Sony CW i3/i5/i7 Official Owners Thread

Well I've in the market for a new notebook for the past 4 weeks. I'm a computer "junkie" so I know what type of specs will give me the biggest bang for the buck.

This Sony CW with the core i5 520m/blu ray that Best Buy for 950 (or 900 without blu ray) is simply the best deal out there. My "non computer friends" ask me why I spent so much money on a windows pc. Than I go compare a $700 laptop vs. the Sony $950 model. I say you are getting much better processor (core i5) vs (the older core 2 6600/or new i3). You know these new intel 32 nm core i5 were just released less than 2 weeks ago so you are getting the newest/lastest gen processors. You get a better screen resolutio (1600x900). You get the dedicated nvdia 330m chip. You get blu ray. All that adds up and that's why this current Sony CW is without doubt the best deal out there. Will prices drop in a month or two? Sure. That's technology. But if you want a good overall laptop price/performance, get this CW.

As for the Macbook Pros. I have also owned Macs. They are fine computers. If you are a computer junkie like me, you will be able to use any computer. Apple or Windows. Don't get me wrong, I love Apple products (owned iMacs, Macbooks, Apple TV, iphones) but Windows 7 is a very good operating system also. People always complain about spyware/viruses system crashes with Windows. That's true. But I've never had any spyware on my Windows pc because I don't ever get scammed into hitting an ad.

My older 24 inch alumn iMac (which I just sold) crashes from time to time (with Snow Leopard). All systems do this regardless of Windows or Mac. Apple is just better at marketing. I don't wine and complain. I just restart the program or reboot the computer. Takes 1-2 minutes. No big deal in the overall scheme of your normal daily computing.

Yeah, wait for Wednesday's Apple announcement. In addition to the rumored Apple Tablet, I have a feeling Apple will announced new intel core i 5/7 processor upgrades in their Macbook Pros. You know how much Apple will charge for those products so it's up to you to decide whether to stick with Sony or get the newer Macbook pros (if they have the new core i5/7).

I'm sticking with the Sony notebook for a while. I eventually re-add a 27 inch iMac to my home office by the end of the year.

 

Can someone who has the Core i5 CW confirm Intel VT can be enabled in the BIOS? TIA

 

You cant "preserve" a lithium ion battery, they start degrading from the moment they are manufactured. It makes no sense to opt for the "Extra" battery option when buying a laptop unless you will be in situations when you need two batteries because of extremely long times without an outlet.

You should see how often my roomates brand new macbook pro has "unexpected errors" and crashes. Apples hardware defect rate is on par with the industry average, so no benefits there
I honestly havnt had a virus in years. I think only idiots get them haha... Or people who DL a lot of pirated without an antivirus. And tonight in Digital Video Apps class my instructors brand new 27" Imac froze while he was giving his presentation (In the new Mac Lab).. Another one was "Out of order". The irony is delicious, and i think US PC users enjoy those moments thoroughly.
When i worked in my universities IT center for 2 years (a year ago), we got a lot of macs that had problems, and no one knew how to fix them At least if a PC gets a virus or develops a problem its usually pretty easy to repair.

 

I hear you about Windows. Decent anti-virus software and common sense should keep you safe, and Windows 7 is generally getting very positive reviews. I also agree that, for what you're getting, this CW seems reasonable priced. Are you hearing good things about the i5 processor? I know some people were complaining about the i7 in another thread. And are you still finding this CW stays relatively cool and quiet?

By the way, the UPS guy just delivered my CW (end of day, of course) - I guess I'll go stare at the box for a while!

 

Blu Ray is on the CW27.

 

I kind of get what you're saying. For me though, this met the upper limits of what I wanted to spend.

If I were going to "eke" out another few hundred to bring it to say 1100 or 1200...I'd just go hog wild and get an Envy with the 300 phone in coupon that's floating around that HP seems to be honoring.

 

Can someone please comment on the quality of the 1600x900 screen? Is it as nice as the Vaio Z screens (same resolution)? Also, I too am very curious about whether or not Intel VT can be enabled.

Thanks!

 

For those new owners of a Best Buy CW, I just had mine delivered, and the Sony box was in a UPS (vinyl?) bag, not a larger padded box or anything. The box itself seems to be in okay shape. The bag had a proper label on it, so I know it's UPS legit, I was just wondering if this is something to be concerned about. I'd appreciate your input. Thanks!

 

That S model is also integrated graphics too.

