Sony Vaio CB Official Owners' Thread

I was wondering if anyone knew what motherboard is in the laptop, or more specifically, the main HDD slot runs SATA 6Gbit/s? I'm interested in buying this laptop and putting in a SSD. However, depending on whether it is running SATA 2 or SATA 3, will help make my decision about whether to get the new Vertex 3 or not, since it does me little good to spend the extra cash if the machine it is going into is not SATA 3.

 

the screen is 1920x1080 not 1900x1200, but it is as clear as the vaio eb series, which has a pretty good screen, my laptop does not overheat, i think its because of the new sandy bridge processor, i have the white one, looks really nice, im not sure about black though, it looks like it might have purple accents on it, the keyboard feels really comfortable to type on and the back lighting is really nice, my laptop does have some keyboard flex to it, but only when i push down really hard, while im typing i dont really notice it, someone else posted that theirs doesnt have any flex at all so maybe its just my laptop. i bought a hp dv6t a few months ago and returned that because of the heat it outputs and because all the other hp laptops i had crapped out on me, i then returned it for the vaio eb series laptop, which i love alot, but i gave that one to my mom and bought this cb series, which IMO is better than the eb series performance wise, although it is a little heavier and thicker than the eb. if i were you i would get a vaio over a hp or dell. i had bad experiences with hp and dell and never again would i get another system from them.

also, this laptop does not come with a keyboard skin, i believe on the ca series comes with a skin, i dont think they have skins for the cb yet because i dont see it anywhere on the site, i have a skin for my eb series and it just feels weird typing with it on, i think that with a skin on the cb series it would just take away the beauty of the keyboards backlighting.

also, if you are not going to haul the laptop everywhere then i advise you to get the normal battery for the laptop, i got the bigger one and it just sticks out alot, it isnt comfortable using it on my lap because theres a big lump resting on my knees lol

 

Sorry, I mean't 1920x1080, my mistake lol. Keyboard flex isn't a big problem, I'm not a heavy leaner on typing. I'd never get an HP again, horrible experience with multiple returns.

My main concerns were a good screen for movie watching and video watching, something that runs pretty cool, and just nice extras that also will make the laptop last for future use. The Radeion 6630 you got, is that the upgrade with hybrid? How does that work? Is it the same as Optimus? Getting more and more interested in ordering this. Thanks for your help

 

yeah its a major upgrade, the battery lasts way longer than it did with the eb series that didnt have the hybrid gpu, as far as optimus goes, im not quite sure, i never had a laptop with nvidia, but i can tell you its pretty easy to switch between the gpu, theres no button to press to turn off the dedicated but when you launch a program ati catalyst will pop up and ask you which one you want to use and it will save the answer so the next time you run the same program it will use the option you picked


if you do decide on getting the laptop, you should either opt for the fresh start so you dont get all the bloatware that sony puts into their laptops or install a fresh os, i didnt get fresh start with my eb series and it was a pain in the to remove all the bloat ware so when i got fresh start with the cb i was happy, it would cost you 50 bucks though because you have to upgrade windows home to professional i think but if you run alot of xp programs then it would be worth it

 

I really do appreciate your replies. Sorry, I forgot Optimus was Nvidia. So hybrid works based on programs? That seems pretty good. Is there a way to just turn it on or off for everything you're doing?

2) Does it run cool idle and when using it? I like watching HD videos, Hulu, Youtube, etc etc. Converting video files, word processing, multiple browser tabs, etc. Old emulation gaming. Obviously the video card is overkill, but better to have more than less.

3) Screen is good at the 1920x1080 for hd videos and such?

Sorry for the repetitive questions. I was lookinga t the Lenovo T520 but heard the screen wasn't that good. I haven't heard horrible about some Sony brands, so overall, would you highly recommend this?

 

i dont know if there is a way to switch it on or off completely, i dont see an option for it but there might be a way, i havent really looked into it yet

ive been watching netflix for a few hours and the temps of the cpu has been around 50 degrees cel, but that might be because i have the targus chill mat connected to it, i'm sitting on my bed with the laptop resting on my legs and as i said in my earlier post, i have the bigger battery and its not so comfortable so i use the chill mat because it feels better lol

i watch alot of 1080p anime, the screen is IMO good for watching movies and whatnot, there is a color mode setting that changes the color for whatever you are doing, watching movies, playing games, browsing etc. but i dont use that, i turned it off, i think the screen looks 10 times better with it off

its ok that you are asking questions, i would too, buying a laptop over 1k is not a small investment so i would want to be 100% sure before i made a purchase. i like sony because everything sony i have still works, even my fatback sony tv i had for over 15 years is still working lol, if you are looking for a 1080p resolution, theres not alot of makers that have the option for around the price of the cb, i would recommend this laptop, but if you are not in a hurry or in the need to get a laptop right away you can always wait till the sandy bridge hype dies down and the prices go down a bit.


if you are a student with a .edu email, you can even get a 10% discount off your whole order if you buy a warranty for the laptop.

