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

hi, i have a z115, which has a HDD built-in with no SSD. i am thinking of adding a SSD while keeping the current HDD. the idea is to use the SSD for windows while HDD for file storage

i just disassembled the laptop and this is what it looks like (click to view full image, sorry i only have a phone camera)


my question is, what parts do i need if i were to add a 1.8" SSD? i believe i need a connector but i have no idea where to get one (north america). also, what is the best bang-for-the-buck SSD that i can buy for my Z? i am looking for 128gb or possibly 256gb in size, though the latter may cost an arm and a leg. i have no intention of running a raid on the SSD, so a single SSD will do. any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated

and as an aside, is my model capable of adding a 3g module in it? just curious thats all

 

@chroma_cg:

I can help you with the thing regarding the 3G Module - Yes it can be done, just few pages back, we had them with part numbers, so make sure to check it out.

 

@chroma_cg, I have a Samsung SATA-LIF 64GB SSD on ebay right now for $75, which comes out of a VPCZ114. Presumably, this should fit your Z115 provided the LIF flat cable is there. If not you will have to order that from Sony parts.

 

Anybody have experience with MATROX DUELHEAD2GO and TRIPLEHEAD2GO? I want to drive (1920 x 1200) Dell monitors which have DVI (and a VGA) inputs from my Vaio Z (VPCZ138GG) which has HDMI (and a VGA) outputs

I don't think the TRIPLEHEAD2GO will give me any benefit over the DUELHEAD2GO as for 1920 x 1200 resolution both have a maximum of 2 monitors. Assuming that's correct, that leaves me with the choice of
a) Analog
b) Digital or
c) DisplayPort Editions.

a) is old technology and both b) and c) will no doubt require me to buy a whole heap of adaptors. Can anyone advise on the best path to take?

Laptop > HDMI to DisplayPort adaptor > MATROXDUELHEAD2GO> 2 x ( DisplayPort to DVI adaptor> monitor)?

Thanks in advance

 

hey guys,

yesterday i was installing new gfx driver,

now i cannot find where is the option in power plan that set the dispaly to 40hz and 60hz

please point me out

thanks

 

thanks for the offer, but i just checked how much space windows and program files (x86 and x64) and they all add up to 60gb....so unfortunately 64gb is not enough for my needs but thanks anyways

so i guess im stuck with 128gb capcacity. any suggestions? i may consider a 2x64gb raid as well if prices are good though i still prefer one single 128gb

and where can i get the connector besides via sony?

 

Is it still possible to buy one the the Z's with a 1080p screen without going through ebay?

 

Hey guys,

Just purchased this Z11:

Sony VAIO Z, Core i7 2.66GHz, Bluray, 256GB SSD VPCZ11 | eBay UK

New to the Sony Z series, but can't wait to get my hands on it!! Was waiting for the new Z, but I really don't like the fact the GPU isn't discrete, so I bought the old one.

Thought I got quite a good deal, started off at £1699 and I got the seller down to £1200 Bought my 8GB Crucial RAM upgrade, and now the only thing left is to replace the worn palmrests and rear LCD cover. Does anyone have part numbers?? or would I be better respraying? Easy to remove? Sorry for the potenial-n00besque questions!!

Cheers

 

At this point is it worth it to get a Z over an SA?

 

Ask ComputerCowboy, he certainly knows about these.

Congrats to your nice purchase and welcome to the Z owners club. Respray would certainly be the cheapest option since those parts cost you an arm and a leg if you purchase them through sony. Part-#s as following:

Palmrest: A-1769-482-A
Screen lid:
- Black: X-2541-527-2
- matte CF: X-2541-888-2
- glossy CF: X-2541-889-2

CF stands for CF but means "premium carbon" finish here.

 

@chroma_ch, I now have the 128GB Samsung LIF SATA ssd module from the Vaio Z114 listed on ebay as well, for $175.

If you find someone who is parting out a Vaio Z, you could buy the LIF cable from them. I'd say it's either ebay or Sony Parts for that cable.

 

Dekabal - It's definitely worth it for me as I need the extra room that a Full HD screen gives, and the SA has a mediocre 1600x900 screen at best.

Pyr0 - Thanks very much! Hopefully it should arrive today (most exciting thing to happen to me all year - i'm such a nerd) so i'll see if it's worth the premium. By the looks of the photos it has the Matte Carbon finish, so i'll have a look.

Cheers

 

pyr0, from googling those part numbers for the lid, they are for the full screen assembly, not just the rear cover, don't suppose you know what that part number is?? Cheers

 

No, those numbers are only the back shells (LCD housing). Sony's part description "ASSY HOUSING DISPLAY PC [Carbon & Silver/Premium Carbon]" etc.
Screen bezel, lcd panel, antennas, hinges, camera, several tape sheets to fix cables in place, magnet are NOT included. Take these parts from your existing LCD, so you just need to replace the screen's back lid. As I already said, I would not be surprised if Sony charges you a 400 bucks for just the lid. An LCD panel comes around 500$ alone!

