Sony CW i3/i5/i7 Official Owners Thread

Lol... let him not open it.


“You have to take risks. We will only understand the miracle of life fully when we allow the unexpected to happen.” - Paulo Coelho
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{Sorry, I am not trying to patronize you, just having some fun. }

 

According to my friend who works at BB and I bought it from. He said they test it somehow and if its not up to the same charge holding ability as a new battery they replace it. Think only downside is it takes about a week for them to test it and order an replacement. At least you can still use your laptop without a battery in.

 

its not just a jump from the i3 to the i5, getting a Blue Ray, getting the jump in resolution, getting the 3MB L3 Cache (whatevertheheckthatis but getting the upgraded Video from 256 to 512MB- i def think all that is worth 150.00, especially when u consider the initial price for a Sony Vaio is a BARGAIN to begin with. Last year this same model woulda been $1400.00 EASY!

 

Does the i5 version support multiple native resolutions? I cannot decide because of the resolution. I still think 1600x900 is too small even it would be very crisp and I don't like the idea doing the font larger for each application separately.

 

Native resolution is independent of the processor. It has something to do inherently with the LCD screen itself and basically means the number of pixels that are present on the screen. Unlike the CRT monitors, LCDs have a fixed number of pixels, which we also call the native resolution.

That being said, you can still change the resolution, though it wont be as sharp and clear as the native resolution. But after reading so many posts regarding the resolution, I am quite convinced that it wont be problem. In fact, the high resolution & tiny fonts problem was my deciding factor in deciding not to return it (or not to refuse its delivery w/o opening) when my laptop arrives.

 

yup. separately? when i arranged the DPI larger everything got larget in ALL applications and looked GREAT! i just went and changed it both places to see, 1st i adjusted the DPI to 125% and when i have done that in the past on other computers, the pixels got blurry. Not here, clear as a bell. Then i went and adjusted the resolution to 1440 x something (sorry forgot and it looked GREAT too, you just cannot believe how awesome this computer's display is, even at the different DPI, or the lower resolution, or scaled to 125 when surfing, you just CANNOT get a bad viewing experience! well i'm off to pleep now, i haven't had a good night rest since i ordered this thing, i was so worried the screen would just be too small, so relieved its not... Now i can rest!! Can't wait to get up and make my recovery discs (oy, do i need a life- lol)

 

p.s. i don't like being disagreeable but honestly with the coupla tests i just ran, it DID look just as clear!

 

You're really making me second guess my decision to do a CTO from Sony Style! I wanted the 1600x900 with the 330m, but the blu-ray burner and extended battery was what was more important to me. I also wanted the i5-540 instead of the 520, but now people are saying there is no much difference so I guess that didn't break the camel's back! I still love my lower-end screen version with 310m, but I sort of wish I got the deal you all with went... then I think about the BD-burner...hmm...not a big deal but I don't want to upgrade that part later! Anyways, I loved your review and had to share. The white is awesome. Glad everyone is enjoying the machine and that I took a chance on it. The 310 is still a good fallback for me IMO. I'm loving this lappy more than my MBP. I never thought I'd say that!

BTW: I feel like a newb but what is G*D mode?

 

Does your screen have great viewing angles even looking from angles above it? Unless yours is a completely different panel, in which case I would be very upset.

I personally think there are some different thresholds that people have for screen quality.

My personal opinion on the 1600x900 is tolerable.

edit- Wait you were commenting to someone else's response. Sorry.

 

If this laptop were a defendant, it would sure hire you as its attorney!

Anyways, we would love to see a video of it. Would it be possible for you to upload one by tomorrow?

 

Can I ask you a question about the viewing angles? When you look at it from a different angle..mainly up and down. It's thus far the worse viewing angle outside of the Asus ul80 series that I've experienced (not counting a 7 year old Acer I owned).

 

Jeez, this is exactly how I felt before the bad kids forced me try crystal meth! Well, not exactly, I don't really know any bad kids, and the only drug I do is chocolate, but still...

Well, now that I seem to have accomplished my mission of winning the "Most Indecisive" award, I think I'll cave, maybe even make an unboxing video if I can stay conscious! Thanks very much for all of your input and for making this fun

 

what a nice surprise.. according to UPS, it is to arrive tomorrow although it shipped this morning. i only paid for standard shipping. now, i just hope they didn't stuff the box with air. anyway, i'm still curious of the graphics card. i'm hoping it will run Aion on highest settings and native resolution. am I expecting too much?

 

Yippee!!! Please post your thoughts asap. mmmm...chocolate....

