Official Vaio Y 13.3 Series Owners Lounge

I can only confirm your first question that 5+ hours is possible with WiFi and 50% screen brightness.

I have no games installed.

I use it for surfing the web, Flash video (full screen), Office, Photoshop, etc. It runs all that just fine.

I do have a STEAM account but I'm not sure what game to try on it. I suppose I could run 3Dmark or something if someone wanted me to.

 

does anyone where/how I can get the Vaio Y with the ATI card in Canada? sonystyle.ca doesn't allow me to add a dedicated card.

 

No. They're the same architecture, same number of cores, same clock speed, same cache, etc. The i3 has some features that the U5400 lacks, e.g. hyper threading, VT-X, SSE. Hyper threading may benefit certain types of multi-threaded apps, but in most cases the performance of the U5400 and i3-330UM will be about the same.

For web surfing, office apps, listening to music, watching video, and general multi-tasking, the performance is fine. If you're going to stick to old games, the integrated graphics may be enough. But to be safe I'd get the ATI graphics, and then you can play some newer games too. It's a bargain at $50.

 

I note that the i3-330um has on-board integrated graphics. Can anyone confirm if there's a way to turn off the ATI graphics? I know it's not supported by Sony, but I feel there must be a way to do it through the bios or through Windows.

 

Unfortunatly the discrete graphics is not available (yet) in europe. Actually this would be the perfect solution for me. I don't know wether this question has already been posted but how much does the ATI decrease battery life?

I'm quite sure that if it's possible, Sony would use it for promotion.

 

Alright, I'll not count on that as an option. It sounds like the battery life will be sufficient without being able to turn off the ATI card.

How much would the i5-430um (currently only a $71.25 upgrade) increase the longevity or usability of the machine? Is it true that under normal use, without Turboboost activated, the battery life and heat would remain the same as with the i3?

For reference, my answer to the "primary tasks" section of the "What Notebook..." forum: "Lots of programming (Java, C, C++, etc), design (Adobe CS), potentially a lot of remote desktop, reading (textbooks, RSS, email, assignments), video (movies and television shows), light gaming. I will have an external monitor for extended bouts in Photoshop, etc."

 

As far as I know, your tasks require much CPU power. I'd rather look for a book with a more powerful CPU e.g. not low voltage.
There are still some models with good cpu and decent battery life.

Does anyone have the Y with i3/i5 + ATI and could report about the battery life?

 

Holzmann has the i3 + ATI.

I'm convinced that the i3 + ATI would be sufficient for my needs. I'm a student so I have access to powerful computers at school for any heavy lifting I'll have to do. I don't game that much, but the ability is important to me. I've been considering the Asus options but I really want to justify the Y.

 

oh my bad. Its even on the same page :X

Still not certain wether to take the Sony Vaio Y or Asus UL30VT.
The Asus has more power but quality of the Y seems to be superior.

 

No worries, it's been a few pages since he noted his specs. I'm having the same dilemma you are.

 

You might want to check the reviews & forums for other CULV notebooks with the i5 option, e.g. Acer 1830T, Asus UL30JT, HP tm2t. The one Asus review out there notes a loss of battery life with the i5 vs. older ULVs. Some of the posters in the Acer owners lounge have indicated the same. Unfortunately, I don't think there's a way to disable the Turbo Boost when you want to extend the battery life.

With the exception of games and perhaps some Photoshop filters, I don't see anything on your list that requires a lot of CPU power.

 

Thank you dmk2 for your very helpful response!

For Y owners: Did you consider the Asus UL30? If so, how did you justify paying more (including sales tax!) for the less-powerful Y series?

 

Yes, I considered the Asus but was turned off by the keyboard, build quality, overly glossy screen, and fingerprint magnet finish. Especially the keyboard. The battery life sure is nice though.

 

If anyone cares, I just called SonyStyle Canada (the sales number on the website) and was told they will have customizable Y Series laptops by the end of the month (with the optional ATI dedicated card).

