Sony Vaio Z i5/i7 Official Owners Thread

I have the same BIOS version, 70.16.51.00.0A. I know that it changed after I tried installing the latest Z12 Nvidia driver (from any of the SonyStyle sites). Perhaps that GPU BIOS upgrade helped...

 

Yep.. bad upgrade.. the drivers didn't take nor will they logically work due to how hybrid graphics functions. Sorry guys.

 

Thank you so much! This seems to have worked. Thanks!

 

When I ordered mine last friday, the discount was listed against the laptop, but they gave me one of the two accessories for free (8gb micro vault) as well in the end (the other accessory was just the neoprene sleeve for 24.99).

I'm not sure if it was because of the accessory I chose or because I kept asking for a bit more off the total

 

I was getting ready to order my CTO Z today and noticed the Metal Mosaic is no longer available. Is this a temporary thing or is there a CTO option for a Z12 where I can get it? Thanks!

 

THANKS! My use will most likely be the same. I know that some were concerned about heat temps. I think someone here posted that they exchanged their Z-i7 and decided to reorder the i5 instead since the difference in CPU can only be noticed through benchmarks. Since the upgrade is only $100, I'll just go for it. Thanks again.

 

@Geeee - I should have mentioned that I have the large capacity battery which elevates the computer at an angle - don't know if that helps with any heat issue by providing more air space, and I use a thick lapdesk when it is on my lap.

 

I wonder if I purchase a $400 digital camera if they would consider that as a second accessory to the neoprene case and qualify me for a bigger discount - doesn't hurt to ask I guess.

How does that neoprene case fit your Z? The description says it fits also SZ models. Does it fit loosely?

 

I haven't got my laptop yet, I only ordered on Friday, it started being built today. I'll post something to the forum when I get it though.

I wanted a sleeve for it and I needed an accessory over $25 for the discount, so I thought I would give it a try.

The rep did say if I returned it they would take the discount off, although I'm not sure if they could easily follow through on that.

 

My Z12 Laptop is a few days old, and has a faint dark patch in the middle of the screen, about 15*10 pixels. Is this a manufacturing error?

I'm thinking of returning the unit, but I'm not sure what Sony's policy is on this sort of thing. I only just managed to get everything set up how I like it - yesterday was my first day using the machine properly...

I really don't think I could have damaged the screen myself as I haven't even taken the laptop anywhere - it's just been sat on my desk the whole time.

Aside from the screen problem (I might ignore it if it wasn't in the middle), I really like the laptop.

 

I got the neoprene case - thought it was a bit snug, so I am actually using an old Viao neoprene case from a former Vaio laptop that was a bit larger, and using the new one for my last, smaller laptop.

 

Ah yes, thank you I watched Zoinks' vid a few times and saved the pics he took when he disassembled his screen but a few things don't seem obvious to me.

After removing the keyboard, how easy is it to get at the hinges? Do I have to remove the screen to tighten the screws? Is there a guide somewhere to removing the screen? Need to fix this issue but don't want to create more

Thanks for all the help

 

Faint dark patch, almost fog-like, that only discernible when you focus on it, but is really annoying to know it's there? Your screen is damaged, unfortunately. It happened to me, too. The screen got hit by something, either during the shipping or accidently by you (I was foolishly trying to fix a stuck pixel using the 'pixel massage' technique ). The Vaio screen is extremely delicate, don't let anyone or anything touch it.

You'll have to do what I did - ship it back to Sony. I'm still waiting for my Sony to arrive, so I'm not sure that they actually fixed it or not, but I had no choice, I wasn't going to stay with that issue in my $2000 new laptop.

 

Yep, that's the exact thing. If it wasn't in the middle, I might be able to ignore it - but not where it is.

Are Sony charging you for repair? How much?

I'm a bit nervous that if my laptop screen is damaged before it's even been outside, that it isn't going to survive being used on the road...

 

I showed it at the store I bought it from and they covered the costs (as far as I know, I haven't received the laptop yet, if they'll ask for extra I'll update you accordingly). If it is still under warranty and you bought it directly from them, I believe Sony will charge you only for the shipping costs.

