Official Vaio Pro 13 Owners Lounge (SVP13 2013)

Which are the "very low task"? Maybe we can help...but it seems nevertheless strange, the fan in mine is high (very high) too but only with intensive tasks (mostly vaio update, youtube videos and gaming) while fot the rest is almost silent (provided that I keep it on "silence" mode)

 

ok maybe not "very" low. But I mean having Chrome open with 2-4 tabs, microsoft word, and skype, that causes the fan to spin constantly. Also on low. On normal it's worse. I could live with it if it wasn't for that whining high pitched noise. Also I wouldn't classify a youtube video a high intensive task.. neither is Vaio Update IMO.

 

Well, actually I described it a little bad. I mean that the fan goes from a very low speed to a low-medium one during vaio update and youtube videos, while goes at full speed (very irritating at all) while gaming. Honestly I don't care much about the noise during the first two tasks (it's bearable to me), the real problem is the third. Have you tried some games, in order to understand if the fan noise you hear in low use it's the full-speed one? (because if playing games the fan speed doesn't get higher it means that was already running at full speed)


In any case, this could depend also on how you set the power saving option...the more you decrease them in order to increase performance, the higher the fan go fast

 

The fan itself is not running high. I just played some diablo 3 to see, and it's basically unplayable with the fan going berserk on standard. As I said it's the high pitched noise that gets to you.

 

Sorry but now you lost me there. You are saying that the fan is not running high but likewise you said that fans make high-pitched noise. Could you explain this better, please? (sorry)

 

The RPM is not that high. But it's making a high pitched noise (probably because its small). And it is running when the computer isn't doing much. When playing a game it is running at high RPM and is basically unusable, I would say. Unless you use headphones. I'm taking it back, and can only warn others about this. Also the whole thing flexes so if you have it on your lap etc. sometimes it doesn't register clicks on the clickpad because the bottom flexes :/ It might be the world's thinnest ultrabook, but it comes with huge trade offs.

 

Despite my reservations (already reported) as it's the last sony, and I've had Zs since the start, I "may" go for a CTO 1322 i7 8GB (from a friend). The noise is as reported, a balance - I've had the machine a few days to test. The fan kicks in when you select "High Performance" for the "CPU and FAN", AND for the "Power Plan" - both in Vaio Control Center. If you then zip a couple of BIG directories at the same time - the noise gets VERY loud - the high pitch is irritating - like a jet about to take off. No throttling in my tests even after 10 or so minutes.

With Balanced "CPU and FAN" and Standard/Balanced power plan the fan is off or very quiet. Which I find a good tradeoff. The power's there if you need it. CPU and FAN set at Std/Balanced seems to throttle at 2/3rds and set at Power saver at 1/3 of max ghz.

Fan noise depends on ambient temps too. In an env. of 18 to 22 C the fan doesn't kick in (in Balanced) but it does if ambient temps go up, e.g. if laptop really on lap - body temp affects fan noise. It also depends on websites, some have heavy flash use (personally I browse with FF and noscript most of the time).

Coming from Zs, which had non mobile "real" CPUs the machine is "not so noisy", but I also have a 2012 Macbookair - which has much better fan noise avoidance. It seems to me that the mac can dissapate heat upwards through the keyboard (you can feel it), and from what I've read, the mac fan has elements at different angles so the noise generated is spread across many frequencies and therefore less noticable. THe sony fan - from disassembly videos seems to be small than the mba's too.

I can report that the WLAN seems on a par with the mba - even better in some cases (range) and that with the std battery settings (not full power).

Screen brightness is a disappointment - about as bright as a 2008 Vaio Z (!).

MY questions to any readers:
- What is your max opening angle? - On this machine it seems VERY small - 100 to 110 degrees max. (nothing like the pictures you see on the Sony website)
- can someone check whether the SSD device reported (Samsung mzhpu256hcgl ) is the PCIe version of the SSD, i.e. not SATA.

 

the opening angle is indeed not very big. not a problem for me tho.
noise is much less a problem on linux than windows, too. basically, on linux with thermald and in silence mode its really silent while browing, youtube and what not which is nice.

 

Y'all are blowing the fan problem out of the water, it's not that bad. Actually, after the 2091 BIOS update, it became kind of worse in some situations, but betters in others. The trackpad was definitely improved as well.

But all in all, the less you speak, the less you'll notice the fan noise as it's starting to become psychological rather than a physical fan speed related problem

 

I don't agree, it's pretty bad. I install and repair computers for numerous companies and this is literally the worst i have heard. There have been some recent Dell's with problems as well but this i bad.

