Official VAIO Z Core 2 Duo Series Owners Thread

It actually raises the multiplier while one core is idle. A 2.53 GHz P9500 will run at 2.67 when one core is idle, and a 2.80 GHz P9700 will peak at 2.93 GHz.

It's not useless, but Windows desktop versions makes it less useful than it could be, by distributing the load between cores very quickly. Thus you normally only see it when a task starts, for a fraction of a second.
If you know a task is single-threaded, the jump back and forth between cores serves little purpose except temperature distribution, in which case you can help it by locking it to a single core ("Set Affinity" in the Task Mangler). Visual Studio, for example, can benefit from turbo mode.

Linux and Windows server versions do slightly better by default -- each task can spend more time before being switched out, which increases the usefulness of both turbo boost and CPU caches, which boosts speed at the expense of slightly increased latency.

 

That depends on what you do with it. A rule of thumb is that by doubling the secondary cache, you gain about the same as another multiplier level. This seems to roughly be true regardless of architecture and manufacturer, except for extremely small values of multipliers and bus speeds, or test loops that fit entirely within cache.

For some real benchmarks where several different CPUs were compared, but clocked to the same speed, see here.

Personally, I would choose a 2.53 GHz 6 MB cache CPU over a 2.66 GHz 3 MB one. The half multiplier difference in speed is more than made up for by the cache, and the turbo boost is then gravy -- it may not help noticably, but it sure doesn't hurt.

 

I would agree with you. However, for a $250 extra from 3mb to 6mb cache from Sony, it is definitely not worth the price. IMO

 

I'm just wondering, can I run 2 external monitors at the same time by connecting one to the VGA port and the other one to the HDMI output on my Z?

Just found out that the lenovo T400s can do that with VGA and Displayport.

It would be immensely helpful to me if someone knows the answer to this or have actually tried it out. Thanks!

 

It's not possible, unfortunately. You can use internal+vga on intel and internal+dvi on nividia with or without a dockstation. There's no way to use two external displays, internal display is always on.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=322062

 

Thanks ZugZug, arth1 and Queque for your input on CPU cache and turbo mode. So it's likely that for someone like me who finds that the T2400 has been more or less adequate up to now, the lesser P8800 should be way more than adequate. Can you believe I used to consider myself a power user? Ha!

 

Can anyone tell me how the fan noise is? Is it loud? Does it run everytime? Can you adjust CPU-Voltage in order to lower the heat and therefore have a lower fan noise level?

 

I just got a Z650 and am really happy with it so far. Quick question though, the screen bezel does not seem very durable and seems to flex a lot. When I hold it to tilt the screen I can feel (and see) the plastic shifting a small amount (I am gentle with it). Is this normal? Also, how many people have been affected by the screen getting scratched from the keys when closed?

Jorlin- the fan is definitely noticable at times under load but it would in no way be a deal breaker for me on whether or not to buy the machine.

 

Hum... but no one has actually tried it with the duck. right? I'm trying to stay optimistic, but looks like even the dock wont cut it.

Thanks!

 

Lid Durability

It's designed to be like that. The flexing isn't a sign of vulnerability. I spent 10 solid minutes at Best Buy intentionally flexing the hell out of the display model's lid to check that (when they weren't watching me, of course). The image doesn't even distort with the flexing (which is extraordinary). Oh, and it isn't plastic, it's carbon fiber. You should see Sony's videos of their testing of the lid: http://b2b.sony.com/vaio/durability/durability_videos.html?vid=3. As for scratching the screen, you're not the first person to have this concern (you're normal ), but unless you plan on sitting on it or stuffing it into a bag so snugly that it really presses on the lid, it probably won't scratch. If you're paranoid, or, like me, plan on using it for the next 3 years and don't therefore want to take any chances, you could just put a microfiber cloth between the keys and lid before you close it.

Fan Noise

I concur. For me, for the first few minutes the fan is totally off, then it spins up on low speed. When I'm gaming, it goes into what I affectionately refer to as "hair dryer" mode - but that's to be expected, even on a desktop.

 

Thanks for the reply. If i sqeeze (not a forcefull sqeeze, but not super gental either) the screen bezel on the left or right side in the middle, I can actually hear a little snap from the carbon fiber shifting. Is that normal? I think that I am being SUPER paranoid, but it doesnt hurt for me to check.

I closed the lid a little faster than I should have last night and when I opened it there was a little line going across the screen (kinda looked like a smudge). I am hoping it will wipe off when I try to clean it later. Again, thanks for the help.

 

Thanks for the information. The perfect screen res and the light weight with the powerful cpu make this notebook too good to be true
I am just looking for a notebook that I can easily take with me and do some office work.
With my current notebook ( ASUS VX2s) I am still happy. But I am really looking for something smaller and light-weight.

Using RightMarkClock Utility on my current notebook allows me to "under-voltage" the cpu, to make it run cooler... this certainly has an effect on fan noise and speed (and temperature of course).