You can also stick a protection cover over a scratched lid like this one:

SGP Laptop cover Skin CARBON Pattern -Sony Vaio Z11 | eBay

 

Jesus, I thought at that price it would be the whole top half!! I don't think my wallet can take any more hammer from a laptop I like those skins though, they even do a wristrest one I notice. Do they fit well? Anyone got any pics of them fitted to their Z? I don't trust publicity shots!!

 

Right now I could get a Z13 for about $800 but i'm a little aprehensive about buying last years tech over something like the SA. Can anyone put this into some kind of perspective for me because i'm kinda at a loss over which one is better.

 

Z is lighter and has a better screen with fullhd option depending on the model

SA has a faster cpu and gpu

It al depends on what you do with your laptop. For video playback the Z has a nicer screen and for normal tasks like web browsing, office applications and email/messaging you don't see the small performance increase from a second gen i5/i7 cpu on the SA. On cpu intensive stuff maybe.

 

Im planning on some gaming, programming, college stuff. How is the durability/quality of the Z. I know a guy who ran a programming company who swears he'll never buy vaios again becasue the ones he used for his company all broke after 2 years.

 

Where are you getting a Z13 for $800? That's a great deal. I just paid $1899 for mine (a Z135). I don't think there will be a huge difference in performance. You get to pocket $1200 and do with it as you please.

 

without any hesitation get the z, better build and a lot more performance than the S series you cannot compare bother one is a very hi quality the other is a standard market laptop. Or wait a little bit for the new Z2 coming soooooonnn Very Very powerful YouTube - ‪Sony VAIO Z Series 2011 First Look‬‏

 

Originally posted by Dekabal

If you buy the cheaper vaio its like similar to other laptops in durability
Companies don't give a damn what they gave to their workers anyway for office tools....

But its different if its your choice...

I have own vaios for a long time but I choose to get the higher end products, the oldest one is already more than 6 years old and still running with no defect aside from worn out surfaces and significantly , only the battery is not working anymore...

I also have three year old and the latest is the first generation Z with quad SSD and full HD screen...I bought more than a year ago..

With such impressive quality I would continue patronizing there top of the line products whenever i need to buy another laptop..

 

That's a great price for a Z... Like another poster mentioned, the Z is more portable..

 

The palmrest is kinda a pain to replace, there are a few hooks on the palmrest that are a pain to get off, careful of the cable for the touchpad, i killed mines. Depending on how expensive those parts are. Back when the Z was still in production, it was ~$117 for a carbon fiber lid in the USA and $76 for the palmrest.

 

Anyone know how to detach the Fan/Heatsink from the mainboard? I'm trying to replace the thermal paste. Not sure if it makes an improvement or not with the Z but I just changed my girlfriend's thermal paste on her CW. Temps improved by 10 C and her fan barely kicks in anymore. Sorta wanna see the results with the Z. Pretty much stuck in taking the fan/heatsink out though. Any thoughts?

 

@Ricefields:

Tough Job if you ask me, BUT, a Z is not a CW actually all laptops on this planet are something, and the Z is another, and you don't have to do the thermal pasting thingy, just maintain it well, and don't use it in dusty environment and just use compressed air when needed, that's my advice!

 

Just changed my thermal paste on the CPU and replaced the thermal pad on the GPU. DRAMATIC temp difference. Running prime95, CPU temps maxed out at 80*C. Ran 3D Mark 06 and GPU temps maxed out at 82*C. Before both would hit 88-91*C. Worth it. Fan noise was also much quieter due to low idling temps.

 

Also, the thermal paste used in the Z was the same as the CW if anyone is curious.

 

very often when using my Z, the trackpad puts up this little round circle with an up and down arrow, which stops me from typing until I hit the escape key. Can someone please tell me how to disable this function? Its very annoying. it is some kind of scroll, but it pops up by itself very often without me wanting it. Has something to do with my palm touching the edge of the trackpad (I think ) while typing. I would really rather disable this function altogether, as I ususally use the Arc mouse from MS which has a great scroll built in.

thanks

I tried this but I still get this annoying circle with the arrows... doesnt this happen to anyone else?

 

Normally this feature is enabled when you press down click on the scroll wheel of a regular mouse. I have never gotten it to happen on the trackpad. Are you using the regular mouse drivers or some special one?

 

Specifically, go into "scrolling" and uncheck the box entitled "chiral scrolling," On the trackpad, this enables you to scroll up and down by making a small circular motion, clockwise for down, counter clockwise for up. I find it less trying on a long web page than repetitive linear scrolls, with one or two fingers. But definitely that circle with the arrows only shows up if the trackpad senses you are trying to make that circular motion and the chiral scrolling function is enabled. If disabling it doesn't make it go away, I would suggest uninstalling and re-installing the mouse driver. Good luck.

 

Hello guys
Just lately after a regular vaio and windows updates I can no longer enlarge the font of the text of any open application so that I can read it more clearly.. I have never changed the resolution of my VPC z12 and keep it fixed at ful HD 1080P ever since...
Is there something wrong with my VPC Z12?