Not being able to have Word, skype, and a browser running without the fan buzzing along at a fairly high speed with its high pitched whine, is just wrong. And that's on the 'silent'. But I suspect there is a difference from machine to machine, as well as different people have different suceptibilities to high pitched noises and different annoyance tresholds. Anything sound related is always highly subjective.

However, having had a couple of hundred machines through my hands the last 5 years I can say the one I have in my hand right now is just too loud.
As someone posted earlier he had seen an x-ray scan of the machine and the fan is just too small. This means it has too run at a very high RPM to cool the processor enough.

I'm taking it back which is a shame, because the screen is absolutely awesome. the keyboard is great too.

 

^ That's unfortunate. I'm uploading a video of the fan speed replicating your situation, should be up in a bit.

And I said about the x ray it is indeed a small fan.

Here you go guys : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kyfi0FaPoQE

 

Thansk a lot for that. That is different from mine, mine is a lot louder as I said. Makes me think I might have gotten a bad sample. Do you always run on silent or?

 

Most of the time. I only activate Performance when gaming, which is rare as I don't want my Sony to suffer the same fate as my Samsung laptop : a melted GPU core which now throttles at the slightest game.

So yeah, most of the time my fan setting is always at Silent. What BIOS version are you currently running? Maybe that's your case, can you ask for a replacement maybe?

Right now I'm typing this, my fan is pretty much idle. I put a youtube video for 2 minutes, the fan started, but it was very quiet, kind of like a smooth wind. Best way to compare is if you blow some air with you mouth, that's the sound but much quieter.

 

I'm seeing how well I can live with my CPU/fan on standard. With just a few tabs open, it runs at a similar volume as my 4 year old Samsung, but makes a different noise.

And just noticed that if I lean with my palm to the right of the trackpad that I can't physically left-click because they body flex inhibits it. That's something I'll have to get used to.

What is the latest BIOS? I'm assuming my model came with the newest installed, but just in case it didn't.

 

Funny, my body barely flexes. I did that as you said, and I can left click normally. What is up with my version, it has none of the issues you report

It's 2091V7. Write msinfo32 in the Metro Home screen and check under BIOS version.

 

Same here activating standard is almost not an option. Also i have the same flex issue as you, where I cant use the touchpad in several different positions. Bios version R1044V7.

 

Can you tell me the exact version of the laptop you have? (ex : 1322M2EB)

 

SVP1321B6EB.AE1 (also known as crap version)

 

Exactly what I have suspected, you have the previous version, which it seems they have dropped support as that's quite an old BIOS. I dunno, you can risk and download a BIOS for my model and install in yours, but I'm unsure if that's a good idea.

 

Hmm ok weird the store I bought it from said they had gotten it in stock this month, and they usually don't lie since we are a company buying from them.

I think the bios is from January 2014 as far as i can see. Before I installed that the fan was almost double as loud!

I will try to get it exchanged.. if all else fails I might just take you up on the BIOS idea.

Thanks for your insight and help It is much appreciated

 

Demand a model from the 1322xxx-series. I wouldn't rely on getting a model with a better fan in the 1321xxx-series. Phistachio's video - thanks for it! - is another evidence that they made some changes in the refreshed version.
(Even though the ones I saw in the stores that also had no fan noise problems were from the 132Axxx-series, which seem not to be from the spring refresh but a sub-category from the 1321xxx-series. Very odd!)

 

Thanks I will do that, if I don't end up getting a Lenovo instead.. really love the screen on this thing, it's amazing.. and I don't use that term often

 

Indeed. My store even told me to not buy the exposed Vaio Pro and instead order online as it was the refreshed model; odd for Beatwolf'd store to not say the same.

It might be placebo, but I think the previous BIOS version 2071 was even quieter, but I think I might be overreacting as the fan, as I'm typing, is off

If the changelog of the BIOS doesn't include any changes regarding the fan, it means that it's impossible to have anything changed in it, correct?

This is indeed a great computer, sad that Vaio was sold as Sony products, under Hirai's leadership, are amazing. I do trust Hirai, he has proven as of late, to be the best CEO of a company aside from Google, Motorola and Lenovo.

 

Here is a video of the fan noise. Much the same situation as described before, however fan is set to standard. But still !

 

Even when I watch FHD Youtube videos it doesn't go as loud as that... Really odd indeed.

I'd suggest a model swap for a 1322 model, if you're able to of course.

 

Anyone here has a SVP1322J4EB.CEK ? If yes, does your Vaio Update work and can you see your model on the Sony Support site with updates?

I am in UK and my model isn't listed on the sony UK / Europe website. Sony support is unable to help.

 

One simple rule with BIOS updates: if you don't experience particular issues, do NOT upgrade. Most of the time, it makes things worse than better.