I am wondering if you can use this utility (or others) to under-voltage the cpu in the vaio Z.
Does Stamina mode have any influnce on fan speed?
(I will not use this notebook for gaming - the main reason I am interested in this one and not any other sub-notebook is the great screen resolution with the great display quality)

 

I have tried it with and without the dockingstation - no way. With the dockingstation you can't even physically use the laptop vga connection.


click on image to enlarge

 

Yea I'm also using my Z with the docking station right now.
But aren't there a VGA and a DVI port on the back? plus the HDMI port on the laptop itself? Or the Geforce 9300 just doesn't support 2 external monitors. Thinkpad T300 and T400s support 2 external monitors on their GM4500.

 

They are, but you can use either internal display+vga (intel) or internal+dvi (nvidia) on dockingstation. If you use dvi you can't use hdmi and vice versa. Nvidia supports one internal and one external display, no two external displays on Vaio Zxx.

 

Yes, you can, but beware that modern Intel CPUs use a x.5 multiplier, and the RMClock utility doesn't understand that and treats the multiplier as an integer. The effect is that if you have a 9.5x multiplier and run RMClock, it will be set to 9x, i.e. you lose 133 MHz clock speed.

Indirectly, yes, quite a bit. By turning off the nVidia card, the machine runs cooler, and the temperature-triggered fan needs to work less.

The default "Stamina" settings also make other changes that reduce temperature, but you can do those in "Performance" mode too -- it's just the defaults that change.

I agree with the great screen resolution, but not the great display quality. It's only a 6-bit display (262,144 colours dithered to 16.2 million, not 16.7 million undithered as in 8-bit displays), and while the colours are very bright, they're exaggerated and thus not very accurate. And for certain colours, you get a very visible dithering pattern on the screen.
It's great for watching video, but not so great for photo work for printout (like Lightroom) or other situations where colour accuracy is important.

 

@arth1: Thanks for the info


Another question:
Has anyone tried to install Windows7? Is the stamina<->speed switch still supported in this setting? What about other drivers? (They should work... just to be certain.)

Edit:

Just saw this thread:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=342562


Sorry

 

Keep in mind that RMClock does not recognize the latest chipsets. You won't be able to control popup/popdown modes, C4 mode. I have not notice much difference with RMClock on my Z690. But then I did not conduct extensive testing to see what these differences are. It does seem to be about 3 degrees cooler with RMClock. But that may be because it runs CPU on whole multipliers only. And I do not consider 3 degrees difference worthwhile running RMClock. Don't know about battery runtime improvements.

 

Just regarding the fan noise, I recently noticed that when my Z is running on the lowest fan speed, it makes a pretty high-pitched (though quiet) sound for a few seconds (can range from half a second to about 3 seconds), then switches its fan onto a higher gear. It is not a mechanical grinding sound like you get from the faulty CS series, but sounds more electrical (like the mosquito ringtone you can get off the net). And there is no sound when the fan decreases its speed. And this happens on both SPEED and STAMINA settigs.

My S2 button is set to toggle between SILENT, BALANACED, and PERFORMANCE fan settings. If the fan begins making that high pitched sound and I push the S2 button, the high-pitched sound immediately stops and the laptop begins upping the fan speed (as it should).

Does anyone have this issue?
Nothing big, just annoying because the high-pitched sound does catch the attention of those next to me in the lecture rooms at uni when the Z decides to slightly up the fan in SILENT mode...

Cheers in advance

 

Windows 7 is scheduled to be released on Oct 22, far as I remember.

My question is, if I buy the vaio now, will sony provide (and support) us with windows 7 drivers? I'd (and guess everyone else would) want to switch to win7 when it comes out. Guess ill have to pay for it too.

Or is it wiser to wait till then for another refresh for win7 release?

 

I would really hope they would, especially since u can install 7 with the stamina/speed modes working properly and whatnot with the current drivers. 7 isn't all that much different from vista so it shouldnt be hard on their parts either... Really just need to add (drivers compatible with windows 7) on the support page lol

 

I don't know anything about undervolting a Vaio CPU; never saw the need since my battery life is so good and I have no heat issues (one of the reasons I opted for the P8600 over it's faster and hotter brothers).

As for Stamina mode, it's awesome. I get about 8-10 hours of battery life (with the extended battery charged to 80% at the start). It does reduce the upper limit of the the CPU speed, lower brightness, turn off the optical drive, and turn off Vista Aero in Batter Saver mode, so it definately reduces heat and fan speeds (in my experience - but that was just an all day meeting with me typing notes all day).

 

Yes, TN panels are 6-bit. However, is there a laptop you can currently buy that uses an 8-bit panel (i.e. using IPS technology)? As far as I know, there isn't a single 8-bit panel laptop on the market. Your only option is to buy a used machine like a Thinkpad T60p or some Fujitsu models. Therefore, this isn't really a fair criticism of the VAIO Z but of all the laptops on the market.

 

can i turn my sony z on while the lid is closed? i am operating a sony z590ucb docked on the docking station with an external monitor and a logitech mx5500 mouse/keyboard combo. ideally i would want to be able to turn my z on while it is docked and the lid is closed with the "power pc" button on my keyboard. this button will turn my z off but NOT on. if this isn't possible i would also be pleased if i could turn my z on with the power button on the hinge with the lid closed. so far i have not been able to find a way to turn the z on with the lid closed. does anyone know if this is possible?

