Sony Vaio Z i5/i7 Official Owners Thread

I don't understand why everybody is complaining about fan noise and nobody has been talking about undervolting. Undervolting has always been the solution for me for a few laptops I had. I am planning to buy the Z but I wanted to know if anyone tried undervolting it and what was the result. Anyone ?

 

I didn't found a (free) tool yet that can undervolt an i5M.
But since the fan speed is based on Temperature and there is no "off" Setting, lowering the temperature wouldn't make it more quiet.
Additionally, since Intel locked the minimum and maximum voltage on my old 2007 Santa Rosa Core2 already, I guess you can't lower the voltage in the lowest P-State here, too.
My goal was to lower the voltage of the highest P-State, to allow the 330M to run at default clock speeds, instead of underclocked.

My personal opinion about the fan noise is that is is very quiet and (for me!) pretty much unhearable from 30cm away.

 

If yours is like mine, switch the graphics to stamina mode explicitly and see if it comes up instantly. On mine when it's in speed (nvidia), it is similar to your description. When in stamina (onboard graphics) it comes up instantly. A little annoying to me but I still keep it in speed mode when plugged in.

 

I don't understand your point here. If the fan speed gets lower then it gets more quiet, doesn't it?

I actually have no experience regarding an i5M undervolting. So are you basically saying that Intel locked it in such a way that undervolting isn't quite possible?

Thanks for your input xod

 

Well, I've had my Z now for a few weeks, and I agree with everyone else... this laptop ROCKS!

I run Vmware Workstation 7 and yesterday I was flipping back and forth between the following VMs: Max OSX (hackintosh), BackTrack4 (for security tools), CentOS server and Windows 2003 server (both to document a client/server installation). I never thought I'd see the day when my laptop was the powerhouse computer in my home.

The display is absolutely beautiful. I didn't go with the full HD display and I don't really regret that...the resolution is just right for me and it's not to squinty.

The only problem I've had so far is that the battery was a little loose the first day and the leads were not connecting, but I removed and reattached the battery and haven't had a problem since.

I haven't had any problems with fan noise. Its very quite in stamina mode. I don't think it's loud in performance mode either, unless I'm really pushing it hard (like running Crysis or other games), but in those cases I'm probably wearing my headphones.

I do feel that if I keep my cup of coffee just to the left of my laptop that my Z will in fact keep my coffee warm a bit longer! And yes, I know select window seats on the left side of the plane so I'm not blowing hot air on the person next to me!

I got the 256G configuration (2x128) and that's just fine for me now, but I'm sure once I add a few more vmware guest that regret will set in for not going with the 512G SSD.

I thought that the AC adapter was a bit bulky with that thick grounded cable, so I got this universal adapter which is more flat and has a cable organizer and usb charger:

From Amazon: Cooler Master Slim 95 Watt USB Notebook Adapter (Black)

I can't remember EVER having a laptop that didn't feel slow in some respect until now. And my last laptop was an IBM Thinkpad X41t with a *4800 RPM* slooooow hard drive and an underpowered single core cpu, so the Z is a real treat for me!

 

Was in the library yesterday with my iPhone 3gs and my Metal Mosaic Sony Z. The library wifi sucked so I tethered wirelessly using Apple's Netshare, a proxy wifi software which was issued, then taken off the Apple App Store. I was amazed at the full length Hulu episides color quality and most importantly, not a large amount of pause buffering as long as you let the buffering build up to full in the pause mode before watching the show. Full screen episodes of Modern Family and Fringe were very near DVD quality and I could watch nearly the whole episode without a buffering pause. Of course your mileage may vary due to time of day and location with 3G.

 

My impression was, that the Z has only 3 or 4 different fan speeds (but switches smooth between them), and at the lowest speed, the fan still spins.
My Asus switched off the fan completely, when used in a cold environment (until the cooling system got warm).

 

Has anyone here created a "system image" from within Windows just in case of a crash. And if so, how much space was used up and what did you use a backup (ie) external drive.

I'm trying to make a complete system image and Windows 7 is asking for 1.15T of empty space even though I've only used up 50GB of SSD space.