 

I can't help but feel unhappy with the U5400. i3 / i5 just sounds better to me, even if performance does not increase that much.

All in all, if I choose the Y with i5, 4GB Ram without discrete, I'd have to pay 919€, thats only 50€ shy of the price of a Macbook Pro in Germany.

Sorry for using this thread for my UL30VT vs Sony Y issue but how big is the difference between SU7300+ gf 210m and i3 UM+ intel HD in terms of light gaming (wc3, css) and overall performance.

 

From Intel's website:
Processors — Intel® Turbo Boost Technology frequently asked questions

"Can Intel® Turbo Boost Technology be enabled or disabled by core?
No. You can sometimes disable cores in the bios but this is not recommended unless there is a specific reason you need to do this."

But, I found this on eHow:
How Intel Turbo Boost Technology Works | eHow.com

"Enabling/Disabling Turbo Boost Technology
# The Turbo Boost option can be found by accessing the computer's BIOS when powering on your computer system. The program allows users to enable and disable the device from the BIOS. There are no software options available to enable or disable Turbo Boost, as of 2010, according to Intel."


Anyway, if anyone gets the i5, I'd love to hear what sort of battery life you are getting. I'm leaning towards the Sony Y with the i5 (and the onboard graphics, as I don't play any 3D games).

 

I care. Keep me updated. I am deciding between a Y series and macbookpro.

 

Me too.

I'm hearing that the i5 platform will be more energy consuming than the SU7300 one.

 

that's for sure, cause even the U5400 is more energy consuming than the SU7300.

 

I was willing to pay for the graphics upgrade OR the CPU upgrade but not both. Comparing the i3 and i5 specs, they are the same aside from the "turbo" feature. Whereas the ATI option is a substantial upgrade over the standard graphics, so I thought it to be a better value for my $50.

 

That's what I originally thought untill it was pointed out to me that when you calculate CPU+GPU+Mobo the i platform consumes less energy.

I was hoping that the new platform would translate to longer battery life.

 

I also got my hopes up because the total TDP is lower for the new Arrandale ULV platform. But thermal design power is just the maximum heat it will produce. It's a spec that manufacturers use to design the cooling system. Unfortunately, it doesn't tell you very much about how much power it will actually use, especially under light load. I'm guessing the total TDP is lower because the 32nm process allowed them to fit everything onto one chip, not because the processor is more energy efficient.

Unfortunately, the present situation reminds me of the Pentium M Dothan. The previous generation, Banias, was a smash hit. For Dothan, they shrunk the process from 130nm to 90nm and the TDP dropped, but battery life also took a hit and the new chips ran hotter.

 

Well, I think if you're playing games or doing 3D graphics the choice is clear.

Can anybody answer me this:
What are all the advantages to getting a fancier graphics card, like the ATI?
- It will save you a little ram, correct? Because the card has video ram built in, whereas the onboard chip will steal ram from main memory.
- The amount of ram available determines the maximum desktop resolution. In this case, even with the onboard you can get 1920x1200 though, right?
- 3D graphics are considerably improved, due to a fancier 3D graphics chip.

I think it's this last one that gets most people excited. Anyway, I'm certainly not an expert, so if anybody can contribute more it might help me and others decide on the ATI option.

I wonder if a better card makes Windows 7 Aero interface feel a little snappier, due to faster 2D graphics rendering? I don't know about this.

As for the turbo boost, you will notice the boost when doing anything processor intensive... video encoding, unzipping files, encrypting files, compiling source code, etc... This is a little more clear and obvious to me.


Then there is the hard drive. Has anyone considered getting a 64 GB SSD drive from newegg and using it for the system drive? They are going for around $150. I hear the boot up times are incredible, and applications launch almost instantly. Maybe something to think about for X-mas.

 

I did with my previous laptop and it was well worth it. It felt as quick as my desktop, and that says much. Best money you'll ever spent.

