Vaio FZ Owners Official Owners Thread

All the drives below 200GB are 5400rpm. 200GB and above are 4200rpm. Sorry, no 7200rpm drives direct from Sony. You'd have to add that later.

 

wow Crisismgmt you really rule man !!
congrats!

 

I just called Sony to see if they had any deals on the fz190. There's free shipping that ends today. That was on the website. And if you spend $1999 you get $100 off and less you get $50 off (usd). Not much but it's something.

 

Hey there, new here.
First of all, thanks for all the info on the FZs, your experiences everything else I've found here. My question is, are there the same FZs in Europe as in the US?
I'm sure Sony wouldn't do a similar thing as with the PS3 and release the FZ laptops much later here, or at least release them in a "light-version"? Would they? The only ones I've found over here are the FZ11 and FZ11S. Are they any good when you want the Bluray capabilities and the 2GB RAM and the 8400GT card? And, from what I've seen, the FZ11's are just with the T7100, that would be without the Santa Rosa platform, right?

And another question regarding memory. Would I, if I had the choice, be better off buying a FZ with 1 GB RAM and upgrade it to 2 GB, the 667 MHz version? Is RAM hard to install on a laptop like this? See, I'm a fairly new laptop user, the closest thing to this I've used regurlarly is a 4 year old Powerbook G4.

Thank you very much.

 

santa rosa platforms are the t7100, t7300, t7500, t7700, so it is a santa rosa platform but with 1.8ghz dual core and 2mb cache. youd get better performance with 7300+ which has 4mb. the 8400m GT card is DX10 and will probably be comparable to the geforce 7600 from what ive read. somewhere in the forums someone said they contacted sony regarding the RAM and were told it does in fact come with 667MHz although it ways otherwise, but i dont personally know.

 

ya i called and sony said it was a typo. a curious typo that never seem to want to change though..., i would suggest ordering sony's by phone btw because they process phone orders first.

 

So, basically, since the FZ11 models come with the T7100, it IS a light version sort of. Crap. I wish I lived in the US.. the world of glory, free overnight shipping and 4MB cache.

By the way, if someone's wondering, the FZ11s are arriving next week (in Sweden anyway, I texted the official spokesperson)
From what i've read here, the 8400M GT is quite a good card for laptop computers, which is good news. I hope it's possible to get one with the T7300+ though.. hmm, maybe i should text her again.
Thanks for the help!

 

hi
I want to buy sony fz 160 but I dont know is it support turbo memory ?

 

I think someone said that all VAIOs support the 667 MHz ones?
Anyway. I got a text from sony in sweden saying that they will only get the T7100 ones. How bad are they? (Compared to the models with 4 MB Cache)
And another question, more generally speaking. I have a dell desktop, an old Dimension 8300 with a 3.0 GHz engine. These new 1.8 GHz and 2.0 GHz and so on Dual Cores, how good are they in comparison to my old machine?

 

The FZ series (or any sony and hp notebooks) will not have turbo memory "Robson". From the articles that I've seen on tomshardware or anandtech, turbo memory does not improve performance.

 

Any benchmark results with the 256mb 8400 vram yet?

 

Yeah, I'm waiting on those benchmarks too. Man, when is a review other than the trusted reviews one going to be posted on the fz. Its been a while since it started shipping, hopefully get some actual info by next week.

 

Crisismgmt, did you buy the standard or the large battery ? I'm curious if the large one is protruding or not. Also, how's the heat and fans noise? The other question would be about the 8400GT (scores and if it really has 256Mb) but you don't have an answer for this.

 

I went to the Sony store near my work today. and I found out that the 8400GT has 256mb and the window vista hardware score for the graphic card is 5.6

This is for the model that has the Blu-ray.

 

Here is a new review on the Sony VAIO FZ Series (VGN-FZ180-E/B) from Laptop Magazine - http://laptopmag.com/Review/Sony-VAIO-FZ-Series-Notebook-PC-VGN-FZ180-E-B.htm

It got 4/5 stars and Laptop Editors' Choice

 

Exciting review of an exciting notebook!
At last the FZ got the applause it deserved.

