Sony Vaio Z i5/i7 (VPCZ1) Official Owners Thread Part 2

Just another question, is someone missing directx 11 in this machine? don´t know if it would be better to wait for a refresh support real directx 11...

 

I just said it suddenly happened and that there is no sort of exterior physical damage on the laptop whatsoever.

 

How do I remove that HORRENDOUS beep every time I change the system volume or display brightness?

 

Thank you for responding Will and Achusaysblessyou:

But, Achusaysblessyou, is correct, I'm talking about actually using the lappy with the HDD in the caddy.

Just, any thought about what's better, provided my requirements?

the Scorbio BLUE or BLACK?

 

Rename ping.wav to something else or delete it from here:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Sony\VAIO Event Service

hope that helped!

 

Is this Dell OEM based UJ242 kosher to put in a VPCZ1290X?

thanks so much! I can't wait!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230558152320#ht_1027wt_973

 

According to the Dell U2711 user manual, supported resolutions depending on the interface:

2560 x 1440 (DVI and DisplayPort) or 2048 x 1152 (VGA) or 1080p (HDMI, Component)

In my opinion, never use the VGA plug for anything involving a high-end screen. It is still there mainly to provide compatibility with old projectors.

You'd better get the docking station to use DVI-DL to get full resolution on the U2711...

 

I know this won't make sense, but it seems these issues with screen pixels and palmrest are coming from the black-colored Z's and not the silver, is this just coincidental?

I think I'm going to keep my Z112 rather than sell and trade up to a Z135. I'm hoping the redesign, if the rumors are correct for Feb. 2011, will solve all these issues. Sony is just not what it use to be.

 

The palmrest problem seems to be specific to the way the dark gray ones were made(or painted on i should say), as for the pixels, i just think more people have the carbon fiber Z's and so there's a greater chance of dead pixels.

 

Ok called Sony this morning,

The guy made boot the laptop into the Vaio and diagnosed the screen needed replacing.
Picking it up on Monday to get serviced, The agent said 5 days depending on part availabilty and also weather issues !

Mappy

 

Does the Z1290X come with in-home warranty service? Everyone at Sony seems confused.

 

Hopefully it'll come through! I will be trying my luck at a sony style store today.

 

general computer question; if i have something saved in 2 spots of my vaio does it use up double the space?

wanting to try to conserve some space!

thaaanks

 

Yes, because whether or not both files are a copy of the other or not, both files are named/titled differently, so it's written/read as two separate files even though the files are identical or different from the other.

 

thaaaaaanks!

 

When I had a problem with my Z they sent a dude out to my house to fix it.

 

Are you sure the Dock does DVI Dual Link, one of the reviewers on SonyStyle said that the DVI port looked like a DL port but he was only able to get 1080P out of it. Maybe he is mistaken.

Looking up specs on the dock now. Thanks for the answer.

If the dock can't do it then the only option to get a resolution like this would be an express card to PCI-E box with a desktop card installed in it.

 

Hey guys, my Z is starting to not shut down properly. I have a Z128 i7 Windows 7 machine. Out of ten shut downs, 7 would be successful but 3 would just hang on the "shutting down" screen. Any ideas? Thank you.

 

Guys, my Z's got a few fine scratches on the bezel that surrounds the screen. What to do?

 

Enjoy them!

It gives your computer character, like a fine wine as it ages gracefully.

 

Do you have the Silver or the Black Z? I think the bezel is made of plastic. I don't think you can buff out fine lines on plastic.

 

Black... But I thought both of them are plastic.

Lol but it is only a month old.

I also noticed that there's a finer line, about 3mm on the screen. how did that get there?? Heard that isopropanol can get rid of it. Hmmm. Isn't it bad for the screen?

 

The reason I asked is because there's been so much documentation on the Black Z's over Silver having issues. Then again, someone did post that there's more Black and Premium Carbon Z's owners in this forum than Silver. It's just coincidental perhaps. As for those fine lines, I would hesitate in applying any kind of solvents. It may cause more damage and you'd wish it was only those fine lines you were looking at. See if anyone has used it successfully, then proceed with CAUTION!

 

wdro, it's not that difficult to change the thin plastic surround of the z, and I suppose it shouldn't be too expensive. You do have to disassemble your z, however. It's up to you. I hate scratches on my laptops (although inevitable sometimes), so if you ask me, I would change it. The scratch on the screen is another issue, I wouldn't apply any kind of solvents on it. I can only suggest that you use the foamy plastic that your z came when carrying it.

 

Interersting. Can I buy that part from Sony??

 

How long did it take to get service? I dropped off my machine at the Sony Style store and they gave me an estimate of 2-3 weeks. Seems a bit long to me.