Note: make sure you match the SATA level of your chipset with that of your drive. No need to waste money.

 

Instead of upgrading to a 7200 rpm HDD, I think I will wait to get a SSD. Any idea when those will cost $1/1GB or less?

I think I would be willing to spend $150-$250 for a 250-320GB SSD.

 

Ok so SU7300 vs core I3. Am I losing a lot in terms of multitasking/battery life, or should I take the savings and run and upgrade other parts of the machine.

 

Thanks for this, I got this laptop for my girlfriend, yesterday was the unboxing and I must say so far I've been pretty impressed with both windows 7 (first time I've had a proper chance to play with a win7 machine) and the performance and build quality of the Vaio. I'm sure it is going to meet her requierments perfectly. HOWEVER, she wants the OS in English (currently in Spanish), so I need to do a clean install. Probably not a bad idea to get rid of the bloatware, but I have a few questions:

1 - I think that you can install windows 7 in a different language and use the same product key no problems, but can anyone confirm this?
2 - Not including the stuff listed above, can someone direct me to a place where there is a list of the Vaio software that comes preinstalled, with details of what everything does and how useful it all is, so we can decide what stuff to reinstall, if any.
3 - Can the clean install process be done from a USB pendrive or HDD? I don't have a USB DVD drive and don't want to fork out money just so I can do the clean install. An easy step by step guide would be sweet!

Thanks!!!

 

The more I think about it, the more I'm leaning towards the Asus UL30VT.

Actually, the price of the Asus UL30VT INCLUDING an Intel 80GB SSD, is about the same as an Sony Vaio Y with i3 and 4GB Ram...

In germany:

629€ for the Asus UL30VT, and 200€ for the SSD
So we have for 829€
SU7300 CPU+ gf 210m + 4GB Ram + 80GB SSD + 500GB HDD u can use as an external

739€ for the basic Sony Vaio Y + 50€ for the i3 and + 60€ for 4GB Ram upgrade so we have 849€ for
i3 CPU + Intel HD + 4GB Ram and only 500GB HDD.

Still thinkin about wether the quality is worth that much of less performance.

 

Many independent reviews praise the build quality of the UL30VT. I think the main issue is that the Asus uses cheaper materials and less appealing aesthetics.

 

I'm thinking of getting the older Y series. I think people get over hyped with specs sometimes and you end up building a laptop u don't really even need just one you think is cool.

 

The above is just IMO of course

 

I've read that the integrated 4500MHD reserves 128MB minimum and can use up to 384MB maximum. Unless you're playing a 3D game, it won't need any more than the minimum. A loss of 128MB from 4GB is insignificant. And yes, it can support 1920x1200 externally.

Doesn't seem to. I can't recall noticing any difference in the responsiveness of the Aero glass interface when switching between the integrated and dedicated graphics on laptops with that option. For that matter, I don't really notice a difference in the responsiveness of Aero when comparing the Y to machines with non-ULV i5 and i7 processors and dedicated graphics.

Definitely read about the keyboards on the UL series and try them out if you can before deciding. Some people aren't bothered by them, but I think they're absolutely terrible: bulging up in the middle, bouncy/hollow feel, keys feeling sticky due to the surround flexing.

If you don't want the i5 or ATI graphics, then why not? The CPU benchmarks of the i3-330UM aren't significantly different than the SU7300. 3DMark is improved, but it's still not enough to play most games. And the old model gets better battery life.

 

Does the old model, the one with the SU7300, gets better battery life compared to the U5400? You've answered me already about the performance, what about battery life?

 

How much battery life do you need? Mine came with Core i3 and ATI graphics and it easily lasts over 4.5 hours with 50% screen brightness.

 

Well, that ain't enough... I know laptops never last as long as the manufacturer says but, 4.5h is what the S series is announced to have. I would rather buy an S instead of the Y if that was the case.