Regarding the second thing you mentioned - I agree, I think it should be sturdier for such a costly laptop.
That being said, I used quite a bit of force (not full force, but not a slight touch, either) to attempt to get rid of the stuck pixel, so perhaps it should withstand some level of reasonable stress. However, I still won't be taking any chances when I'll get it back again and will protect it as a fine China.

 

You are welcome!

First some answers to your questions:
1. It's easy to get to the hinges.
2. No, you don't have to remove the screen.
3. Sorry, I don't know about a screen removing video.

So what's on the list for you?

- Take care that the 2 screws sitting in the RAM cage under the RAM cage lid has also been removed because they are tighten the keyboard in the center (I did miss them first.).
- To protect the RAM close the RAM cage again after this step.
- After removing all the screws from the bottom open the lid with care as far as it can be done.
- You may want to protect the display with a soft paper or something similar fixed with tape to avoid damage.
- Only then remove the keyboard.
- Let the hinges sit in their places in the base unit.
- The only reason to open the unit and to remove the keyboard is that you only can thighten the screws (sitting on the bezel of the lid) after this step due to space for the screwdriver.
- Tighten each screw which is loose (first check screws of the right hinge, then also for the left hinge to be sure to have only one trip in disassembling/reassembling)
- Tip: Since you are here, you could carefully clean the fan and other parts from dust, if necessary.
- Check if all wires are sitting correct in the area of the right hinge
- Put the keyboard back in its place
- Close the lid slowly
- Check if the lid closed properly and sitting parallel to the edges of the keyboard
- Finally put all screws in the bottom and finish reassembling
- Test the unit

That's it

 

Sorry to hear about your situation it must be frustrating to say the least but if you recently purchased the Z12 and your still within 30 days I would contact Sony immediately and have it RMA'D. I had a similar issue mine being a stuck pixel and Sony covered the shipping cost. I agree that something like this can always happen later down the road which is why i would put some type of warranty preferably ADH on this laptop, because $300 for 2-3 years coverage looks a lot more affordable comparing to a screen that can easily cost two to three times as much in repairs. In my case I was told i would have an at home technician sent to my home and do the repairs, which was taking a very long time to happen since the 1080 screen was on back order. So sending it in to Sony I believe wouldn't have been any faster of an option. In the end I rec'd a new Z12 with a flawless screen and was able to upgrade to 8gigs and add the GPS for only $32 more with the special savings deal, so I hope everything works out in your favor as well.

 

Nicely detailed I will have a go at this next time I get a day off and let you know how it went (probably next monday) - I really appreciate this, thanks again. I owe you a beer/tea/beverage of choice

 

Okay, I'll take ALL the drinks
Don't forget to switch on "hero mode" before operating
Might the power be with you and good luck.

Have a good time!

 

Hi,

I've just bought the i7 with most options added. Happy with it so far!

Before I wade through nearly 700 pages of forum, can anyone help me with the following please?:

1. From factory, it seems that the 4x 64Gb drives are combined as 1x 256Gb drive? How do I convert to a quad raid 0 64Gb drive?

2. Does the earphone socket double as a digital audio output? It would be very disappointing if it doesn't on a laptop at this price. How am I supposed to plug it into my digital amp for music / DTS movies etc?

3. SSD performance was supposed to take a massive drop when using Truecrypt. Has anyone tried it with the new Truecrypt 7.0 that has hardware AES acceleration on i7s?

4. There has been a lot of talk about SSDs losing performance over time and this is much more concerning because the SSDs are a proprietary brand.
a)
Are the SSDs proprietary to Samsungs in Vaios or will they be more widely available to buy from Samsung in general?
b)
Will we be able to buy replacement / bigger SSDs if we want to upgrade in the future?

5.
Is there a GPS in the UK model?

 

i think you're a little confused on what Raid 0 is 4x64gb drives in raid 0 is a 1x256 drive. very fast.