Any info greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

 

Sound/Volume Levels on Blueray Films

Has anyone with a Blueray noticed that the Volume levels of the films when played on the Z are very low - Im not talking about the Speakers being crap - this we all know, But in comparision to playing a normal DVD film and the Blueray film I can notice that the volume levels are a lot lower.

This is also the case when watching the film with headphones - the sound is really low.

Maybe its an Issue with the Corel Software - Itunes, Windows Media Player VLC seem to pump out a lot more noise through both the headphones and the built in speakers?

 

I notice that some folks are importing the Japanese Z's. What are the difference between those and the US spec ones?

 

Can someone please confirm that the new 2010 Z11 models come with Synaptics multitouch trackpads, rather than non-multitouch Alps trackpads like the previous-gen Z?

Edit: Anyone using two-finger-scroll on their 2010 Z11? It enables smooth scrolling with two fingers (kinda like on the MacBooks) and it's the best way to scroll on a touchpad IMO.

 

I'm finding the my Z to be great as well. My last laptop was an M200 Toshiba, it was great, but 5 years old and over a pound heavier than the Z, let alone 5 times slower. As for my power adapter, packing and unpacking the adapter with its bulk just got onerous. I opted to buy the Kensington AD-80s which is nice, small, has a USB port is only 7oz and with the extra tips I can power the bulky HP elitebook when needed as well. I can even fit both into my (here comes a plug, no pun intended) ===> TUMI bag meant for 12" notebooks. I can run one on battery the other from the kensington with no need for 2.

Vaio Z - i5-540/4gb (want 8), 1600x900, 256GB (want 512 )
HP EliteBook
Kensington AD-80s
Verizon Mi-Fi (yea)
TUMI Bag - 12" - Suprisingly holds 2 laptops
Level 8 Neoprine with handles, Holds the Z + Mifi + Kensington AD-80s
MS-Courier (perfect replacement for notetaking portfolio..hope its out soon)
Ipad - (No Inking, Not Usable, FAIL)
Vaio Z + Touch + Active Digitizer + same weight === crazy cool -- never happen

 

Yes it comes with Synaptics.... Still trying to figure out how I can either A) setup a programable key to disable/enable it or B) setup a specific tapping patter to disable/enable it. Tried the palm sensitivity setting, havent had time to see if its working well or not... most likely not...

 

A lot more options, but Jap. version of Win 7.
I wanted to go this route, but didnt want to have reinstall another copy.

 

But is it multitouch?

Not all Synaptics pads are multitouch, but most are. Just wanna make sure (because I can't live without two-finger scrolling). Ty.

 

I'm just about to order the following from the U.S.:

* VAIO VPC-Z1190 CTO
* Intel® Core™ i7-620M
* 192GB SSD
* 6GB RAM
* Microsoft Windows® 7 Pro 64-bit (FRESH START)
* Standard Capacity Battery
* DVD/RW
* Silver

I'm saving $171.50 from student discount and the total came to $2,511.24 including tax. I read through the thread and came across 10% savings from the rep., so do you guys think I could receive further discounts if I called? Also, those of you who already received their notebooks, what specs would you recommend? Thank you in advance!

 

What temperature are you getting on the z with these settings? Also does your vaio z crashes frequently?

Thanks.

 

Never crashed yet. Been playing WoW, Dragon Age and Crysis (as benchmark) fine. Temps max at 80*C. I do use a Zalman Nc1000 cooler so that may play a factor in lower temps.

 

well i guess if the aim is to make it stand out and have people look at it, silver is certainly a lot brighter than carbon.

personally, i wanted something more professional.

 

I've seen a Silver model up close, and IMO it looked really ugly. If I'm getting one, it'll have to be CF.

 

You could get Windows 7 Ultimate and then install the language pack of your choice.

The Synaptics touchpad on the new Z is absolutely multitouch. I'm using the multitouch Synaptics drivers with the two-finger scroll program, and it works perfectly.


By the way, has anyone found a solution yet to the dropping Bluetooth mouse problem? Are only VAIO mice affected, or do other mice also have issues?