I need a little more, like 6h at least. That and the fact that it's a light desktop, are the only reasons I'm looking at the Y. If the battery does not last that much, I might as well go for the S, it's just slightly heavier.

But you have a discrete graphics and I don't care about that (even if I did, there's no way to get one here in my country), so it probably lasts 6h or more without it?

But the thing is, the older model is $100 cheaper and as we've seen performance wise, is practically the same and if battery life is practically the same too, than there's no reason to waste an extra $100 bucks on a pointless upgrade.

 

Unlike the i3-330UM, nobody seems to have purchased anything with a U5400 yet and the only "official" review I've seen of a U5400 computer is the Sony Y review posted a week ago on this site. The reviewer got 5:46 using the same methodology that Laptop magazine used to get 6:22 with the old Y (continuously looping a web surfing test over wifi). That could indicate a slight reduction, or it could just be within the margin of error of the two tests. It is interesting that Sony decreased their claimed battery life for the Y.

EDIT: Some differences between the battery test in the NBR review and the one used by Laptop mag. The NBR review uses 70% brightness in Balanced mode and refreshes a web page every 60 seconds. The Laptop mag review uses 40% brightness in Power saver mode and closes & reopens the browser every 33 seconds to a different web page.

 

Well, I think the deal is the S series probably only gets 3.5 hrs at 1/2 brightness. I mean, I don't know this for sure, but you can't compare one laptops "actual" with another laptops "stated".


I bet the ATI graphics in his Y configuration are knocking off some battery time too. I wonder what kind of times the i3 with integrated is getting? What I really want to know is what kind of times the i5 with integrated is getting.

I think it's safe to say the UL30VT gets better battery life than any of these Sony's though. It would be a no brainer for me if it had a better keyboard and had separate mouse buttons (don't know why, but the single button gets on my nerves).

Is there still no review of the refreshed Y series yet? I was hoping someone would have really put it through a torture test by now.

EDIT:
whoops, looks like there is a review, on this site.

 

Yeah, I'm kind of getting the impression the only reason to get the refreshed Y is either for the ATI option or the i5.

I'm leaning towards the i5 because I know myself, and I can get kind of impatient waiting on the CPU (for unzipping, compiling, encoding audio, whatever). I'm sort of undecided between a ULV notebook (with its longer battery life) and something like the S series (with more power), and I consider the Y with an i5 to be sort of a compromise.

This could be totally inaccurate on my part though, cause I haven't really seen any performance/battery life comparisons with the Y i5.

 

eww. That sounds kind of bad for the Y i5.

 

Yeah I'll probably get the older one. Thx dmk2.

 

Is it still possible to get that external drive?

 

That is good to know. It's still about 15-20% cheaper to buy in the US though. Will US-bought Vaio computers have their warranties honored in Canada? The limited warranty states either US or Canada but not both.

This Limited Warranty is valid only in the country of purchase, either the United States of America or Canada.


The Canadian specs page mentioned the international service plan though but I'm not sure what it's about and how to obtain one:

VPCY216FDB | VAIO Y Series Laptop | Sony Canada

International Service : 1 year international service plan. Registration required. See www.sony.com/IRSP for details.

 

Does the extended battery protrude from the notebook at all? Or is it still flush?

 

As far as I know it stands out a bit...

 

I've said this before, but I can confirm 5 hours of battery life on a Y with i3 and ATI graphics, WiFi surfing, 50% screen brightness.

 

This is the external DVD burner I bought.

 

I was talking about the external you get for free with the purchase of an Sony Vaio Y.

 

I don't know about a free external drive, but Sony gives you a $30 discount on an external drive with purchasing Vaio Y.

 

for those with i3 processors, how fast is the start up from pressing the button to complete access of desktop? thx. im very interested in the hours but not sure about the cpu processor.

 

@holzmann

Did the battery life improve after the clean install you mentioned about 3 pages ago?