Vaio FZ Owners Official Owners Thread

I’ve had mine for almost 3 weeks now. Haven’t noticed any excessive noises, it’s actually super quiet. It gets quite hot, but nothing extreme like burning keyboard or touchpad. These are the typical SpeedFan readings under normal usage: HD0: 37C , Temp1: 40C , Temp2: 40C , Core0: 30C , Core1: 31C. I’ve no idea what these mean, hopefully it’ll be useful info for some of you. I can do the benchmarks too. I’m really interested in getting the Seagate Momentus 7200.2 (?) hard drive. The theory is that such an upgrade would give about 25% boost in performance over 5400 RPM. I’ve done an upgrade from 4200 to 7200 in the past, and the difference was incredible.
I would really appreciate your thoughts and purchase advice for this Seagate HDD.

 

Ah, thanks. I tried 2 out of 3 and came up with these benchmarks with my FZ11S (T7100, 2GB ram, 8400GT, 160GB/5.400rpm):

PCMark05: 4248
3DMark06: 1475

I wonder if the 3DMark would go up a lot with new forceware drivers for the 8400GT, i think (read: hope it could perform a little better.

 

One of the reviewers said that there was almost 20 gigs of bloatware pre-installed. I get mine on the 11th, so I don't know which programs specifically, but I saw one in the store and got a quick look at the program list. The Spiderman thing, for sure. Pretty much anything with the word Vaio in front of it (except a few utilities like the camera). If you have MS Office, you can uninstall Microsoft works.

Also, these are right from the sony website:
SonicStage™ (Digital Music Management)
SonicStage Mastering Studio™ with MP3 Encoder (Digital Music Management)
VAIO Media™ (Network File Sharing)

Dvgate Plus™ (Digital Video Editing)
QuickBooks Financial Software

The Norton trial if you aren't using it.

If you're going to upgrade your HDD, I would strongly recommend a Seagate Momentus. 7200 rpm, 120-160 (or higher?)gb. They're silent, give off little/no more heat than a 5400 rpm HDD, and only use a tiny bit more power, not even noticable from what I've heard. Any 2.5" drive is compatable, though.

 

Did you upgrade the driver for the 8400M GT to version 101.28? If not, you should as you will see signifcant improvements.
PCMark05: should be 5000-6000
3dMark06: should be 2500-3000

 

I have not received my FZ190 yet, but if these are anything like my two previous Sony laptops, I'd be a bit cautious deleting "anything with the word Vaio in front of it". Some of them may be crucial to things like the function keys etc. and may not be OBVIOUS from their names.

The first thing I do with ANY machine is repartition the hard drive and create a FAT32 partition large enough to hold a Ghost image of the C: drive's contents. Then I create a ghost image and am free to play around willy-nilly with purging stuff with the confidence I can EASILY revert things back without relying on refreshing the machine via the full restore disks or system restore point.

Gary

 

its ok if i full format my hard drive deleting all partitions including the recovery partition and saving drivers on a CD to start a fresh install of vista??

 

I'd also make a set of the recovery disks before I went so far as to delete the recovery partition.

Gary

 

I read all the hooplah about a clean install on Vaios, but mine went pretty smooth. Granted I do have a retail copy of Vista Ultimate, but I was still able to get all of the core VAIO programs from the esupport website. I simply put all the drivers onto a flash drive before hand, did a clean install of Vista Ultimate, loaded all the drivers from the flash drive, then installed the VAIO programs. Everything works like before, including the Instant On mode, AV buttons, and FN buttons.

This is on a FZ140e though.

 

just curious as to where i could buy a Seagate momentus 7200.2 drive... actually i found this while surfing the web: http://www.provantage.com/seagate-st9160823asg~7SEGH01V.htm
that seems to be the cheapest place. any other suggestions let me know.

i guess my next question would be which one of you gurus would be willing to hold my hand through the processes of getting a new hard drive in this computer. seems like the installation is easy enough but help me make sure i will be able to reinstall vista and all the other drives needed for this computer without complication. with my luck i would lose everything.