 

Did you tether your iphone with this sw?
http://www.rockyourphone.com/index.php/mywi.html

any probs so far with this sw? Thanks!

 

I was having that problem with my old Vaio bluetooth mouse (which works perfectly with my old Vaio)
When I bought a Microsoft bluetooth mouse for the Z, all my problems went away. I would assume the newer Vaio mouses would be ok also.

 

Regarding the color of the laptop, do the premium fiber and signature models use a material than the regular silver one? As in a different texture with a matte finish or is it merely the mosaic patterned look as I have seen in pictures? Is there any advantage to the $50 upgrade other than looks itself?

Also, while researching the processor, I learned that the three biggest differences between the i5-540M and i7-620M processors were:

1. The obvious increase in clock speed (2.53 v. 2.66 GHz, respectively)
2. Cache (3 MB v. 4MB)
3. The i7 processor uses Intel's "Embedded Architecture" (?)

So, does this mean that there is a significant decrease in battery life with the i7 processor? From reading this forum, the results came up inconclusive.

Both processors have the same maximum TDP (thermal design power) of 35 W. So theoretically, wouldn't the i7 processor actually use less power than the other since it is using a lower percentage of the CPU for a certain process?

I have also read that the embedded architecture increases battery life. Can anyone confirm this? I have not done as much research on the embedded topic and do not completely understand the advantages/disadvantages of this type of design yet.

 

HORRAY, finally someone actually researches the facts instead of just pointing to / asking about the dreadful notebookcheck review +1 rep!
The "Embedded" is not so much a processor feature as an Intel strategy component: basically they select a bunch of chips that they kind of recommend/endorse for embedded systems and provide additional guarantee support and availability in time (7 years), compared to regular microprocessors (which can be as little as 3 years). So, this "Embedded Architecture" checkmark actually doesn't influence anything in the physical product.

Bottom line is, I'm with you in thinking that if the processor is faster and uses the same power, it will do the same tasks in less time, thus actually consuming less battery.

 

TDP has little to do with the actual power consumption of the parts in use. It's just a thermal guide.

 

I just ordered the Zalman nc1000 cooler for my z because i'm thinking to overclock my GPU

Qeuqeu, if you don't mind, could you please create a step-by-step guide to overclock the GT330M. I'm really afraid of overlocking my z because it already reaches around 83*C max on defualt settings!

Thanks again in advance

 

Battery Drain.

Officially said by Sony on its Web site (Battery drain on Vaio Off):

Translation from original written in Italian:

"The battery drains when the Vaio is off.
The VAIO notebooks consume a small amount of battery power even when they are switched off. This feature is characteristic of the model and can not be changed.
To keep your notebook and keep the same level of battery power, remove the battery.
Note: The startup process is energy-intensive and can consume a substantial amount of battery power."

Sony makes no mention of the amount of energy loss, apart saying "small amount of battery power" .

Unbelievable! My Asus 1000HE remains almost fully charged after 15 days of inactivity.

 

I'm a proud vaio z owner! just got my vaio z today!!!

 

Congratulations!

Which model did you get?

 

Quick Q.
When I first received my vpcz1190 the recovery partition was assigned to D: .
I have sinced restored via a restore CD I made when I first booted into windows and that recovery partition no longer shows up in my computer.

The partition does however still exist as it shows in disk management however the partition is before the system partition and I am unable to assign it a drive letter.

Am I able to restore from that partition?
If I want to delete it and reclaim those 10Gigs how can I expand my C: when it is before the c: partition.
Thanks.

 

Aleady in my post; it was Apple's Netshare app. although MiWi would undoubtedly been faster. My iPhone has 3.1.3 so I cant use MyWi.

 

lol congrats! interesting id

 

i7 definitely consumes more power: that extra 1MB of cache on die is a lot of transistors, whichever way you put it.

 

My mouse is the VGP-BMS77, which I love because it's very precise and very lightweight (rather than 2 regular batteries, it has a tiny rechargeable Li-Ion battery inside). I haven't had any issues with this mouse on any other laptop, so I don't know why it's randomly cutting out on this one.