 

RUAOK

I think you can. You just need to go to Control Panel > Power Option Properties and select the following....

When PC is plugged in - NEVER
Running on Batteries - NEVER

Keep in mind with your Z lid closed, your monitor will stay ON until your Sign-Off.

Try it. I don't use an external, but it should work. Let us know.

 

The Z 7 Series are up on SonyStyle USA.

Accepting Pre-Orders.

 

Unfortunately its not the cto model, which is what a lot of us are waiting for.

 

i' m also waiting the cto, do you know when will be available?

 

What is the difference from the previous models?

 

I dual boot Windows 7 RC and Vista everyday. I don't use Vista at all anymore after I installed 7. Everything works, except than the brightness shortcut when in SPEED mode.

I was trying to get the GPS to work, has anyone been able to successfully running the GPS in Microsoft Streets & Trips? I can't seem to find the option to turn on the GPS in Smartwi Connection Ultility. Even though I have already updated my SmartWi. I remember seeing the option when I first finished installing Windows 7, but it's gone now...

Thanks.

 

Honestly, other than faster, newer processors, I can't see a substantive difference. Not many cosmetic differences either. I think it's just Sony trying to fabricate enthusiasm to produce more sales in a recessionary economy (US). IMHO, they could have just added these minor changes as additional options within the current 6xx model series.

 

Hi,

Sorry for jumping in (this has to be the longest thread known to man). I have just got the Z21WNB and it is the best laptop ever but something on the left hand side keeps squealing. Not sure what it is, I heard it could be the video card or something. It is intermittent, happens only every couple of hours of use. It sounds like a dial-up modem kind of squealing sound. Any ideas?

thanks in advance

Shaggy

 

Not that significant of a refresh. But they did change the palmrest to a solid black color now.

 

this does not work. i still must open the laptop to get the power button to power my laptop on. any other suggestions?

 

Thank God it's no way to do it. It's a security feature to prevent, that your laptop would be switched on when you carry it in your laptop bag.

 

I just wonder, why would you want such a feature anyway?

 

It's when you use laptop as a desktop. Connect external monitor, keyboard, and mouse and then you can keep laptop lid closed. I saw many people doing that, albeit with laptop being in a docking station. And they seemed to rarely, if ever, use it as an actual laptop. This used to happen in a corporate environment.

 

I would say almost all laptops shouldn't be used for print work. In my opinion the screen is bright, but if it is exaggerating, I don't think it's much.

Where other laptops can't mach the NTSC gamut, the Z can. If you think it's too bright, lowering brightness is an easy fix.

 

I know what is your problem and i'm going to resume it in 2 words

WINDOWS VISTA

anyway, do you have any "energy solution" program installed to manage the way your notebook uses the energy?, I bet you have it and that's the problem, uninstall it and try again in the control panel, I bet it will work

 

Uh oh,... is this going to take some of the Z's thunder away? i might just consider buying this for the better graphics if the price is right... and the parts aren't crap

http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/24/hp-probook-4310s-serves-up-a-cornucopia-of-options-for-the-confi/

 

A very really easy fix that shouldn't be posted

 

The processor difference can not be noted if you don't use it to perform very hard tasks like video encoding or video editing, audio editing aplications and stuff like that, 'cause out of that you will see no difference, last core 2 duo procesors are very fast for simple everyday tasks

 

Any advice on safely removing these pesky little NVIDIA and Vista stickers without scratching the case?

 

Lowering the brightness won't reduce the saturation for the bright colours -- it will dim the display, which is something completely different.

As for "100% NTSC gamut" -- that is a worthless claim. For one thing, it's 100% of the size, not the coverage. It has 262,144 colours, with a partial overlap of the YIQ colour space. That doesn't mean it can display every possible NTSC colour.

 

Well.. it is almost a year since the first gen Z was released. Surely, the competition would start to catch up. However, that HP is still almost a pound heavier than the Z. Talking about build quality and the material used.

 

Thats true, i guess it comes down to better build quality/reliability vs better video card...

at least i think the card is better.. w/e i think i'm just gonna order my z... as soon as the 7 series CTO's come out...

 

Today I had the chance to take a look at the Z series in a store. I was just amazed how small it really is. Certainly great portability and nice to watch some videos on the go... In addition, doing some office work away from your desktop should be easy.

The only concern I just quickly had was the size of the palm rest compared to my hand size. I am 1.90m and my glove size is 8 (Germany - surgical gloves - I am an MD). So I wonder if anyone with large hands can tell me about his or hers experience with the Vaio Z...

Thanks in advance!

 

Hey Jorlin, I have some pretty big hands, don't know my glove size but I'm 6'5" if that helps, and the Z is just fine. The front lip is soft and tapered so that the ends of my palms are comfortable when typing and whatnot. Hope that helps!

 

Thanks - I was just wondering since I only spent some minutes with this device... But I guess if YOU have no problem dealing with the smaller palm rest, I should not either

Thanks

 

hmm.. anyone knows if it's possible to change silver palm-rest to new black palm-rest?