 

Just a real quickie...I'll do a formal review after I'm done with dinner and erands.

My first run of 3dmark @ 1280x800 (it won't do 1024 for obvious reasons) was 6100. I bumped core to 560, shader to 1230, memory at 750. For some reason, default memory is at 640. Anyways, temperatures did not change whatsoever compared to stock. Got 6926. I think this 330m is a gem boys. Have fun overclocking!

 

extended warranties tend to be a suckers bet as you virtually never recoup the cost. Most electronics fail in the first few months and are covered by traditional warranties. Best to buy with a credit card with an extended warranty and buy batteries on ebay IMO

 

It will be interesting to see if yours shipped in a box since you did not get expedited shipping.

 

FYI, mine came in the bag and I used standard shipping, ordered in a Thursday night and it arrived Monday!

 

and secondly, with a high res screen like this if you choose to run at lower than the native resolution you will actually not have as much loss in picture quality as you would with a lower res screen due to the higher pixel density and hence better overall picture with less blur

 

I'd be very happy if its true.

 

this viewing angle thing that keeps coming up is really starting to chap my hide. Yes the vertical viewing angle drops off, probably a bit before some other panels. Horizontal is a bit better but yeah it eventually begins to suck.

My question is how do you use your laptop? Do you hold it way over your head? Do you stand over it and look straight down? Do you lean way to the side and type on it like the keyboardist from the band Yes?

???????????????????????????????????

When I sit in front of my CW and adjust the panel to a comfortable viewing angle it looks great. If I hold it whilst jumping on my kids trampoline then yeah, the viewing angles suffer some...

Bottom line is that this one of the best panels I've ever used when it is used in a conventional fashion. Great color, sharp and crisp and looks better than a Macbook Pro IMO. It is heaps better than my 5 year old Compaq V2000 this replaced or my kids Compaq lappys, the ASUS netbook with a 1024x600 LED backlit panel, the ancient eMac CRT, and my work DELL Latitude.

 

Sorry if this is a lame question but are you saying my 1366 x 768 monitor at native resolution isn't as good as a 1600 x 900 at a lower resolution? Thanks.

 

Anytime you take an LCD out of its native resolution, you risk losing image quality.

 

It is not a question of good, it is a combination of pixel density, panel brightness, and color reproduction. Generally a higher resolution screen will look better than a lower resolution screen if all the other factors are equal...you just can't argue with a higher pixel count.

On a separate note (and you can search the threads), several people went into Bestbuy and looked at the 1366x768 panel and said it was...and I'm just reporting and have not seen it myself...awful. If you are happy then that is great, I just wanted the extra real estate that the 1600x900 gives you.

Oh, I just realized I didn't answer your question correctly. Non-native will generally be worse than native resolution except if there is a significant quality difference between the panels. One would have to see them side by side to compare.

I just bumped my panel down to 1360x768 and thought it looks pretty fuzzy to me...

 

Absolutely, but if the pixel density is high, the degradation tends to be lessened...though of course this depends on how low you go.

 

Gotcha. Thanks. I know lowering the res would become more blurry, but weren't sure you said it was still better than the 1366x768. I started looking at the screen to see if my eyes were shot or something!

 

They should put warnings on the box: "Do not operate whilst jumping on your kids trampoline. Do not emulate YES keyboard players while operating". Safety first.

 

Just got mine today (in a box as well) it is my first laptop although I briefly owned the Asus netbook. Loving this thing so far. Quick question: Anyone have recommendation on a case?

 

So would there be much difference when encoding music with itunes, processing photos and video? Would it be much better to get the core i5 for these tasks?

 

thanks for posting this. I don't understand though why notebookcheck has the following speeds listed for the geforce gt 330m

Core: 575
Shader: 1265
Memory: 1066

but using cpuz on my notebook it shows ( under 3d applications(graphics tab)) ( i have the 330m gpu /i5cpu model)
Core: 475
Shaders: 1045
Memory: 680


am i missing something here?

also what program did u use to overclock? nvidia system tools?

 

the difference would likely be measured in seconds, maybe a few minutes for some really intense video but really there would likely be very little for mundane tasks as the difference from the i3 and i5 is not huge.

 

Well the videos and photos are just snapshots and home movies of my new baby. Would the i3 and gt310m give better battery life compared to the upper model? This is my last question and thanks for the help guys!

 

I get up and down a lot. Turn my head. Lean back into chair. I find myself adjusting the panel constantly.

It shouldn't chap your hide. It's a forum for discussion and questions.

