1. Does the touchpad support gestures? Some of the newer laptops are incorporating this.

2. Any big differences on the older 200 series vs. 300? Looking at a SR240J/H. I kind of like the looks of the titanium grey.

3. Do you guys buy the extended warranty and if so wheres the best? Direct from Sony?

4. I'll probably get shot for asking, but how does Sony compare to Acer? Acer model that interests me is the new Aspire 3935. Has a few interesting specs / features.

Thanks

 

Has anyone encountered my fan issue?

"I purchased this laptop one month ago and it just started to give me problems. So just today, I noticed that my laptop's fan has been on and really loud...although I'm just browsing the internet. I have the indexing turned off...

One thing I noticed is that when tap the right side of the wrist area...I hear a loud vibrating noise. Could that be the problem that is causing my laptop to have it's fan on all the time?

Thanks a lot guys.

Edit-

I went to the Sony Store for their Backstage help and the person there said it was a fan circuit problem?

Has no one encountered this problem before?

I'm planning to drop by the Service Center tomorrow."

 

Can anyone please point me to a guide or tell me the basics on how to upgrade the hard drive in a new SR? I've searched the archives here and done Google searches, but can't seem to find details other than some comments that it can be done.

Thanks!

 

read the first post of this thread A Link to a guide made by a user from this forum is there.

 

Lol thanks, I read back about 30 pages then did a search this thread for terms like "hard drive upgrade" and such but it didn't turn up anything. I should have tried "upgrading HDD". Very nice, I didn't realize a cover was included for the drive, I read the manual but they didn't show it on the diagrams or in the upgrade section.

Is Sony currently shipping recovery discs to format a new hard drive with the SR? It looks like you get an XP downgrade disc with Vista Business, but the Sony Style page isn't clear about whether or not a Vista Business recovery disc is included.

 

Hard drive is easy, there is a cover on the back, unlike previous Vaio's where you need to take the keyboard out... I just replaced a 1330 with gpu issues with a SR290.

Vista Business disks are not included, but you can make them yourself with an app that Sony pre-installed.

If you upgrade the HD PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE DRIVERS AND THE ORDER YOU INSTALL THEM!!! I like this computer better than my previous Dell, but the support page and driver experience is not as good as Dell imo... I installed Vista Ult 3 times to be successful and now my only issue is the wifi physical switch only controls bluetooth, I had to download the smartwi software switcher so that my laptop knows that I have my wireless device "physically" tuned on.

 

Hey guys, any idea about how the battery life is with XP ?

 

Hi SR Owners.. have any of you experienced the following problems with your notebook?

1) High-pitch, slightly fuzzy one-second sound; comes randomly while the notebook is running; I've had it about 5 times since I got my SR in August 2008; doesn't affect the programs or anything... but it just sounds out of nowhere.. !

2) Your SR turns off by itself while you're using it (I was using Dreamweaver CS4 at the time for some light Java... if anything, I'd at most expect the program to shut off by itself.. but the entire system??)

Thanks for any insight into these issues!

 

The noise comes from the cd player...the high pitched beep and yes ive probably heard it like 5 times since august as well.

In regards to #2 i've played video games for hours with the ati card and never experienced shut off...that is most likely a overheating/thermal shutdown...i'd bring it in...this isn't normal

 

Thanks for the reply! I'll bring in my system for a check once I'm done with exams

 

1. Yes i've heard it! drove me nuts. but it's only once in a great while.

2. doesn't sound good. like the other poster said, get it checked out. Maybe it is the program/app doing it. Experiment with other scenarios.

 

For whoever who sent in their laptop to be repaired, how long did it take for you guys to get it back? I dropped it off Monday for a faulty fan and I still don't have it...I really miss my SR : (.

 

Hi guys,

Just by chance I noticed that there is a Vaio SR version with Radeon HD 4570 and I want it ;-) That should be really good for gaming on such a small laptop! It seems comparable to Geforce 8600M GT that I had in my MBP. I was thinking about buying new Macbook, but the 4570 should be way faster than Geforce 9400M that MB has...

The trouble though is that it's only Japanese version that has it. Is there any ETA on this version in Europe/USA? I can't seem to find any details.

I'm not much of a Sony follower, so I have no idea how do they go about introducing stuff from Japan in other places. Do they ever or will it stay exclusive to Japan?

If you have any info, please let me know!

 

Oh, on more quick question: can you replace the hdd on SR without voiding the warranty (that's something I like in new Apple's - you can do that). I was hoping of getting Intel X25-M for whatever laptop I'll get...