 

download the Z1 manual here:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/sony/114814-sony-models-specs-support-dissassembly-links.html

Then go to page 11, and in the top right hand corner double click the paper clip and at the bottom of the spreadsheet, go to the second lab L-1

I thought the part was 1001, but that seems to be the LCD itself... i think it mgiht be part 1003, then look in the spreadsheet and find the part # (remove the dashes) Then go to the sony parts site and enter in the part #.

edit: Actually looking through the parts list... it seems ref # 1004 is more correct, the description is: ASSY HOUSING BEZEL BK... part # X25415292

here's the part: $76 https://www.servicesplus.sel.sony.com/PartsPlusResults.aspx?stype=parts

seems as if the Full HD screen is $500 if anyone wants to upgrade

carbon fiber lid: $272
glossy carbon fiber lid: $404
metal sheild: $355
metal mosaic: $445
silver: $237

 

I actually own the Z12, but not the dock.

I looked for the sonystyle comments from users and what caught my attention is some guys talk about 1920x 1080 as the maximum resolution they can get from the dock.

It is odd for me since I attach the HDMI port on my Z and drive my 1920x 1200 screen without a problem.

I do not know if it is a typo when they wrote or they have some problem with cabling or configuring the laptops.

Both the GT330M and the connector in the dock should be able to work with DVI-DL interfaces if it does not, then, it's a big shame for sony...

Of course I am assuming they used the specific Dual Link Cable for dvi if they tried the hightest resolutions because they own a suitable screen.

I wish I had the dock, but it is very expensive here and I also miss the audio ports...

 

I made a call and they had a dude at my house in 2 or 3 days. He determined that the problem was the BT module so they got the part to him in like a week and he came back and determined that it was the motherboard. The motherboard took like 3 weeks to get and that was DOA. Bluetooth still doesn't work on my computer correctly. It works ok with a dongle.

The problem which was not resolved with 4 or 5 visits from the tech is that if I use my BT mouse and keyboard at the same time the keyboard occasionally drops out for a minute or two. This doesn't happen with the MS BT USB dongle that came with the MS Presenter Mouse. Also A2DP doesn't work at all. I've tried numerous different software installs drivers etc. When I am on the go I don't need the dongle because I only use the mouse. So it is not that big of a deal. I wish the A2DP worked but I can just listen to music on the phone.

I think it is a driver/x64 issue since I've had the motherboard replaced and 3 different BT modules.

 

1. It's no problem running 1920x1200 over dvi whether it's the dock or straight out of the laptop. Whoever was saying 1920x1080 probably just meant that their monitor was that resolution and it worked fine for them.

2. Dual link is not supported. It's single DVI, just like on the laptop.

 

IIRC there was a period of time in the part 1 of this thread where people had problem with bluetooth mouses... i think the conclusion was that some MS mouses dont work with the Z... have you tried using some other bluetooth mouses?

 

thank you so much I'll see if I can get used to the scratches.

 

I´m very interested in reading this thread, the gaming performance is one of my big questions. i´m not sure about the power difference between the 9300m gs in my "old" z and the 330m in the new series.

I´ve looked for some benchmarks, but found nothing about world of warcraft cataclysm. Will you be able to run it in native resolution on medium or higer setting?

What part on such an benchmark is the difference between core i5 and core i7?

 

Mobile Graphics Cards - Benchmark List - Notebookcheck.net Tech

There's a pretty comprehensive list of all mobile GPU solutions. The 330m is a significant more powerful than the 9300m, I can't say for sure how well it'll run WoW: Cataclysm, but i can tell you i get ~40 fps on Bad Company 2 with med/low specs... with an overclock. I'm sure Bad Company 2 is more taxing on the system than WoW: Cataclysm right?

In any case, the 9300m is going to be soon taken over by integrated gpus... intel is making pretty power integrated gpus nowadays...

 

Thank you! So maybe it can be better to wait for z refresh or is the 330m powerful enough for next 2 years...? The only thing is the missing directx 11 support on that gpu...

 

Definitely wait for the refresh
330m most definitely won't be good enough for the next 2 years.

 

Yeah, thanks, I've already done that but it's not exactly an ideal situation, I was hoping to get hold of a spare to replace the one that's missing...

 

So i´ll have to hope for an gpu update to 425m gt or higher...

 

There is no other bluetooh mouse on the market that compares to the Notebook Presenter Mouse 8000, The mouse works fine by itself, it is the keyboard that drops out when it is used alongside the mouse.

I'll probably order a Sony Bluetooth Keyboard when I order my next computer from them as part of a combo deal to get the 15% discount.

