Sony Vaio Z i5/i7 Official Owners Thread

Thanks for the advice Valofel . I've followed your instructions and when I play cryisis, the max temperature i get now is 86*celcius. Is that a safe temperature for my Vaio Z to be running at?

Edit: I haven't noticed any drops in fps

 

Dead Pixels, Bent Keys, Discolorations...lol. What else can one expect?

Does anyone with the Silver Z experience the same smudges/discolorations as on the black? I have the Silver and so far it's still Silver.

 

You guys are both odd.

 

You're weird

Only joking I had the same feeling on the day when my Vaio Z arrived

 

lol, fussily odd

 

Regarding the wear on the palm rests...

I noticed on my keyboard at work that the spacebar has those exact "discolorations" right where my thumbs rest. Not really offering any new information when I say that it is caused by hand oils. But I'll suggest that some folks' hardware may discolor faster than others simply due to differences in physiology (sweaty palms, oily skin, etc.). I do agree that a month of use with that level of wear seems pretty odd, but I guess I'm not that surprised to hear a few complaints about this.

Secondly, has anyone posted any 3DMark06 scores for their Z? I searched the thread and just found a post from stauffer4918 with a really good score. But the GPU was overclocked. Any 3DMark06 scores for the Z out of the box?

 

I tried the windex thing and it does mmmm "clear" the worn damage a little bit, but it seems more polished instead of back to original state.

here are the pictures

 

It's much better now I think but I think the best way is to either get stickers to cover it up, as suggested by a previous forummer, or perhaps look for experts who could do a full respray job?

 

I read somewhere in this thread I think that there are some carbon fiber like skins available.

Would ordering that skin and cutting it out and applying it to the palmrest do the trick with regards to preventing any discoloration.

Thoughts?

 

dliem. Not sure where your at, but I would wait overnight for that to dry up. If it still looks polished - that means the plastic (material) used by Sony for the palmrest actually absorbs moisture - it may be permanent. You've obviously were able to lift the marks right off, but the solvent used smeared a larger portion of that area and it looks like one big stain. I would call Sony and have it replaced under warranty. Or at least, have it documented a.s.a.p. so that Sony knows when the complaint was made and get an order no# for the complaint. Later, you can decide what you want done.

 

@lao3here: It still depends on the angle and lighting on which the palmrest is viewed. at some angle it looks almost flawless on the other, it looks as if it has been polished too much. It's too smooth compared to the rest of the palmrest (a little rugged). It even reflect lights.

@hollywood: care to link me to that carbon fibre skin ? This thread is already 391 pages long it will be sortta hard. although i'd love to apply the carbon fiber skin. I wont consider any other skin because this laptop already look as sleek as it is

 

It won't happen soon. Just make sure you don't fill up the SSD completely (I cannot remember where I have seen it but up to 80% of the capacity is fine) and leave it idle once in a while (to "rejuvenate" the drive).

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=469272&page=23

 

Where did you get information telling you that "many people" have dead pixels. I'm only aware of one person, perhaps two.

I take offense to the Toyota comparison. I'm not aware of any Z11 design defects that have caused deaths. IMO, your comments are disrespectful.

This is a community forum, not Fox News. Please stop sensationalizing issues.

 

@Geeee: is this sort of thing covered under warranty though? because I don't think removing the stickers and damaging the laptop in the process would be covered. The other thing is I'm in Australia, and I had a relative of mine in the States preordered & CTO'ed this laptop and send it here. The shipping cost around $180. Plus I don't think I want to bother my relative any further.

Does sony have International Warranty though ?

EDIT*: Also if you try scratching your nail or even just feeling your palmrest, it will feel a bit rough and not smooth, you can feel the friction. IMO thats just how Sony intended it to be. That little "polished" patch on my palmrest on the other hand, feel smooth (in a bad way) and friction free as if it has been sandpapered which makes me think that this is irreversible

EDIT**: To people that are looking for reasons to NOT buy this laptop, let me tell you.. there are no reasons NOT to buy it. It's almost perfect in my opinion, I have no dead pixels, no diagonal lines, blazing performance, quiet fan speed. The only noticable downside is the extermely crappy speaker. The "discolouration" or worn out thing was purely my fault and I was the cause of it.