 

I had an old Vaio adapter from my previous FE. Just wondering if it could be used for the FZ too ??

From laptopmag:
"We have two complaints about the design, one being the bulky, heavy AC adapter, which adds a pound to the travel weight"

I thought my FE adapter is not so as heavy to be complaint ..

 

Hello!

This is my first post ever, been browsing this forum for some time now looking for the perfect notebook and I think the FZ is the one. I've been on the Sony Style site many times and for some reason I cannot find the specs for the FZ CTO. Trying to compare it to the HP DV6500t, but definitely like the looks of the Vaio much more. If anyone could point to me where the specs are, I'd appreciate it very much. Thanks.

 

Now, I might be entirely wrong (I often am), but doesn't CTO mean it's freely configurable? That would explain why it doesn't have any specs.
I think the FZ looks like the ultimate and perfect laptop too, by the way.

 

Hey guys, there seems to be a few questions regarding the extended battery. first off, the battery does stick out towards to the bottom so that the notebook is at a tilt. I had issues finding a photo but I finally bumped into one at amazon. its not too large but it gives u an idea of how it should look...
Here's the link for how the fz looks with a large battery.
http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/21D11U1j5dL._SS500_.jpg

 

Yes, CTO is short for "Customize To Order", you can customize to any configuration you wish within that model number. However, CTO laptops start with the ground basics, like the preloaded software and basic hardware set (i.e. Sony VAIO FZ with Blu-Ray or Sony VAIO FZ without Blu-Ray, Eco-Xbrite [okay] or Xbrite Hi-Color [best] and work from there). From there, you can CTO the laptop to be fully spec'ed out or just spec'ed for what you need it most for.

The basic CTO laptop specifications are listed on the laptop model number's web page, though.

 

After much inner turmoil, research and visits to the Sonny Style and Apple stores, I finally decided against the MacBook Pro and am going with the Sony Vaio FZ190. As it seems there are many of us waiting for our new FZ's to be delivered, I was wondering what others were planning on doing in terms of setting it up once it first arrives. I have a few decisions that I am debating as it looks like I'll have about two weeks yet to ponder these issues. Any feedback anyone could provide would be greatly appreciated If it matters, the quick specs for my computer that is being CTO'd are as follows:

VGN-FZ190
802.11a\b\g\n with BT
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium
NVIDIA® GeForce® 8400M GT
15.4" WXGA (HC) W/CMR
SuperMulti (DVD+-R Double layer / DVD+-RW Drive)
120 GB Hard Disk Drive
1 GB DDR-SDRAM (DDR2-533, 1 GBx1)
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T7300 / 2.0 GHz
Keyboard White
Standard Capacity Lithium-ion Battery (BPS8)
And, if it matters, this is not the Blu-Ray version. I am not a heavy gammer nor a power user in any specific area, but will use it for business apps, lots of internet stuff, watching videos, editing some music and videos and publishing web sites.

1) To perform a clean install or just try to uninstall unwanted bloatware? I have heard that it is difficult to get your computer to boot quickly and is somewhat annoying to have all the preinstalled stuff left on your computer to sort through. I was considering doing a clean install with my retail verion of Vista Ultimate once my computer arrived to avoid all of that, but then I was reading that this deletes some Sony specific software that operates volume, cam and so forth. Thoughts?

2) I purposefully configured the RAM with one 1GB stick from Sony, leaving the other slot open for memory I was going to purchase cheaper elsewhere. Considering a 2GB stick to go with it to give me a total of 3GB. I noticed, however, the memory that comes with the computer when I ordered it was DDR2-533MHz (As an aside, I noticed today on the site now it is now 667 MHz, hmf...). When ordering memory for this, do I have to match the MHz, i.e. buy only 533 MHz? and do the banks have to be balanced, i.e. 1 GB x 1GB or 2GB x 2GB?