 

Maybe do a search in the thread, as some of this has been covered before. There is also a link to a FAQ on the first page of this thread.

1. If you are outside North America, then yes, your 256GB drive is already a Quad RAID 0. I think Qwaarjet is right that you may be confused as to what the RAID 0 gives you. RAID 0 lets you use multiple drives as a single drive essentially. But the RAID 0 is very fast.

2. Can't help you with this question, sorry.

3. Or this one, sorry.

4. The SSDs are proprietary. Manufactured by Toshiba or Samsung depending on the configuration. I'm pretty sure you can buy these drives directly from Sony, but they are extremely expensive. And the drives have been shown to have a functional garbage collection utility that keeps them from experiencing significant degredation after being filled.

5. Can't hlep you with this one either.

 

Re 1.
I think I am confused.

The drive does seem to be hugely fast and I've now tested it and it does come in at >5-6x as fast as normal laptop drive.

But I assumed the payoff was that the total hard drive space available would equal the drive space of one - 64Gb

So I have 256Gb as well as the extra speed to play with? Eeeeeexelent!

 

I think you are no longer confused.

The trade off though is if one of those 64GB drives dies on you, you lose the whole hard drive. That's the risk of the RAID 0.

 

I can't seem to find the settings for System Tune-Up in Vaio Care. I clicked "Run System Tune-up" (which is all I see beside an empty Undo previous cleaning form) thinking it would show me the settings, but the damn thing started defragging the SSD. I hope I didn't harm the drive!

 

the payoff of using RAID0, is that you must have room for more than one drive and that if one drive fails, you lose ALL your information. Because the way RAID0 works is that in order to achieve those blazing fast speeds, your computer writes the file you tell it to on all the drives in the RAID0 simultaneously. So each drive(four, in your case) gets a different 1/4 of the file and your computer sees all of them as one drive with the sum total of their individual capacities.

 

okay in Vaio Care 5.0.3 (I think this is the newest one), there's only 4 side tabs vs. the 5 tabs you see in bluex's photo. In order to get to the settings. Near the top right-hand side of the window is an obscure toolbox image next to the question mark, click on it and that'll take you to the settings. Then go to System TuneUp Options and it'll look the same.

 

Like this?

 

Not sure of your version of Vaio care but in 6.0 On the systems tune up page on the bottom right hand corner of the window there is a settings icon that looks like a toolbox as you can see in the picture its under the meter, that will take you there.

 

Notice the small black briefcase in the lower right corner. There you can set the settings.

 

Item 2: The output is analog. There is no digital output. You'll have to plug something into the usb if you want that.

Item 4: The ssd's are proprietary, with a different form factor and interface connector than normal. I hope that we will be able to buy them eventually (in case upgrades or repairs are needed)

Item 5: If you have the Qualcomm Gobi chipset in there you have it, if not you don't. Did you order it with the Mobile broadband? Check device manager under modems. If it doesn't show up it can also mean it's simply not enabled.

 

2. I had an old sound blaster live! 24bit external usb sound card that allowed me to free up the headphone jack in the front and since that is where i place my wireless keyboard its no longer in the way. But more importantly it has spdif and optical outputs so i can get dts and dolby digital to my receiver and since it sites in the back of my notebook out of the way i don't see it and when I'm on the road i don't need it because the headphones will do just fine.

 

Or like on mine the toolbox is in the lower right.

 

Hi guys,

I gracefully returned a 1366x768 EB series (ordered 1600x900) and decided to do the right thing and go for a 1080P Z1290L. (i5-450, 4GB, 128GB SSD)

Now for the important decision: WHAT COLOR TO CHOOSE?

So far the order says "GOLD" supposedly with black keys, but I have these options:

Black (standard I guess), Metal Circles, Metal Rays, Gold, Carbon Fibre (+$100 USD).

What do you guys recommend based on experience and expectations?

 

GOLD?

Thats New! where did you order that from? SonyStyle US?

IMHO I prefer the classy Premium Carbon Fiber, youtube new vaio Z 2010 to see how really colors look like, in real life.

 

Yes, GOLD.