 

No biggie on switching it on or off fully, the fact that it is switchable in itself is cool.

Yeah, I'm really trying to avoid a chill mat. Maybe it's just me, but I just think it's pretty lame that a laptop should require one instead of sufficiently cooling itself.

That's cool about the screen. Options are a plus. How is reading text on it and browsing websites? Is the text too small? The advice around here is to get the best screen possible, so this would be it right here on the Vaio. How's the browsing/text reading?

I do have a .edu email.

 

I also just ordered a new CB series and was wondering about a few things.

Sony rates the battery life at 4.5 hours with the standard battery. Just as you said, i made sure NOT to get the bigger battery because i dont want the extra bulk and weight and i think it looks butt ugly.

I do plan on hauling this thing around ALOT and 4.5 hrs of battery life for me is plenty. If i were to get a second battery i can pull off 9 hours which is pretty awesome though usually i wont even need a second one.

My question is, does it really last for 4.5 hours and is it possible with using the integrated GPU or changing other settings to pull off 5 hours on it?

Im also concerned about the 1080p screen. Are the viewing angles and colors good on it or are they similar to what you find on an average TN panel LCD?

I thought the 1080p screen on the Vaio F looked like crap with terrible colors and the worst viewing angles ive ever seen. I hope the CB isnt the same panel...

 

i dont know the core temp of the laptop without the chill mat, whenever i use it on my desk i didnt really check the temps, it didnt get hot though, 1080p will make the text rather small but in return it gives you alot more room for everything else, like having more windows opened and stuff, you can always go into the settings and make it so texts appear bigger, i did that and i think it is pretty clear.

in reality, no laptop batteries last as long as the company states, i havent really put a test on the battery yet, ive only had this laptop for less than a week, but with my eb laptop the est time was about 3.5 and i got about 2 hours with it while just browsing the web with 50 percent brightness, how long your battery will last really depends on what you are doing, sandy bridge is supposed to be better at conserving power so i think this laptop will last longer than the eb with the old i5, if you are going to school, i would say this laptop would last you through all your classes if you are just typing notes on it, you can always bring the charger, im pretty sure wherever you are hauling this thing will have an outlet

as for the vaio f screen, im not sure if the cb has the same panel. the viewing angles on the screen arent bad at all

 

Hey since you had an EB, how do the speakers on CB compare ? Are they better now or the same ?

 

better and louder

 

Glad to hear all the good things about the CB. I had similar questions, but I put in my order already. The main deciding point for me was asking the IT guy at work who only works on laptops. He said he's worked on everything, and the manufacturer with the fewest problems and best build is Sony. Things like the build, feel of the keyboard, etc. are more important to me than hardcore gaming features. Got an e-mail today that mine's being built and shipping 4/14. I'll be sure to post my thoughts when it comes in!

 

Are the viewing angles as good as this?

YouTube - Viewing Angles Vaio F21Z 3D-Ready HD

Or is it more like this?

YouTube - Vaio CA-Series Viewing Angles HD Video-Preview

 

The viewing angles are better than the CA but definitely worse than F2, the F2 has an IPS/PVA screen so its in a completely different league with viewing second to none in the laptop market.

Still the viewing angles are better than most mainstream laptops.

 

I saw the F2 the other day and the colors and viewing angles are AMAZING on it. I would say viewing angle even beats my 52HX909 which uses a Sharp UV2A panel.

Its probably using an IPS panel. Looks similar to my Dell2005FPW which uses an S-IPS panel.

If the CB is using a TN panel then from what i know all TN panels have the same crappy viewing angle which means it should be just as bad as the CA series.

 

I don't have a problem with viewing angles. I look straight on and I'm on a 12.1" screen right now, so anything's an improvement for me. Would anyone with the CB be able to post the Windows Experience numbers? Just to look...I'm on a 12.1" Asus with Intel Atom 1.6ghz dual core and Nvidia ION:
Processor 3.2
RAM 4.6 (4gig)
Graphics 4.2
Gaming graphics 5.3
Primary HDD 5.7

Basically, is the i5-2410M a good processor?