3) OK, here is the thing I really know nothing about. It would seem I have the option to install the 64bit version of Vista or the 32bit version with my copy of Vista. I am somewhat cautious as I wonder, if I do this, is it likely that many things (software and hardware) may stop working due to compatibility issues, no updated drivers and such. The only software I know of that would work with 64 bit that I currenlty own is Office 2007. What are the pros and cons here of the 32 bit versus the 64 bit?

And by the way, this is an awesome forum. I've received quite a bit of help so far, on this thread in particular, by reading all your posts. Much appreciated.

 

I was also deciding between the FZ190 CTO and the Macbook Pro. However, I decide to order the FZ190 CTO with blu-ray. I just bought a 160gb 7200rpm Seagate Monentus hard drive to replace the 80gb 5400 rpm drive that comes standard with the unit. I can't wait to try out the new seagate hard drive as I've read so many good things about it (performance, sound, etc). I am going to use the 80gb externally via usb2.0/esata enclosure. I configured my unit with 2 gb of ram. I ordered the unit over the phone and confirmed that the ram is 667 mhz (pc5300) and not 533 nhz (it was a typo as all FZ models use 667 mhz). According to sony website, my unit is in production and will ship on the 20th of this month. So, I should receive it by the end of the month as I decided to go with the free ground shipping (6-8 buisness days). I'll post pics and comments after I get the unit

Here are my thoughts on your questions:
1. You have two options to get rid of the bloatware: a) do a clean install and download the drivers from the sony website or the recovery discs (be sure to make a copy of the recovery discs before formatting the hard drive) or b) uninstall all of the bloatware from the initial installation. Since I will be using a new hard drive, I'll be performing the first option.

2. The FZ models including the FZ190 CTO comes with 667 mhz (pc5300) memory. So, if you wanted 3 gb, you would just have to go and buy a 2 gb stick (pc5300). If you bought a 2gb stick of 533 mhz ram, the 1gb unit will decrease its speed to match. I was thinking about getting 4gb of ram once the price drops a bit more and when I really need that much memory (need not want ). You don't need to balance the memory size for it to work.

3. I've never used 64 bit vista so I can't comment too much on this. However, as far as I know, there are not many drivers and software for 64bit o/s. I would stick with the 32bit version of vista until there is more support for the 64bit.

Hope my comments provided some help. Good luck and congrats!

 

That makes sense, thanks for the replies. Seems like the only difference is the HDMI if you get BR. I decided to go into Best Buy to see how it looks, I guess I'll go with the white keyboard. Those who received your CTO, did you get the Vista Anytime Upgrade DVD? I guess a clean install will be necessary to get it running smoothly. Thanks.

 

Thanks for the feedback Go. Didn't someone in the thread earlier mentioned they were going to post pictures of their FZ for us all to see? I am very curious to see pics of the white keyboard as someone else mentioned. I took a chance with that option as it seemed like it would be the more unique feature to have. Hope I like it.

 

There are some pictures of FZ in the USA and EU websites, but i would recommend those from Japanese Vaio website. The Japanese website always have very good pictures of their products from many angles and colors, unlike the US one.

http://www.vaio.sony.co.jp/Products/FZ1/gallery.html

The white keyboard makes the whole body lighter and stunning, but then it looks like a Mac in quick view. In my opinion, the black keyboard let the laptop more mandy, ... for man Just my own interest

Enjoy !

 

I customized the FZ with engraved text. Then, changed my mind a bit in the configuration but can not make it changed anymore. When i called Sony, they said because of the engraved thing, i can not change anything in my order.

That's non-sense, i just want to change the memory a bit.. which is very easily to replace.
You should be careful when order the engraved one. Many troubles come along those stuffs !!!!

 

Whoami, those are great pictures of the Vaio FZ, and the first I've seen close up of the white keyboard. If anyone is looking to see how the white keyboard and black keyboard affect the overall appearance, there is a great shot of the two side by side in the Japanese link Whoami supplied. As for the color looking less manly, well, that is a matter of opinion I suppose. I'm comfortable enough with my sexuality to go with the more elegant (and somewhat more Mac'esque) look of the whie keyboard. It does look much more unique.