 

I doubt the battery life would be any different as the TDP for both processors is 35W and I don't think there would be any power consumption differences between a 310 and 330M

http://www.nvidia.com/object/geforce_m_series.html

there is a substantial performance drop between the 310 and 330 though

 

I know, I know, I'm being a pain but it has really been asked and answered several times in this forum. The vertical on the 1600x900 is not the best though the horizontal is pretty good. You should be looking into something high end from Lenovo if this is really a concern as they tend to have excellent panels on the thinkpads. If you are reading text it is doable, but if you are bouncing up and down while watching a movie I doubt you would like it. Actually if you are this particular you really should check them out in person when they finally get them in at BestBuy

To be honest, the only thing that would really work for you is a CRT as there is no fall off due to viewing angle. There is a bit of a portability issue though...

 

Does it change when you run a game or watch a movie? try that first. this concerns me as well!

 

I'm sorry if this has been answered before, but is the 330m available for the CW yet? Cause that's the only thing holding me back on buying it. It still only lists the 310m on sonystyle.com...

 

Thanks Kev for the overclocking.

7k with gpu overclock is a very respectable score for a 14" sub $1k laptop.

Also can we stop using this thread as a damn life blog talking like 12 year olds. Yes you know who I am talking about. I just had to browse through about 15 pages of absolute junk before I found anything worthwhile reading.

 

BestBuy, VPCCW26FX/W model. $899.99 plus tax and shipping. it has the G330M. There are other more expensive models with the same GPU if you want to look at them. I hear from a BestBuy employee the special pricing ends on the 30th. Be quick!

 

If you look at the Spec page on the GPU: http://www.nvidia.com/object/product_geforce_gt_330m_us.html

It shows if it is using DDR3 then memory clock is up to 1066mhz
but with GDDR3 what the CW has it says only up to 800mhz.

Kinda sounds weird but who knows. Would figure GDDR3 would be clocked faster...

 

Really? Can anybody else confirm this? If so, I will be placing my order asap...

I'm not sure when BestBuy's fiscal year ends, but I know the company's I work for ends on the 30th, so we are trying to push as much product out as quickly as possible through deals. If they have the same fiscal year end date, it would make logical sense.

 

I'm glad you also heard the same. I hope this dispels the notion that this is some sort of "pricing error" on BB's part (because a receipt showed a different i5 CPU name), as was suggested by earlier posts.

 

Nah, I wanted to customize it more, making it more expensive. ><
I don't get why its available in the sony business section but not sonystore.com

 

Do you think the special pricing applies to just the CW26FX/W or both including the CW27FX/B

 

I would bet on both, but I'd have to check with a buddy who still works at BB later today. Perhaps IKilledYourHamster has a more definitive answer?

 

if you're looknig to overclock, check this out. http://www.overclock.net/nvidia/592691-turtles-one-stop-nvidia-overclocking-faq.html

ran 3dmark 06

Core: 550
Shader: 1210
Memory:743

scored 6752

still lower speeds than what's listed on notebookcheck...

 

True. Sorry to say but I couldn't find an acceptable viewing position other than straight on. And I still found myself adjusting the panel. And most times that is not realistic if the notebook is on a desk with another notebook as I tend to sit between the 2, or sometimes 3 and having the CW being even slightly off center displayed an above average loss of clarity and an above average amount of washout.

True. I wanna know what I'm buying as well as many others. And I really wanted to buy this notebook.

Not all true. There ARE and have been many Sony VAIO's that have not exhibited this poor of viewing angles on a panel. Before I bought my SR notebook I had looked to buy a CW and when evaluating it in person I could not find a perfect viewing position. I kept asking about the 1600 x 900 resolution panel in hopes it was a big improvement over the 1366 x 768 panel not worrying about the resolution being too small....I have a Z with 1600 x 900 and to me it looks great. I was hoping that maybe the panel itself was improved from the previous version.

Thank you to those with their feedback. I'm very appreciative and am done with my rant. Moving on from the CW.

 

CW owners:

1) Can you check the battery life for the i5-520M model?

2) Can you check temperatures for that model, too? [Perhaps using Intel burn test for ~10-20 min.
http://downloads.guru3d.com/IntelBur...load-2047.html]

Please. I and many others would love to know!
Thank you!

PS: How about some photos/videos?!?

 

I have the CW with C2D and 230m and using Nvidia system tools I overclock at 600/1320/900 and my temps still dont get over 60c! I reckon you have plenty of overclocking left in your 330m