 

Well not really, there is certainly a difference between the CA screen and the CB full hd VAIO Premium Display with regards to viewing angles.

Yes both use the same panel technology but the panel in CB is of higher quality and on par with high quality FULL HD displays from other manufacturers like Dell, Asus etc.

I've seen both screens personally and the difference is certainly noticeable.

 

Just got my CB in today. Don't plan on getting another laptop soon, so I went with most of the upgrades. I expected the screen to be a tad better, but it isn't too bad. Maybe I'm spoiled by my Dell U2410. Anyways, computer runs great and looks fantastic in white.

Only question - Whats the deal with no recovery disc? I normally build my PCs and have access to all of the software I need on physical media (W7, Office, etc). One thing I did plan on doing was throwing a SSD into this computer once I feel the need / get situated with the idea of having a laptop (I don't want to break it just yet. As expected, you can imagine my surprise when I didn't see a recovery DVD in my box (I opted for Fresh Install as well, which made me think it would for sure be offered).

I imagine that the recovery image is on the computer then, which does me no good to get a SSD and expect an easy upgrade path. Can I get a copy of the disc from Sony without much hassle or am I missing something?

 

You need to create the Recovery Discs yourself by going to VAIO care recovery and restore section. ( 3 DVDs required)

Once you are done creating the recovery discs you can delete the recovery partition on the hard disk.

 

Bump, would love more opinions. I'm really considering getting this soon. I've love more opinions on the 1080 screen, how cool it runs without a cooling pad/mat, and overall impressions.

 

I'm not using a cooling pad and it runs rather cool compared to an old roommate's HP laptop. The screen is bright. Viewing angles are better than other panels I've seen in laptops, but still not fantastic.

I ordered mine with pretty much all the specifications bumped up because I don't plan on tearing this thing open myself (except to add a SSD in the future). I went for the fresh install as well. Everything is just as you would expect from the newer CPUs and a fresh install: Fast. I'm sure I could have saved a little money going elsewhere, bu I'm in love with the quality of the laptop.

The "Lightning White" gloss is nice, but boy can you see any kind of dust on it a mile away. It also comes packed with the normal stickers on the inside, which stand out even more on the white. I took the Blu-Ray one off and it left the adhesive on the case.. need to get some Simple Green or something similar to remove the residue.

Mouse pad is nice. L/R buttons click a little loud. Keyboard is fairly quiet, buttons are spaced good and its fairly easy to type on. I was expecting a wider keyboard since the CB series has a numerical keypad as well, but its just right on top of the other keys. I'm happy with that.

One thing I don't get (that seems to be a trend with laptops) is the VGA port on the side instead of a DVI port. I'll end up using the HDMI out instead, but I don't get having an older port on a laptop that should never be connected to a display that old.

Speakers aren't bad, but they're nothing great. Better than other laptop speakers that aren't gaming rigs, but you'd do yourself a favor by getting a set to hook this thing up to.

I really don't have any complaints about the computer. Its fast, looks good, and has mostly everything I was looking for in a laptop. I would have been happier if all of the USB ports were 3.0, but no big deal.

 

Good to hear. I appreciate the indepth reply. Another question: How are the Hybrid graphics? Someone earlier in another CA Sony thread said that they pretty much suck, since it asks you program by program, and isn't sort of on or off like Nvidia Optimus. Can you elaborate on your thoughts of that so far? That seems to be the only holding back point. You said the screen is great, it runs cool, it's fast, keyboard is good..

 

I actually haven't gotten into that yet. I don't have any computer games to try out. I should have Civ5 out soon (I left it on the east coast..), but I'm not sure how demanding that would be. As far as Windows 7 prompting me for anything, it hasn't. I popped a BD in and it ran fine. Not sure if it kicked into a higher graphics mode. It did knock me out of Aero, but that's because Sony has built in color profiles that shift. No "click to ok" or anything. Pretty easy. I'll post if I run into it though.

 

Most projectors still use VGA and it is necessary if you do frequent presentations. That's one reason I prefer the CB over the Dell XPS 15 which lacks VGA.