As before whenever I find the font to tiny at 1080p screen I just manipulate the touch pad with my two fingers by dragging it in opposite sides and I can enlarge or decrease the size of letters in the the text.. but how come I can't do that anymore now ?


Edit
Just did system restore and things went back to normal....sorry for bothering it.

 

You didnt take any Pics??? I got some mx-4 left over from my desktop build that i want to use... my temps are crazy high 100C on CPU when i game at times...

 

Thanks to Sony's mix up I had to return my second vaio Z (I ordered 1080p but they gave me 900p)... before returning it I thought I should restore it to factory config first. Then while it's installing drivers I accidentally closed the lid, and the system went to sleep. When I woke it up, the whole restoring flow basically got messed up, and each time I turned it on, it would say 'Setup is preparing your computer for first use', and then 'Windows could not complete the installation. To install windows on this computer, restart the installation'.

I basically solved the problem, but I thought I should document it here for anyone encountering the same problem.

The system installation isn't complete, and Vaio Care hasn't been installed yet. New user has not been set up either, so there's only one Administrator account running (for running the first-time setup, which got messed up), that you cannot use.

Solution
1. Search for and download Vaio Z's Vaio Care. Copy it to an external drive/pen drive.
2. Boot up the borked Z. When it says '...restart the installation', hit CTRL+ALT+DEL. Click Start Task Manager.
3. Connect your external drive, click File->New Task (Run). Open up C: or My Computer or whatever. Point is open up a window explorer. Copy Vaio Care over to C:\Program Files\Sony.
4. New Task again, but type cmd. In the command prompt, type:
net user Admin test123 /ADD
5. That basically adds a new user. Now we want to make it an administrator, so type:
net localgroup administrators Admin /add
6. Now hit CTRL+ALT+DEL again, and click log off to log off the account that runs the setup process.
7. Log into Admin with test123 as password.
8. Once in, we need to get out of Audit mode. Hit Start,, type 'regedit' and hit enter.
9. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup\State.
10. Change ImageState's value from IMAGE_STATE_UNDEPLOYABLE to IMAGE_STATE_COMPLETE. If you don't do this, when you attempt to run Vaio Care's recovery, it'll ask you to exit audit mode and restart Vaio Care.
11. Now go to c:\program files\sony\vaio care folder and run vaiocare.exe.
12. Go do your restore/recovery thing.

 

OMG!! I'll never closed my lid when re-installing. Thanks for the heads up.

 

Where did you obtain the GPU thermal pad and how much does it cost? As to the paste for the cpu, did you use arctic silver?

 

I did install the 2 finger scrolling driver.

 

I just checked, and under setting, scrolling, rotate, the enable chiral scolling was not checked. I will have to try un-installed the mouse driver...

 

Does anybody know if you can use 16GB of ram with the VAIO Z13?
I use this little toy for demos and 8GB is insufficient.

 

No, i believe 8gb is the max.

 

Does anyone have a vaio Z keyboard for sale? A friend's Z had a fluid spill and some keys stopped working. Instead of the entire top case I'd like to get the core keyboard part to get things working. Thanks.

 

^
How about this from Ebay:
Sony VPCZ1 Palmrest Assembly (keyboard, touchpad) | eBay

 

Bought it thanks

 

Hello Guys!
Is there a way to wipe the grease marks off from the keyboard brought about by using the VPCZ12 with slightly greasy hands....or something like that..

Indeed there are people that no matter how much care the use their notebooks time will come that sort of greasiness will appear on the keys...?
I am rather wary of using solvents as it might destroy the keys...

 

^ ha ha you OCD like me?!

Wipe daily with a damp cloth. This will get rid of maybe 90%+ of the grease.

Once in a while, after wiping with the damp cloth and it's dry,... use the 2" wide scotch/packing tape and lay it across the keys. Press down tight on each key. When slowly lifting/removing the tape, a magical amount of stuff will actually lift off making the keys new again! Try it - it works! Just be very careful to not remove the keys when [slowly] peeling off the tape. (This is using some facial skin care technology to remove dirt from the keys ha ha!!).

 

Originally posted by vaio.phil

Thanks for that suggestion Phil! That is a clever and simple idea indeed.
It really works and my VPCZ12 keys looks like new again...!

 

^
Use gloves so they won't get greasy again

 

Get a keyboard cover so it'll never get greasy again.

 

Originally posted by xxGenericSNxx

I have a keyboard cover but I find it awkward using it on top of the keyboard something similar to wearing gloves while using the notebook PC...

 

umm... did you guys all wipe 'n wax your keyboard yet??!!
When you guys do, be sure not to hit that red ASSIST button near the top middle-right of the keyboard!! If you hit that emergency button, the laptop will boot up and a secret agent from the Sony Pictures J.B. movie will instantly show up at your front door to ask if you really want to reinstall this old copy of Windows without any service pack...

 

Originally posted by Vaio. Phil.

Hmm.. if Pat Morita will guide me in the waxing process I will certainly oblige....