If anyone else cares to weigh in on my other questions, requoted below, specifically #1 and #3, I would appreciate any additional guidance you could provide.

 

Thanks for all the guys here this is a great site CONGRATULATIONS

I want to buy the VGN-FZ190 CTO below.But a have a question do you think i can buy another notebook with the same money and a better performance ?

I need a notebook for watching movies ,University studies ,browsing the internet and sometimes playing games also i want it with many features.

for all the owners and experts I want to know the cons that you found in this notebook.
thanks for guys and keep it up. i'm waiting for your review on this great notebook :smile:
_______________________________________________

VGN-FZ190 CTO​

*Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T7300 / 2.0 GHz
*2 GB DDR-SDRAM (DDR2-667MHz, 1 GBx2)
*120 GB Hard Disk Drive
*SuperMulti (DVD+-R Double layer / DVD+-RW Drive)
*15.4" WXGA (HC) W/CMR
*NVIDIA® GeForce® 8400M GT
*Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium
*802.11a\b\g\n with BT
*Large Capacity Lithium-ion Battery (BPL8)
*Keyboard White

 

The only drawback, that too a minor one, is that the screen resolution is just WXGA. Therefore although you can get a blu-ray drive, the low screen resolution prevents you from enjoying HD content in its entirety.

That said, the FZ screen is being unanimously hailed as probably the brightest and crispest one ever. So you can still get a clear, crisp multimedia experience.

You can also watch your blu-ray movies on a HDTV.

The other thing people tend to complain about is that it only sports an 8400GT graphics card and not 8600. But that will not affect anyone other than hardcore gamers.

 

thanks I really appreciate your FAST answer.

BUT do u think there is a better notebook with the same price.

 

Well, most recent 15.4inch notebooks lie in about the same price range, unless you want to buy a Lamborghini or Ferrari model from Asus or a customized gaming computer. HP, Dell and Sony seem to lie somewhere in the same range of ~$1500. The Dell models Inspiron 1520 and Vostro 1500 aren't out yet. As far as rumor has it they might have a marginally better GPU (the Nvidia 8600 GS) and higher screen resolution, but prices remain unknown and it also seems certain that they will be fairly bulky and heavy. So for lugging them to the library, they may prove annoying.
The HP dv6500, ranges definitely below the Sony FZ. Not only does the thing look pretty cheap and flimsy, its customization choices remain pretty limited. (eg no 2.2 and 2.4 Mhz processors, no option to get just one stick of RAM). It is available with the 8400 GS GPU, which should range quite a bit below the FZ's GT.
Other than that I can only think of the Acer 5920 (Gemstone), which is more expensive, seems fairly bulky and has taken a considerable amount of flak for awkward and impractical design. (eg. pointing out that the keybord is greyer than John Major ever was and that plugs come mislabeled or block each other's access.)
Personally, I have pretty much made up my mind in favor of the FZ. I had a look at an FZ140 at Best Buy today (unfortunately no FZ180). I was pleasantly surprised. The design appears much sturdier (the lid may actually be metal) and sleeker than the preceding FE model. While the keyboard has very shallow pitch I seems comfortable. If the Vista Experience Index is of any use the machine should also perform very well. One drawback, but probably not much different with any other manufacturer, remains in the vast amount of useless software that litters the harddrive.

 

Hey, brand new to the forum, and ordered my FZ190 CTO on the 10th. In my account on the sony website under order detail it says that the estimated delivery is 6/19. That is on tuesday and it only says order recieved by oms right now. There is no way the standard shipping will get it here in 2 days. Did anyone else get this estimation date also? thanks.

 

Yeah I got that message as well. The next message will be "started production" but the ship date will remain the same. I believe once you get the "started production" message it will be 5-7 days before it ships. Then depending on which shipping method you decided to go with, it will take at least 6-8 days to get to your place.