 

kakwvu, thanks again for the reply. Keep us updated on that situation. Is there anything you don't like about the CB? What rating out of 10 would you give it thus far? I'm also not a big gamer, but I figure I might as well play a few since this can run them at medium or so. I was just concerned about normal Windows tasks and it popping up/becoming a problem ala Windows 7 asking for yes/no on everything (which can be turned off at least)

 

I bought the Vaio Signature C laptop last Friday. Still mulling it over and have left the box sealed so I can return it

I have been with IBM for a while and have gotten used to the Thinkpads. Occasionally I swap out the hard drive and put in a drive that has another OS in it. On the Thinkpad it takes just ONE screw. I checked the docs on the Vaio C and it takes two screws to take off the HD cover than another two screws to detach the drive, then four more screws to remove the drive from the bracket.

Hoping running a drive from the USB 3 works well.

Does anyone know where you can buy Vaio hard drive bracket, so I can have it attached to the spare drive and eliminate 4 screws ?

 

I'm actually running a 1TB WD Caviar Black on the USB 3.0 port using an external enclosure. The drive never spins down, but it works rather well. No hesitation for the most part and transfer speeds seem pretty good.

As far as aesthetic faults, the only ones I've run into thus far..

1) The mouse pad is very sensitive. You can be trying to scroll with your right hand while your left is barely touching it on the edge. It'll bump your text up/down depending the direction of the scroll (think ctrl+mouse up/down).

2) Small weak point by the WiFi switch. Makes a small noise, but I have to pinch it to make the sound. I noticed it on accident..won't bother me one bit.

I'm surprised more people haven't posted about this laptop yet. I'm sure I'm not the only one to get it. I actually waited for its release.

 

Before I purchased the Sony C, I bought a Samsung RC512 with the i7 Intell chip. The Win 7 Experience index for it was 5.9 overall and 7.4 for the processor. The Sony CB by comparison is an overall of 5.7 to 5.8 with a chip rating of 6.9.

The Samsung was high on specs but BLUE Screened on me twice in 12 hours with me installing ZERO, just sitting there not running anything. On the plus side besides the i7 it had two USB3's as well and the brushed aluminum case was pretty cool. On the CON compared to the Sony it was put together as if the designer had never actually used a PC, to open it you risked breaking a finger nail. Instead of a nice beveled edge for the palm rest like the Sony C, the Samsung RC512 has an almost razor sharp knife edge rest for your palms. The other CON was the screen was 1368 instead of full HD 1920. So it went back to Best Buy. I was not able to test all these things out at the store because it was in stock and but not on display, BB claiming it was similiar in look and feel to another Samsung on the floor which it was not.

I wound up looking at the Sony because I did not want HP, Dell, or Asus .... and I needed something in the 15.6 screen size that is high performance with the high res screen, runs cool and has good ergonomics / quality.

 

The Sony CB comes with 4GB of DDR3 1333 memory, I have 8GB of DDR3 1033 available to replace, is it a really bad idea to put in a larger quantity of slower memory? Or buy one or two 4GB DDR3 1333's, to up it to 6GB un balanced or 8GB Balanced?

 

Your BIOS will default to the slowest speed inserted. It is perfectly safe to do.

 

Considering buying this laptop, never owned a Sony laptop before so I have a few questions.

How is the build quality? I'm coming from an HP dv9500Z. After using the HP for only 3 years the LCD no longer works. So I told myself my next laptop would have to have higher quality -- was actually considering mostly "business" laptops as I've read those have better quality.

How glossy is the FHD screen? I've hated the super glossy screen on my HP. Would prefer a matte screen if possible.

Does the Radeon™ HD 6470M graphics option really not have the "hybrid" capability which is listed on the 6630M? Seems odd to me, would the higher end graphics option offer better battery life for typical office type work?


The other laptop I'm considering is a similarly spec'd Dell Latitude 5520. Seems like the Sony comes out a little cheaper, although I'm guessing the Dell might have slightly better build quality since its a "business" model? Anyways, I appreciate any and all advice on deciding between these two or some other laptop I should be looking at (15-16" FHD screen).

 

I recently bought a vpccb190x and it seems alright... except...

I was about a few days into using my laptop and already a driver issue with the video game: Sims 3. I suppose I can look forward to more issues in the future with other games.

Interesting thing is that enabling the lower end Intel HD Graphics allows for proper rendering, while using the 6630M causes this issue. So, I suggest you be wary if you plan on using this laptop for any 3D gaming.

-Cassy

 

That guy is hung.

 

Any other problems with the CB from those who have it?

 

hahaha


Well, I'm also reading that the driver support for switchable graphics is horrid, so I may just have to return/sell this and get something else. Painful though, because it is a beautiful laptop.