Like I said it is not an issue really, at the office I use the dongle that came with the mouse, and on the road I don't bring the keyboard, I just use the keyboard that is built into the Z.

What about A2DP, you guys get that working? I have an old pair of Motorola A2DP headphones, 1st gen. They work great with the VAIO UX, they work great with all the Windows Mobile phones I've ever had and with the new Window Phone 7. They don't work at all with the Z. Do I need to buy Sony A2DP headphones? It kind of defeats the purpose of Bluetooth if I need to get everything from Sony.

The other thing that doesn't work on BT on the Z is tethering with Windows Mobile. Works great over USB.

I would be interested to hear feedback from other Z owners about tethering and A2DP experiences with the Z.

I have a theory that it is something to do with the drivers and x64 windows. My GF has the new model P Series which has the same Broadcom BT module but Windows 7 x86. I haven't gotten around to trying A2DP or tethering with it but I suspect it will work. I also want to try pairing my mouse and keyboard to her computer and see if I get the drop outs.

 

I had the same problem with my Z while travelling in US. Nowhere did they have the rubber pad in stock, at a service center they said people do not care. Back in Europe/France Sony Support didn't want to consider it under warranty and they didn't have the parts in stock. So they told me I have to go to an authorised Sony repair center, where they have the parts, only in Paris. I live in the province, so I had to arrange with them to ship me the rubber feet. I got 5 extra (the round ones) for a total of 30 euros (half was the transport). I don't have the time to bother with Sony Support on that. On the other hand, they changed the screen for me for a small black spot on it. They picked up the notebook at my place and delivered it back repaired in 2 days, so for more serious problems they are ok. It is a pity they screw up with customer satisfaction for such silly issues.
But I guess most people would tell you, just remove the other rubber pad. It is not my style. I prefer to have my notebook in good condition.
Go to a Sony repair center, they might have them in stock, or steal one from a demonstration model in a Sony Style store

 

Hi, this is my first time posting and i just have a few questions.

I just bought a new Z yesterday and i got the i5 460m 2.53Ghz with 8g ram and 128 ssd.
I'm an architecture student and mainly going to be doing 3D rendering on Rhino with photoshop, illustrator and indesign running in the background or at the same time. Not sure if I should return it and get a core i7 config. Any thoughts or suggestions? Is the i5 sufficient to run those apps without too much of a slow down?
And also i read somewhere that all the casing on the Z are carbon fiber even the silver cases? Is that true or just the premium carbon fiber casing is carbon fiber and the others are just plastic.
Thanx for your comments!
This forum has been so helpful! XD

 

The speed differences between the i5 and the i7 are small, at least for the versions of those chips used in the Z. There are desktop versions of the i7 that would show a large difference, but on the Z, you should notice on the order of a 10% difference. On the Intel website you can see the physical differences and realize that it is primarily a marketing distinction.
core i5-430
core i5-540
core i7-620

It's mainly the clock speed plus the 4MB vs 3MB cache. Also the i5-430 has the Virtualization vt-x option, but vt-d is disabled.
Some virtualization programs take advantage of vt-d to make I/O a little more efficient. However, I use virtual box and notice that things are all that stable unless I turn it off (ymmv).

The material used for the silver vs. the premium carbon is the same. It's my understanding they are all plastic w/carbon fiber.

 

Thank you so much for replying!
I guess I just wanted to somewhat "future proof" my baby, but this will give me an excuse to go all out next time =D

 

Just looked at the manual in detail. It looks pretty complicated Is it possible to remove the bezel without removing the hinge and keyboard? Can I reuse the little cushion thingie, the camera cover, and the two strips (#1022) that are attached to the top of the bezel? Are those accessories easy to remove as well?

 

My laptop was running RIDICULOUSLY loud and I found that the vpmlm.exe 32 was using 25% of my CPU. I ended the process and now my laptop is noticeably quieter. What is vpmlm.exe 32? Is it important? I don't want it to run again!

 

Well, according to my good friend (google), it is VAIO Personalization Manager. Apparently it indexes your media files (in a way that uses much cpu)

 

Yeah... I personally just uninstalled it. I did that back in august and nothing has happened because of it... so you can do that too.

 

Readed a lot about the 330m GT chip and some posts about world of warcraft on an macbook pro. I think this chip should be ok next 2 years, no outher games will be played...

 

The Y series is a total crap low end model VAIO, look at the starting price. Sony takes care of you a lot better when you buy the top of the line models. I always buy the top of the line and I've always received excellent service from Sony. How much do you think they care about your experience with your $500 laptop vs. my experience with my $3,000 laptop?

 

can you give a bit more info on this uninstall? I would like to too..