 

Excuse me if this has been mentioned before, but what has the Vista Experience numbers been coming in at for the models seen in the store?

 

excellent pics on the japanese site !

 

Hey guys, just discovered this site and I'm finding it really helpful. Anyways, quick question for those living in Canada...do you see any of the retail stores like Best Buy picking up the fz140e with the white keyboard or can you only get it online? Cause I plan to pick one up in the near future and Id much prefer the white one but I can't order things online for various reasons. Thanks...

 

Maytrevor.. i also got that same exact message on my order tracking page on sonystyle.com. Doesn't look like we are going to get ours delivered on the 19th if we are having to wait for 5-7 days for production before it ships... shame as I need it asap to get it back to Britian...

 

go to sony store look it up on their web site to locate where the store is... i think over there you could buy the white one... not really sure though...

 

FZ 190 CTO specs

http://www.sonystyle.com/wcsstore/SonyStyleStorefrontAssetStore/pdf/VGNFZ190CTO_SpecSheet.pdf

(specs are on page 2)

I found it in a non-obvious location

1. Start configuring it
2. On the processor selection item click on "more info"

 

Thanks, that's what I was looking for. Seems like if you get the 8400GT you get HDMI. Interesting.

 

http://review.zdnet.com/laptops/sony-vaio-fz180e/4505-3121_16-32465689.html
A review of the FZ180.

 

It might be of interest, that the featured competing models in above-mentioned review, the HP dv6500 and the Dell Inspiron 1505 contain the Nvidia 8400GS and ATI x1400 respectively. Considering the test results, the FZ's GPU might actually be quite good.

 

Thanks for posting the review. I recently ordered the FZ190 CTO and anxiously waiting for it to arrive. I guess the zdnet reviewer could have looked at the FZ190 if he wanted it to be customizable and for bluetooth support.

It is very interesting to see the large difference in quake 4 performance between the different notebooks/GPU. This is one of the first real benchmark comparison between different 8400M series GPUs.

 

@gosensgo

how did you order your CTO? im in ottawa too (a sens fan too of course!)
i thought the Canadian site only offered the preconfigured models
can you order them customised from a sony store or something?

also, where'd you get the momentus, id like to buy one for an fz too

 

I ordered my FZ190 CTO over the phone with sony usa. I will go and pick up my notebook later this month from my in-laws in the US. Sony USA has much more options than Sony Canada for their notebooks. Inaddition, the prices are much lower in the US. I called Sony Canada Warrenty Services Division and they told me that they can honor the 1 year repair warrenty but can not do any returns since it is from the US. Let me know if you are interested in doing this and I can give you more info and also give you sales rep number for a small discount on the unit .

In regards to the Seagate Monentus 7200.2 160gb notebook drive with g-force protection (ST9160823ASG), I purchased it through direct dial ( www.directdial.com). They have a Canadian office based in Ontario. The drive sells for $190 CAD and it took a couple of weeks to arrive. They were pretty easy to order from and I would purchase from them again. I find that they have more selection and cheaper in price compared to other Canadian distributors (tiger direct, etc).

Hope it helps and good luck!

 

Hey guys, I'm kinda computer illiterate, i just understand the very basics of computers, so forgive me if this question sounds stupid...is the processor speed the only difference between the fz140e model and the fz160e for the canadian model (i.e. 1.8Ghz for 140e and 2Ghz for 160e) and if so, is this difference worth it enough to shell out an extra 100 bucks for the fz160e version? I couldn't find any other differences based on the specs from the sonystyle.ca website....thanks in advance

 

Mine just shipped today via fed-ex, with an estimated arrival date now for the 21st, a full 5 days earlier than their past estimate. F'in a cotton, f'in a.

 

Mine just shipped too via FEDEX today estimated delivery Jun 19,2007 @ 3:00 pm today...Yahuh........ordered Jun 10.

 

Is that Sony service we know ???

My order is due to 26th this month, but now i delivered already to my relative in the USA today 19th. How come ? Seems like Sony has improved something in the order processing.
Good for them, good for us