 

That sucks...there's nothing else in this price/spec range that I've liked. Don't like the Dell XPS (too bulky, heat issues), ThinkPad 420 is either expensive or doesn't have dedicated graphics or 1920x1080 screen. Any other recommendations?

 

Yeah, wait for better driver support and stick with the Sony.

 

One thing to change is your power settings while plugged in. The default setting is to stay "balanced." Ctrl+Alt+F12 -> Advanced Mode -> Power -> Maximum Power under the "Plugged In" tab. Not sure if this will help games run / keep the prompts from opening up while plugged in, but its worth a shot.

 

Well, I would note that this is the only game I've had issues with thus far.

Other games I've tested on it so far include:
Crysis 2 (on low, which is still amazing)
Dead Space 2 (Very High)
Starcraft 2 (Ultra)
Fallout: New Vegas (High)
Left 4 Dead 2
Civilization V
Assassin's Creed

If you're not using it for gaming, it will be fine. If you are, your mileage may vary. Though, if you have a specific game and you're curious if it will work, I could probably test it for you. Between my friends and I, we have almost everything that's come out in the past 5 years.

This doesn't fix the Sims 3 issue, but my friend suggested it a few days ago when I had performance issues in another game. Turns out I had the power settings set on Power Saver, despite being plugged in - which drastically slowed my game down. Thanks for the tip.


Best,
Cassy

 

Now I don't know what to buy, the vaio cb or the dell xps 15? I need some advice... Which one is better in terms of screen (1080p) and for gaming? what about known issues of both laptops?... If only the xps had the cb design... honestly that laptop has a very bad design... I'm not only want a powerful laptop, I want one that makes everybody turn their heads just to see how cool it looks too.... But i can't have everything right?, the only laptop that have a good design and looks powerful is the vaio f 3d, but i can't afford that... Please I need help deciding... Thanks in advance...

 

Oh and another question for the ones who had the chance to compare colors... Which one looks better the white model or black model?... It looks like the black model have some type of purple tint on the cover, and i don't know if a iwill like that and the white looks like it'll get yellow in no time haha... If i decide to buy this laptop my option would be the black... But as i said, i don't know how that purple touch looks in real life, not in photos (I can't find videos of it, it's like nobody wants to review it or make an unboxing video and thats weird)... Is the purple very noticeable? How does it look?

 

I already ordered one in black and have been wondering the same thing. Im crossing my fingers that the purple wont be too noticeable.

Can anyone give some input on this?

 

In some lighting, it does look slightly purple. It's not a bright purple, but it is a somewhat noticeable, sedate looking purple. Doesn't bug me too much because it's much better that the horrible orange/lime green.

 

Yeah but if thats the case i think white maybe would of been better...

 

Taken with my cell. You get the idea.

 

The white is looking good, I might choose that over black, especially with those pictures. Any other complaints about it? I'm really close to making the decision.

 

I have no complaints. I love this thing. My experience with laptops is rather limited, but compared to what I see around the base.. this thing is great. Everyone here loves it too.

 

I think the black model may show fingerprints more than the white. On the other hand the keyboard backlight will look more beautiful on black keys than the grey keys the white model has. Personally I prefer the white.

 

I had the same dilemma but decided to go for the CB because it suits my tastes and needs better than the XPS. The following are the pros and cons of the XPS in my eyes, it might be different for others:

Dell XPS 15

Pros

-Very good 1080p screen but very reflective
-Arguably the best laptop speakers
-Two USB 3.0 ports as opposed to one on the CB
-i7 processor options and nvidia optimus (CB only has i5's)
-Larger trackpad
-Cheaper than CB (discount coupons are always available)

Cons

-Ugly and bulky design
-Indicator LED's placed at the back of the machine, so you can't see them from the front!
-USB ports are not close together which is a problem if you want to connect a Y-cable
-Heat issues (processors overheat under load due to inadequate cooling)
-Lack of VGA port
-No number pad
-Accessing the hard drive is a real pain (have to take the entire top off)
-Quality control issues (some people received their laptop with wireless card cables disconnected!)

CB also comes with the imagination suite software that I'm interested in.

I don't know how good the CB 1080p screen is, but from the opinions in this thread it seems good enough. Personally I've found Sony products to be more reliable than Dell in the long haul and I'm one of those who keeps a laptop for several years before replacing it.

 

kakwvu,

Thanks for the pics. Is that a 1080p display? Can you show us the horizontal and vertical viewing angles of the screen?