I ordered from sonystyle.com.mx (Mexico), where gold is listed with the others as mentioned. I noticed in USA there's only silver and carbon fiber.

According to Sony its gold with black keys. I might change though, since I really liked the aluminium color between the keys on the standard black.

 

can you send me the Link in Sonystyle.mx I wanna see how it looks, can't find it through google.

thx

 

That is my problem also. On their site they put the word "dorado" (translates as golden), but showing a SILVER color Z.

VAIO CTO | Personalizar

Color: "Mas Informacion". Direct img url: http://www.sonystyle.com/wcsstore/S...etStore/img/moreinfo/Z1290XCTOPA_moreinfo.jpg

I called twice to confirm this and they insist on a golden color, I'd imagine something like the SR champagne gold.
I'm trying to get some photos from Sony themselves, but so far no luck.

Could be that they messed up the translation. Initially I was told that the Z came with Intel GMA HD ONLY, and no backlight. After insisting on verifying that information I was told indeed it comes with Nvidia and backlit keyboard.

 

Much information on SonyStyle sites are inaccurate, it happened several times with me and other Users throughout this thread, and Yes, the best bet is that they messed up on translation.

the photo link in your post, shows the real colors available

 

Thanks for your help guys, I found the little toolbox icon (Sony, what's wrong with a <Settings> button?!) Anyway... I hope that short defrag didn't hurt my drive.

 

It indeed says gold, but in more info it shows just metal lid.

 

hello guys

does anyone know that where i can get better earphone w/ compatible sony noise-canceling jack? is this propitiatory or open standard?

thx

 

It's a Sony. It's proprietary.

 

So my problem seems to have worked itself out. I bought a Microsoft Wireless Presenter Mouse 8000 to replace my Microsoft Notebook Mouse 5000 and now everything works perfectly. The keyboard and mouse don't loose signal and A2DP works. There must have been some strange compatibility issue with this notebook and these specific devices. The 8000 model mouse is a lot cooler anyway, it works as a remote control with play/pause, skip, volume and it has a laser pointer.

I guess the reason that the A2DP headset wasn't working was because of the mouse/keyboard combo, sounds strange I know. The mouse worked fine by itself with the Z. The mouse worked fine with the keyboard on my UX490N. I don't know what the deal is but I am very happy that it all works now. That was my only gripe.

Now I have 2 extra BT USB adapters, one that came with the presenter mouse and one that I bought at Staples to try to get this working. I don't know what I am going to do with them since all my computers have bluetooth.

 

I would like to have your opinion, please:

Just compare the descriptions of the latest BIOS fixes below. - The Description of the european site is another than on the asian site for the BIOS update.

Is this the fix for black screening in speed mode viewing flash-videos in full screen mode or not?
Who is right and who is wrong now?


From Sony Europe

VAIO : Sony Europe

From Sony Asia

BIOS Update version R2074C3 : Sony Asia Pacific

 

ah.. so no work around if i need to used the noise canceling function? is there such a premium headphone from sony w/ the same connector?

 

i have the VPCZ1290X which i don't see listed but I must say since using the Z12 i've done full screen a couple times and haven't gotten the blacksod yet I would have to do more heavy testing to be sure but I have high hopes

 

I bought a Z11 (they are clearing out the 256gb model) and when I try to enter the bios screen via F2, it asks me for a BIOS password? What gives? Has anyone else experienced this and does anyone know the password?

 

Thank you.

Okay, I had this blacksod thing right from the start with my Z11 until the VAIO updater threw me this BIOS onto my laptop.
And so I probably did mistake the simultaneous updates/reinstall of the nvidia driver and the flash software for "my" solution to this issue.
Like you, I'm also "on tiptoe" in respect of a video crash, but haven't had any by now. - Cross your fingers! ...

 

Has someone of you a monitor calibration tool like i1Display or spyder 3 ?

I'd like to know what color space (compared to sRGB and Adobe RGB) you have on your Z12 with the 1600x900 display version and what with 1920x1080. Thanks.

regards

Enny