AFAIAC, I'm skipping every BIOS upgrade from now on (unless I'm having problems, which is (fortunately) not the case).

 

"Unusable"... seems harsh to me since I personally haven't experienced such an annoying issue so far (two weeks). Sure the fan often kicks in (as in most VAIOs for faithful users) but due to its very small size it's logical in order to be efficient. I noticed the fan runs from time to time but not that high, I mean its noise remains "normal" in common tasks, I can hear it but it's far from loud.

Note that I don't play games so I can't tell more on this part but since it's not a gamer's computer, it seems obvious enough the fan will go crazy in order to cool down the whole motherboard within... Look at the notebook, it's so thin that thermal stresses must be high on every component. The fan needs to evacuate hot air at all cost because it won't go out naturally.

 

It's not "bad", it's noticeable not unbearable. I can hardly hear the fan running when browsing the web (IE11) and playing with Office 2013, whatever the application. It gently kicks in a few seconds from time to time but that's all.

One thing you might be spot on though: the issue depends on each machine... mine is CTO and (from my previous experiences) these seem to be much better built than the ones you purchase in retail stores. Mass production side effect I suppose...

The best test (which is factual and non-subjective) is to rely on a sound meter and compare apples to apples: ?db (decibel).

Moreover, the fan running quite often IS a security since Sony has always been very conservative about cooling. I mean, even when not necessary (even less critical) the fan is setup to run in prevention mode. I reckon the balance between effective cooling and cooling/running time hasn't been thoroughly done (or, at least, could still be improved to the user's ears benefit without damaging the notebook's ultimate life).

 

Agreed.
Mine behaves the same as yours and I'm on Silent Mode by default and only use Performance Mode when required.

Noise seems different from machine to machine...

Note that the smallest clearance gap or bad assembling on a fan this small instantly makes a hell of an acoustic nightmare for anyone. I suspect this might be the case on mass production machines (non-CTO).

 

Mine doesn't flex as much as some have reported. It does a wee bit but it's almost unnoticeable in general use. Although it's true the touchpad isn't the greatest ever it's still easily usable but one has to get used to it (especially how it works and behaves). Its surface is great and clicking remains nice and responsive.

 

Couldn't you have said that before?

But if an update changelog only states improvements on the HDD readings, it means everything else is unchanged, correct? I think I overreacted on the fan speed change : I'm using word and 3 tabs again, and the fan is idle. The touchpad actually feels improved as I can touch it with less effort. I'm just afraid that if I do need to downgrade to 2071, there's no way I can do it as I can't find it anywhere to download :/

 

Double post.

 

For me it's not a problem when the fan is running most of the time, even not if the fan is running high. The annyoing thing is when the quality (not the quantity) of the sound is disturbing. For example the fan noise of the Fujitsu Lifebook P1620 that I'm using right now has a rather low pitch that I'm not even conscious of most of the time - and the fan is running non-stop and even changing it's speed almost continously.
But that high pitch of some of the Vaio Pro's has the potential of driving me crazy. If the fan of the MacBook is spreading the noise across different frequencies then this is a massive advantage - for my ears the MBA's fan noise is in fact much more bearable than those bad sounding video examples of the Vaio Pro fan noises that I saw & heard...

 

It all depends on where they got it from... whatever store can still have one year-old computers coming in stock if these are unsold items from somewhere else...

I doubt upgrading the BIOS will improve things here but you can still try it out before eventually giving it back. You never know... but one thing's for sure, there were slight technical changes/improvements between the 1321 and 1322 series.

 

Getting the exact model reference is NOT mandatory. You only need to download software from the (European) 1322 branch (whatever the letters afterwards) and they'll work like a charm on your machine. Tested over time and approved.

 

As I wrote above, I suspect an assembling default on those noisy machines since the issue is not repeatable from machine to machine. Fans, especially very small ones since they run at much higher RPM, are very sensitive to their own mounting. The slightest default and it's problematic...

Also, the higher the speed, the most high-pitched the air sounds. It has to do with frequencies and vibrations. When driven by design space allocation (which is the case with the SVP), designers have to reach come kind of compromise between cooling effectiveness and acoustic waveforms.

 

You didn't ask.

In an ideal world, yes, when change logs list one corrected issue, it's not supposed to have any (known) impact on other things (if thoroughly tested)... but you can only trust what the maker tells you, can't you?

I reckon some patches perform other (minor) changes than the only ones they're listed for.

 

Alll superflouus posts. As we have already established there is a big difference in the two models. if your's is like Phistachio's then you can hardly claim it's not bad. The fan in MINE is bad. I've had a lot of laptops and ultrabooks through my hands the last 8 years (several hundred) and this more thatn "noticeable". Your experience is different than mine that might be true, but trying to argue with me doesn't really help. Had i gotten the spring refresh or whatever I might not have notcied fan noise, but fact is it's unbearable at this level (which you can hear above).