I am out of town for work 4 days out of the week and I need my WoW fix .

 

YES! Someone please .

I saw the standard resolution screen and it was just awful. Viewing angles...intolerable for me.

This was the one unknown for me.

 

Well then i guess i won't bother trying to "preserve". But then again, all Battery Care instructions say, "if you intend to not use battery power for long periods of time you should remove the battery" Isn't that an effort to "preserve it"?

[QUOTEYou cant "preserve" a lithium ion battery, they start degrading from the moment they are manufactured. It makes no sense to opt for the "Extra" battery option when buying a laptop unless you will be in situations when you need two batteries because of extremely long times without an outlet.
![/QUOTE]

 

................................

 

Seems to be the million dollar question. Hmm.

 

Yea. I've though about the envy. The design is what holdinh me back from it at the moment. If it is like envy 13 or some solid color, I would have order it the minute i5 was avaliable for it.

 

If it's unopened do we get 100% refund?

 

I believe the black version is matte (anyone not agree?). Is the entire laptop matte, or are there glossy bits (not a fan of the gloss)?

Thanks!

 

^ i'll let u know when mine comes tomorrow. shipped today from fresno.

 

Yes, 100% refund if unopened (within 14 days). Anyone else get their Best Buy CW delivery in a UPS vinyl bag as opposed to the Sony box being placed in a larger box? No problems?

 

Yes, there is an option for VT. Its disabled by default, but no hack required to enable it.

 

I got the laptop last saturday and have been playing with it for quiet some time now.

The screen is quiet refreshing and crisp. One of the best i have see in a long time i can say. as for the viewing angles, its sufficient if theres gona be only 1 user to the laptop and its no downer.

all in all, its a great buy.

 

The laptop is not matte, its got a glossy lid and a glossy palmrest. And believe me, its a fingerprint mangnet. ....still i can live with it......

 

its got a glossy lid and a glossy palmrest. also a fingerprint magnet but u can live with it

 

Sounds like it hasn't improved from the previous CW.

 

There is a lot of stuff that is pre-loaded with the laptop in terms of software.....any1 has an idea of what to remove and what to keep...like want to remove the vaio mediacentre or vaio gate and keep vaio care or sumthing lik it?

what services and processes are better kept disabled to free up some RAM space?

 

Is it ok if i didnt create the recovery disk to start with? Can i uninstall some stuff and then create a recovery disk?

 

how much did you pay for it including vat in rupees?

 

the older CW's were available with a matte black option in which the entire laptop was matte except the screen, so if you can wait for 2 or 3 weeks, you can get matte black option.

 

So, how long is it taking the folks ordering from BB to get the CW from order time to door? I ordered mine Sunday. I know nothing much happens on Sunday, but they said 0-1 business days to ship and it's been a "whole" business day now and it has not shipped lol.
Do all ship from the same point of origin? If mine ships today, I'd be hopeful to get it by the weekend. I am in NC.

 

what is V/T and would i want to enable it? And also what would we do with an Express 34 slot?

thanx,

Dumm

i ordered mine Saturday and it didn't leave BB warehouse till 4PM yesterday. By 9 it was in OHIO. By 4am this morning it departed but doesn't state YET to "WHERE" its departing to. (Do i seem anxious to get it or WHAT?! I returned the lower end model (CW21) on Saturday and ordered this one (CW26 w/o Blu Ray) and i cannot tell you how great using that laptop was. Soooo quiet, wouldn't know it was even on! Sooooo comfy fitting and loved the keyboard keys and entire design. Lightening fast. Even the mousey keys were great, and i ALWAYS use an external one. I cannot wait to see my 1600x900 display and the upgraded chipset AND video card. I better not be disappointed or someone is going to pay dearly (my husband...have driven him crazy....lol)

anyhow, back on track...i'm in TX and its scheduled to be here by tomorrow. NC is a little closer to OH (isn't it? lol) so you may luck out and get it by Wed also.

 

Dunno if its allowed to disclose prices here...but i'd say i got a 4% discount on mrp........if dat suffices

 

Ok to answer a few poster's question.

(purchased off Best Buy.com). It comes in UPS brown box (some air padding...kinda of like what Amazon.com does for there orders). And the Sony Vaio box is inside the brown box.