 

My Hong Kong set has "International REPAIR" coverage so I think it should be equivalent to internation warranty. Hope it helps. Prolly u should call Sony to be doubly sure

 

Plastic film may help the issue. The 3M stuff I like to use covers up scratches and blotches. It isn't a 100% fix, but the film will mask it to some degree.

I'm starting to get pinged in IM for a how-to article on the stuff. Based on the request volume, I'll do it this weekend.

Since there aren't any precision cut kits yet, I've been cutting the stuff down from larger sheets. It will go something like what I did on my old TZ.

Plastic film application:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=232943

In the interim, you can get a iPhone/Touch/Phone shield and put it on the palm rest. It doesn't have to be a good fit, just needs to cover the portions your wrists touch while typing. This would prevent further wear until a more permanent solution is presented.

 

Thanks zoinks. removing and covering the palmrest and trackpad should be good enough for me. I guess the hard part is removing the trackpad and placing it back. will 1 sheet of 12' * 14' from best skins be enough to cover the palm rest and trackpad?

 

Should be fine. You might get an extra sheet in case you make a mistake while cutting it down. I was able to get the entire palm rest and touch pad with one piece. This will likely be the easiest method.

I'll get into this a bit later, but the film is applied wet. You just put a drop of soap in a tray and fill it with water. Applying it involves lining it up and using s squeegee to lock it into space. If you've ever watched a person tint the windows in a car, it's basically the same method.

This introduces some risk from the water leaking onto the electronic bits. This is why I took the palm rest off and disassembled the LCD.

 

Would it be worthwhile to buff the palmrest with a mild abrasive before applying the film (to remove the shiny region)?

 

No no no! Just wipe it clean and apply the film. This is plastic folks, not like polishing wood

 

The film sheet method looks awesome, but the thing is I reckon I stuffed up enough and a bit mm should I say traumatized?
But I guess I'll just wait for the manual before actually deciding whether to attempt it or not.

Don't feel like experimenting with the Z for a while. Especially with something as intense as removing the palmrest.

By any chance though, Zoink when you do post the manual would you be able to include pictures as well?

Also any other thoughts on Sony international warranty ? and whether my palmrest is covered by the warranty?

 

I'm not sensationalizing, you're the one that took the palmrest apart and wrapped it with best skins. Can you post a pic of your palmrest?

Dropping $3-5k of hard earned money on a top of the line laptop and having to worry about burnt pixels and palm rests that should really not have been plastic but metal like the keyboard is something I shouldn't have to think about. Even Sony reps at the stores are saying its not plastic but metal.

Did you not hear my complaint before about the black screen I get when I go full screen with constant beeps or am I sensationalizing that as well. Others experiencing the same issues.....

As well why would you take offense, I'm complaining about the real issues at hand not you.

That's right this is a public forum and I can speak my thoughts just like anyone else.


Cheers.

 

Why is the plastic palmrest such a big deal to be compared to toyota? The plastic feels temperature neutral to the touch, much better then metal.
I find the missing tpm in the US model a much bigger deal and rather strange.

 

Been very busy, just skimmed the thread briefly.

Okay, so...

Spray some Windex on glasses cleaning cloth, wipe the grease off, then buy giant 3M stickers or iPod protective covers and slap 'em on the palm rest with a drop of soap? And Zoinks is going to make a guide or something?

 

It's not just that....I'm getting the black screen with complete freeze when I go to full screen video. I have to manually shut down and even power on doesn't work right away I have to do it twice to get the log on screen.

As you can see I'm really ticked off about it and feel like an owner of a Toyota. Now I have to worry about palm rests wearing out after only a month and hope I don't get any burnt pixels playing video.

Hope this helps you understand...

 

Regarding the Carbon Fiber skin.....