 

Hey guys, may i know wat does the values TZ00 and TZ01 under ACPI mean ?
Thanks

 

Hello.
My Sony SR19VN has battery drain issues and I can't find a sollution.
Does anybody knows the sollution?
Thank you very much.

 

no solution till now !! this problem drive me to crazy !!

 

Me also. I hope there will be a sollution soon...

 

Hi, I would like some advice regarding my SR 129 Vaio notebook. Intermittently, without warning, I've noticed that the U key, 8 key, and I key would be completely unreponsive and then come back to life for no apparent reason. How hard I push on the key would not make a difference and those are the only keys have given me trouble.

I was wondering if Sony or Newegg would be able to fix this problem for me...what would you suggest?

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=283218

 

Hi all, so I'm considering buying either the Sony VAIO SR or HP DV4T for college and I was wondering if you guys think the SR will be a good laptop for college. I want it to last hopefully all 4 years. Also, is the screen too small? Does is strain your eyes?

 

Well, that probably means no. Looks like a warranty-voiding procedure ;-(

 

No, it looks like the HD is user replaceable. Changing it looks like a matter of just unscrewing a few screws on the base of your laptop and putting a new one in.
It is not like it is on the Z where you have to take your laptop apart to get to the HD.

 

Oh... That would be great. It's rarely that someone offers an X-25M option, and it's usually way higher than (already way to high) retail price...

Just to renew my question: is there any info whatsoever about Vaio SZ with Radeon HD 4570? I can't find anything and I'm not sure about Sony practices re. Japan vs Rest of the World.

So I would appreciate some info!

 

Not everything that is offered in Japan is offered in the rest of the world.

Dynamism sell the SR with the ATI 4570 but this model is far from being cheap. Dynamism will ship to many destinations.
http://www.dynamism.com/#Product=sony_sr
This is more info on it from the Sony Japan website.
http://209.85.227.132/translate_c?h...usg=ALkJrhhalr4ofg1SY6aJTP0upX2v5d1FMw#L1_270

Sony should offer this elsewhere as it makes the SR a very desirable notebook for those that are looking for a semi decent gaming portable laptop.

On another note, if Sony added WWAN to this laptop and brought the weight down a little i would buy this (the model with integrated graphics) for my next notebook. I would like the model with the integrated graphics to have a HDMI port as well.


Jennifer_Nguyen i think that the SR with integrated graphics is a nice college notebook. The screen is not too small at all at least not for me and i use the same 13.3" and res on my current main notebook. I find it not a problem at all to use my notebook to read journals and write in word for very long periods of time. It does not strain my eyes at all.

 

Yeah, I know Dynamism. I've been visiting their site when I noticed that this laptop can be equipped with 4570. It would really make it a sweet portable for lightweight gaming (rts/rpg games should work sweet). Dynamism is expensive though - it's specked out model but dropping $4k is completely out of question. It would be cheaper to import it from Japan, via pricejapan.com (anyone has experience with them?) or directly. You can get a nice version for ~$1800. Still, buying it in Europe or asking a friend from US to bring it over would make the sweetest deal.

I've noticed though that SR390 on sonystyle.com is listed as "new" and it only has Radeon 3470. If that's their latest lineup, chances for update might be pretty slim.

So the only solution is... go to Tokyo and pick on up ;-)

 

Hey guys, can someone tell me the timings for the stock RAM in SR390 ?

Thanks !

 

Does anyone have problems with bluetooth?
I couldnt listen to any sound because the speaker says "Bluetooth hands-free audio" I also used the phone bluetooth and sony bluetooth mouse but they showed up on the bluetooth devices. Does anyone have any solutions?

 

Hi - not sure if anyone has posted on buying aftermarket RAM for VGN-SR290. I want to upgrade from 2GB to 4GB, and do it for the best price. I could find my model on Crucial's configurator, but can't on OCZ's. I think the OCZ model # is OCZ2M8004GK, but I don't want to buy unless I'm sure.

Anyone have experience with this particular upgrade and can confirm for me?

Thanks,

Michael

 

Hello I am a newbie to this forum, I am trying to replace my 5100 intel on SR,I've searched this forum, also googled but i could not reach any information about removal keyboard, But I could only see that duffyanneal had this operation,
Actually As far as I understand from the picture that sent by duffyanneal there are holes that keyboard attached to case with canals through left to right, I have tried sliding keyboard unit to right but it did not move.

So i will be thankful if anyone writes a guide for me or sends a link which can be guidance for me.

Also having another question, Did any body tried to install Intel 5350 with wi-max ? Must we use half height manufactured wi fi cards only ?

Thank you.