 

Thank you very much for confirming that.

You have no idea how glad I am they decided to use a multitouch Synaptics pad instead of the singletouch Alps one on the previous Z.

 

Options such as?

 

My guess would be;
- You can buy a HDD version (without optical)
- 1080p display (not only on a signature model)
- More color options like ''Glossy Premium Carbon'', ''Metal Mosaic'' and ''Metal Shield''
- Option with or without backlight keyboard
- Possible WiMax (instead of only Gobi WWAN)

And i probably missed some things i guess >_<.

 

Hey

have been using my vaio z for the past few hours and i must say this is by far the best system ive ever owned light and very stylish just the way i like it...

now on to the not so good part...ive discovered that my new vaio z has about 3 or 4 stuck pixels on the top left hand corner of the lcd....ive called up sony canada technical support and from what they told me it is apparently normal to have all those stuck pixels....the rep took down all my info and she apparently said that she will get a customer relations person to call me back on monday.

Just wanted to ask you guys what are my options? ive waited so long for this system and spent so much and it just sucks to have this problem with my screen. Can i return this vaio cto? which isnt what i want to do cause my intentions are to keep the system.

What do you think sony customer relations can do for me? would they have to replace my lcd? or would they offer me something else?

anyways any opinion would be greatly appreciated.

 

Yes, I guess you have the same problem I did. The one I was struggling with was the VGP-BMS30, is non-rechargeable (it uses 2 AA batteries) but looks a lot like yours. I notice that the current model number of mine is VGP-BMS33.
In any case, I played around with various power settings and such trying to get the bluetooth to stay awake, to no avail.

The newer Viao mouse would probably work ok but I'll never know. I got a Microsoft BT mouse that was on sale at Frys and it solved my problem.

It would be interesting to find out whether something changed in the mouse protocol that causes the older Vaio mice to turn off all the time. Maybe there is a driver that could be loaded to solve the problem.

 

Actually this was much discussed, ad nauseum, earlier but I guess those things do tend to get buried.

The general consensus is that overall one could expect maybe a 8-10% overall speed increase with a proportional battery life decrease.
Internally they are essentially the same chip. The i5 gets 1MB of its cache turned off. The i5/i7 distinction is primarily a marketing one that Intel uses to position its products.

 

ilink + 2 usbs or 3 usb ports.

 

I thought you could tether an iPhone to Vaio Z using Bluetooth? Has anyone tried this? I'm getting an iPhone in a couple of weeks (for work) and I'm hoping I can tether to my laptop via BT, so I'll just be paying for single 3G service, though I really like (and am using now) the built in Verizon wwan.

Or.. has anyone unlocked the built in Verizion modem to use AT&T 3G network...if that's possible?

 

btw, for those of you that got the sony mouse. You guys should seriously check LOgitech performance mouse Mx and its tiny notebook version. its performance is much better, its configurable and a lote more comfortable. and it tracks on glass too for those that want those custom high end glass mouse pads to go with such a high end lappie.

 

also, the receiver is extremly tiny and I love that you have to have down time when charging it. you charge it by connecting it to its usb cable....instant wired mouse that charges when you use it. when done back to wireless.

 

Are those the ones where it is possible to replace the HDD pretty easily by yourself

 

So, that unifying receiver looks pretty cool and it truly is tiny. Otoh, it does take up one usb slot whereas a bluetooth mouse doesn't require that anything be physically plugged in.

 

yes, these have just a regular 2,5" if i'm correct; drive instead of the optical (dvd/bluray) drive. And yes you can just put about any 2,5" drive in there.

 

I'm interested in getting Windows 7 Ultimate and was wondering if it will be easy to reformat out of the box, without putting all the bloatware back on as well? (I would just go for Premium w/ Fresh Start, but I want the language switching ability.)

With previous Sony laptops I've owned, the included "reformatting" DVDs included all the bloatware on them.

 

Actually, TDP in the newer Intel processors is aligned with the maximum power consumption under the worse case load.