Here you go dliem....this is the best I could find. It looks really good and seems easy to install/apply without any major surgery.

http://www.sgpstore.com/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=laptop+skin

Here is a review of it as well and good before and after pics to get an idea of what the palmrest may look like.
http://www.digitalmeld.com/2009/03/02/review-install-carbon-fiber-skin-for-dell-mini-9/

Another option is you can probably use the carbon fiber they use to cover cars to make them look like Carbon Fiber. They use a blow dryer to get the perfect fit and are durable.
Here is the link, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pH6j9lmwrE&feature=player_embedded#!

Cheers.

 

Read dliem's post. Has the same palmrest issue as yours. He posted photos resulting the use of Windex.

 

Yes, the HK Z series have international warranty but to actually use it abroad you need to register online first.

 

That should be fine but even 86° seems to be a lot to me, crysis must stress a lot the cpu. You can always try to lower max cpu to 85% or 80% if it doesn't change your fps.... (you can also overclock the gpu with nvidia system tools: easy way to improve fps with not much additional heat. A overclock of 15% if the core shaders and memory should be fine, when I try to overclock more I experience stuttering in game)

 

Actually as for the other keys that space, you should lift from right side 1st and then it just comes right off. When you put it back on just put left side 1st and slide it to right and press back on.

 

i think the windows 7 sticker is good, nice colours. and the intel sticker is kind of shiny.

so yeah, i think they're ok. having said that, some of the prebuilt models have WAY too many, listing the specs and so on.

 

I love the stickers...I don't even remove the ones with all the marketing text on it

 

I think, out of respect for the deceased, we need to stop comparing the Z to Toyota vehicles.

 

Nope, you just need to wipe it down to remove any skin oil and spray it vigorously with compressed air. Dust = bad.

Absolutely. I'll document it in my normal, obsessive manner

You confuse me, Hollywood. Your argument is nonsense and you still haven't responded as to where you got your information that "many" users have had dead pixels. Not sure what me removing the palm rest has to do with my comment that you are comparing Toyota to Sony incorrectly and disrespectfully. Like I said before, nobody has died because of bad pixels or a worn palm rest. I guess human casualties don't get added to your comparison formula.

You have every right to be upset and the community will hopefully help you with your black screen issue. Just keep from making stuff up and being hysterical.

Yes.

*sigh*

 

Could not resist: Some pixels ended up dead

 

Insert rim shot <here>

Be careful, the Toyota thing is very scary and serious.

 

Here are a few shots of the palm rest with the protective film applied.

I'm not happy with it due to some gaps at the corners. This is why I haven't posted on it yet. I will make another attempt this weekend and post how-to's.

It covers the entire palm rest area and touch pad with one piece. There isn't anything on the touch pad buttons (yet) or finger scanner.

 

I see in few applications a popup error with this : Error, please put a blank disk in \device\harddisk1\dc1, I see that when I start Ghost 15 or when I create a new project with Zend studio. I just have to click to CONTINUE button et it's ok. I think it's when it check all drive, because the dc1 seem to be the recoh card reader ! In the disk manager, windows think it's a real hard-drive and probably explain why.
I didn't reinstall anything, that's the factory setup of my Sony Z1190.

other person here see this popup error ?

 

I've used Ghost 14 and 15 on both clean and Sony OS builds. Never had that come up.

You could try disabling the Ricoh adapter in Device Manager.

 

@ZoinksS2k: where would I be able to find the protective film? I'm planning to have another go with the windex tomorrow. I might be pushing my luck, but i shall try!

GODSPEED!

 

Hi,

Can someone tell me what are the problems with the new Z? Or at least what are boring you.

Thank you.
Alex

 

Conics shipped my Z out on Monday (4-19) and Wednesday (4-21) I received it in Galveston, Texas!! I've been very pleased with it thus far. It plays the new GTAIV games decently enough on the lowest settings at 720p. The battery is loose but will fix that soon. I love the dock...it would be perfect if it had esata and audio but otherwise it's great. Also, the premium carbon fiber looks flat black from most angles IMO

I'm searching right now for a good Windows 7 install guide so I can give it a fresh install. Is there any prepping or the ssd that I should do before installing windows?