I think it's the new core i5 processor. The Sony Vaio laptop runs much cooler than your average laptop. That's why I avoided the intel core i7 (the 45nm 720 quad chip). I heard the 45nm i7 chips overheat easily (plus poor battery life) in laptops, although they are the fastest processors. Intel also has the newer intel core i7 32nm (the 620 model) but I haven't seen many laptops equipped with these processor yet. Those 32nm chips core i7 will probably run cool also.

 

Is this just a difference between how UK/Europe and US models are named? 'Cos the model I ordered is called CW2X5E....

 

I'm in NC too but I ordered mines from J&R it only took 2 days from the night I ordered it to get here from NY.

 

A couple of questions about the VPCCW27FX, mainly the one from Bestbuy. Can you tell me what the wattage is for the power supply? Is it a 90watt power supply?

Also, anybody confirm yet what type of memory the graphics card uses? DDR2, DDR3, DDR5? (you can use GPU-Z to find out)

And one more although I doubt I'll get a response to this but has anyone loaded Street Fighter IV on it and run a benchmark on it at 1600x900 resolution?

Thanks in advance.

 

Just received my CW from FedEx. Felt like forever watching the tracking online. SonyStyle is quick to build, but slow to deliver! Like the white; not sure I should've picked the crystal rain.

 

Can someone please tell me how long the power cord is that comes with the CW? Thanks!

 

It's about 8 ft.

 

ofcourse you can discuss prices here, from where did you buy it- sony centre or ezone, staples etc? as sony centre fellow was not ready to decrease the price

 

got it from lamington.....but insist on a packed model.....but its a sony so u cant go wrong with dat....all d best.......and ya the showroom guys do not decrease the price...i went to the sony centre and he offered me 2% off to the max

 

the memory is GDDR3 for nvidia 330............cheers.......

 

Thank you! I'd love to read your impressions of the computer, that would help me decide whether to keep mine or return it and get something else down the line. Also, did your Sony box come in a larger box with padding? Mine came in a UPS vinyl bag, which seemed odd, but Best Buy said that's fairly standard and the notebook is well protected in its own box. Thanks again!

 

I love it so far. Not sure on my color choice (crystal rain) but that's just personal preference. I've been a pc fan turned Mac and this machine made me come back. The glare is not as bad as most people make it out to be. I tried some of the preloaded programs and actually like some of them. Right now I'm unistalling crapware but all in all, I'm thoroughly liking it.

 

thanks for the prompt reply

 

Thank you very much.

 

Thanks very much for your reply. I'm on the fence about jumping over to Mac, especially since this laptop is encroaching on Mac pricing, but for now it looks like it is competitive with a Macbook Pro, except maybe for build quality and sound? You're happy with Windows 7? If Apple announces MBPs with new processors and blu ray tomorrow I'll have to reconsider!

 

My model is VPCCW26FX/W white version from best buy and my power supply is 105w.

 

I love my Macbook Pro, but after setting up my wife's new PC and playing with Windows 7, I had to have it. I don't like to dual-boot so it's either one or the other and even though MacOS is a different in its structure, I like what Microsoft has done.

Plus, after being used to Windows, then going to Mac, I couldn't do some things I wanted to easily, such as moving files. I sometimes had to have two Finder pages open to easily move files to different folders. I think I lost productivity time than gained. Plus, like Windows, I had to hard reboot sometimes, so it wasn't perfect. For the price of me switching back, I got a Mac style computer with a blu-ray burner and change back. Now how sweet is that! Don't get me wrong: It was a TOUGH decision but I'm glad I did.

 

Sorry, I don't know much about video cards and was wondering if the video card in the CW i5 (GT 330M GPU) would be able to handle a game with the following specs (Mass Effect 2), and will it work with Windows 7 (box says Windows Vista/XP). Thanks!

NVIDIA GeForce 6 series (6800GT or better), ATI 1300XT or better (X1550, X1600 Pro and HD2400 are below minimum system requirements) NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GTX or higher. ATI X1800 XL series or higher

 

Well just got mine from BestBuy (icy white i5-520m with 330GT) and I got the plastic bag treatment. The laptop seems fine but the Sony packaging is definitely loose as I could feel the laptop shift if I moved the package. This is definitely a retarded way to ship a laptop and I'm not sure why some folks get sensible packaging (second box with air bags) and some get a baggie like me

I'll post if there are any issues or problems but all seems fine so far. Planning on running 3DMark Vantage Pro and will post the results shortly

 

Please do post your findings, I got the UPS bag as well, and while that doesn't seem to make sense, Best Buy said that's pretty standard for laptops. Was the actual laptop well packed in the box? Thanks!