 

I don't argue, I'm just saying it's not such a design flaw like many of you tend to think but most of a production flaw (made in China, may I remind you all).

The point is YOUR machine seems "defective" in some ways and, at this level, you won't change anything so return it and don't waste your time trying to find useless solutions. If it's as loud as it sounds, you won't correct things with a BIOS upgrade or any software trick. It's as simple as that.

It's even easier to return it if you bought it from a retail store thus go-ahead. That's what I'd do...

 

Yep and that's what I will do

 

Using the laptop with battery the fan is almost always very quiet if set to "silent" mode in addition to "balanced" windows power plan...but when I plug in the AC the fan stays quiet for a while and grow higher after some time and I can notice that fan speed is decreased/increased constantly (even when I'm not doing anything) and also temperatures hit 50+ degrees. It's a bit annoying.
Does the laptop do that to you too when the AC is plugged in? Might it be caused by the fact that performance is increased when plugged in? (so overall much heat and fan noise than using the battery)


PS: under the laptop it says "model: SVP132A1CM" but on the laptop box there are two additional model labels, "SVP1321C5E" and "SVP1321C991B.IT1.A". I don't understand, what's the right one and which model do I actually have? :-/

 

Did not notice any particular difference between plugged/unplugged states but I'll do a check later on. Meanwhile the notebook's likely to save power when on battery mode thanks to the fan not running as often... That's a good remark actually worth a check.

As far as your model is concerned, it is definitely not part of the spring refresh series but very well of the first generation, i.e. SVP1321...
The best way to know for sure is to look for the info within your BIOS (press Assist when powered off).

 

The latest BIOS available for SVP1321xxx models is R1044V7, but I see that models SVP1322xxx have different number (R20xxV7). What's the matter? Isn't possible to flash new bios on the SVP1321 models? That's a shame...why a different bios if it's the same machine? :|

Thanks, later today I'lll enter the bios and see
By the way, I already knew that mine was a old model, what I meant is that I read few pages ago someone talking about a sort of "mid-refresh" with series number "SVP132Axxx" that is mine and that also I saw on the exposed models in the stores

 

Hi Guys

Can someone help me to find a docking station or port replicator for this laptop?
Model svp132a1cu

Thanks & Regards

 

R10xxV7 BIOSes are for SVP1321 models and R20xxV7 are for SVP1322: this is right.
As a result, I reckon both are not swappable and won't even install on the wrong generation but if you're brave enough to give it a try... (I wouldn't do that myself)

As far as I know, there wasn't any mid-refresh, only two generations (SVP1321 and SVP1322). To be precise, given your data, your chassis model is SVP132A1CM [model number] and your actual model (based on its specs) is SVP1321C5E (CTO) [model name]. These are different (pointless) things.


BTW, the SVP132A1CM chassis have been out there from the start (summer 2013) thus I don't think it might even be some kind of mid-refresh...

 

Unfortunately, there is no Sony docking station for the VAIO Pro 11/13. This series doesn't have any dedicated docking station connection therefore you can only use one connected via USB.

You didn't mention the connectivity you're looking for but if you only need fairly basic connections, look for a universal USB docking station and check if any of the many available models meet your own requirements.

One of the best docking station/port replicator currently on the market is the Plugable USB 3.0 Universal Notebook Docking Station.

 

Hi Jena_Plissken,

Is my understanding that you've bought the Vaio SPV1321 in UK correct?

I'm asking since I am tempted by the offer for 1321, but don't know if the noise is manageable.

Can you please share your experience so far ?

People are complaining about some issues here in the forum, but not many are saying good things for the Vaio pro.

I saw it in store, seems a decent machine, maybe MBA is on par, but MBA is more expensive.

Regards

 

Hey Guys,
I've been following this topic, a lot helpful input, thank you all.
I'm thinking of getting this: VAIO Pro 13 Ultrabook – SVP13226PXB Review - Sony US
It looks like spring refresh but no HD5000 ?
And do you guys know about warranty situation after I getting this?

thanks

 

Great choice indeed!!
Note that although an actual spring refresh model, this Core i7 doesn't sport the HD5000 since there were two options, still the i7-4500U with HD4400 (the one you plan to buy) and the i7-4650U with HD5000. Both are nonetheless part of the spring refresh...

As for the warranty, it's (usually) 1 year for pre-built models and 2 years for CTO ones therefore you'll get one year with this one. The fact Sony now sold its VAIO division does not change anything on the short term. In the long term, who knows...