 

You can request a custom order from BestSkinsEver.com. The BSE folks are good people.

The stuff isn't cheap, but it is darn near indestructible. It is the same film you would get from Zagg known as the InvisibleShield. They also use the stuff on helicopter blades to protect them from sand abrasion.

If Zagg had a precision-cut kit for the Z11, I would by it. It would be the cleanest and easiest solution by far. I put in a custom request with them weeks ago. No response. I may put a poll in my how-to thread to show them that there is a market for such a kit.

EDIT: dliem, be sure you are getting all the Windex off the palm rest as quick as you can. Some flavors of Windex contain ammonia and will damage the plastic with extended exposure. As I said before, be sure you spray the cleaner into a microfiber towel and not on the palm rest directly.

 

I would be very interested in the custom kit.

 

Last set of teaser pics before the how-to post.

These are pics of my Z591 with the protective film applied. If you don't mind the apple-skin texture, it ends up being really attractive. Appears wet and makes the glitter-junk really sparkle.

 

I think a couple people finding dead pixels is not a real issue. I think every brand of computers have this issue, it is just what is going to happen when you are dealing with screens. It sucks that some people have this issue, but it is not a Sony issue. It is a screen issue that evey company deals with.

Worn palm rest, only one guy really has this. The other one he admits is his fault for using an erasor on the palm rest. I like the plastic palm rest because it does not get as hot as a metal one. I use my Z every day and have no issues with worn issues.

The black screen. This is believed to be a nvidia driver issue, not a Sony issue. Now Sony is slow on getting the new drivers to us, which is their fault. But it is anot a fault that causes death or harm to anyone. I had this issue in speed mode once, not a big deal. I would love a fix and I think one will come, but this happens when you buy the first gen of a PC.

I agree with Zoinks, stop comparing it to Toyota and blowing out of control. Toyota issue spanned years and multple models. This is a first gen of one model that has some minor issues tht can be fixed or are to be expected based on the fact that it is a computer.

 

One of the most common complaints in the Mac forums is dead pixels. So pick your poison. I think only Asus has ever had a consumer friendly policy on dead pixels.

 

I'm not going to beat a dead horse here Zoink, people don't have to die so I can use the Toyota analogy. It is from the belief that one thinks they have purchased a great product from a great manufacturer and find out otherwise...hence Toyota.

Lastly I take offense to your comment of, "Just keep from making stuff up and being hysterical." This is true ignorance on your part, I don't need to make things up, I am an owner of a Z just like many here and my issues like others are legitimate.

Perhaps you don't have the empathy to understand that when someone drops $3-5k laptop or lets say $30-50K on a car and they find out they have 7-9 chip stones in their windshield (pixel burns) and the paint on their car will begin to wear off in a month (discoloration) and that while driving the car will go completely dead (black screen) etc. frustrations will temper up. But since your laptop is working perfectly I don't expect you to care or understand.

There are more than a just a few people having the pixel issue (this doesn't make their complaints less worthy check other threads), discolorations, black screens etc. etc. Just because you have 1,000 posts doesn't make you the owner of this board.

This is my last post regarding this matter with you Zoinks.

 

Hey, for those who are buying skins from bestskinsever.com

I just recently placed an order because of the palmrest thing and bought 2 DIY sheets (the largest ones they offered) When buying them, I kept searching for coupon codes and found a 20% off one that expired back in Feb 2010 that STILL WORKS! =)

20% code is: 3549846

Hurry before they really discontinue it!

 

K, thx, bye.

EDIT: Actually, I'd like to address Hollywood's main themes.

• The dead-pixel, black screen and palm rest issues ARE NOT WIDESPREAD. This is an exaggeration with no information to support the statements.
• Empathy. This is the exact reason the Toyota comparison is in bad taste.
• My main objections to this discussion surround the propagation of misinformation. False information is false information.