 

LoL, that sure sounds good to me But do keep in mind that i have the slowest cpu of the Santa Rosa familly, so i won't get the same performance you have with that mighty T7700

No, i'm still running my 8400GT with the 101.11 driver. I did try that driver (i found 2 different versions actually, both were mentioned in this thread i think) but i can't get either of them installed. The .ini files says the driver is for the 8400GS, but it doesn't say it's for the 8400GT, i thought that was causing my installation problems and that i had to wait till one came out fot the 8400GT.
How did you get it installed? Did you re-write the .ini file or didn't you use the original setup.exe perhaps?

 

This was my best hit so far too. They must be selling lots of these, the price has gone up by $5 since yesterday.

 

To install the 101.28 driver, first download the 101.28 driver and the corresponding modified inf file. Replace the existing inf file with the modified one. Run setup and the new driver will install properly. You don't have to modify any ini files.

Eventhough you don't have the fastest processor, your computer will run nicely with the new driver. You should see significant improvements in your 3d benchmarks.

Hope this helps and congrats on the purchase of the FZ.

 

I just finished with the installation of the same drive. It wasn't too hard to do, so don't worry. The seagate momentus 7200.2 drive is awesome: quiet, runs cool, and damn fast.

Let me know when you get your new drive and I can give you a virtual hand to help you install your new hard drive and get your system up and running.

 

Does anyone know the procedure for writing a review? Does one need to contact the administrator to post it? I was thinking of writing
(my first review) a review of the FZ190 CTO.

 

any one know what sony/vaio apps are safe to uninstall

 

Ahum.....i seem to have overlooked that modified inf file.... :$

Here are the results for an FZ11S with the new 101.28 driver;


3Dmark06= 1705 instead of the original 1475
PCMark05= 4353 instead of the original 4248

They are a little higher, but not as much as you expected. Oh well, i'm happy with those marks for now anyway.

Thanks for the help GoSensGo !

Not sure on how to submit a review over here btw, i did one my FZ on tweakers.net (they had a special page over there to submit a review), but that's in dutch

 

If you want it on the front page, you should check out this thread

http://forum.notebookreview.com/announcement.php?f=16&a=5

Otherwise, you can just post it in the forum. I'm looking forward to your review; as of yet, there aren't any NBR reviews of the FZ190.

 

Vaio programs I have left on my computer. As far as I can tell everything working perfectly:
*AV mode launcher
*camera capture utility
*event service( don't delete this it screws up the fn key)
*Photo 2007 (I think you can delete this but I left it)
*Power Management
*Update 3

anything vaio program not on this list is pretty much safe to delete. especially things like the "entertainment center" and such which are just advertisement short-cuts.

After uninstalling I recommend still to go through the drive and clear away some extra folders. The uninstallation aren't exactly what I would call clean. It still leaves alot of junk folders and files. Some are hidden files some are not.

Start-up ~41 secs (could be faster if i limit some more start-up programs). Shut-down ~10 secs when I have nothing opened.

 

well after carefull consideration, i think ive decided it would be stupid of me to replace the hard drive without going through sony. i did purchase a 3 year waranty that im pretty sure would become void if i changed out the parts. i just wish they offered a hd with 7200rpm. would sony be able to tell if i switched out the parts? i mean obviously if something goes wrong and it needs to be shipped off to fix, and i have a new hd they would realize. i doubt that would happen, but if it did i wonder maybe i could just switch the old hd back in without them realizing. i just dont wanna lose my three year waranty, but that momentus 7200.2 drive sounds like a beaut. plus i need more capacity than 80gigs, and i feel like if im gunna pay for a bigger hard drive, i might as well up the rpms as well.

 

good to know momentus is going great.... thanks for sharing the easy installation info... made me consider it seriously!

and what do u say about the new battery life after installing momentus?

IF possible.... plz run a demanding battery drain test with full brightness + continous HD use + DVD drain out (i mean worst case scenario in any way) OR you can use http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/mobile/display/battery-eater.html this software i found through google (BatteryEater Pro - Direct D/L http://www.xbitlabs.com/images/mobile/battery-eater/BEPro.zip ) This might help in your review as well!

Thanks...

 

OK, I just screwed up my Fn functionality. Uninstalled event service along with a load of other crap. I downloaded the Sony Notebook Utilities file from support page, but it won't install. Gives me an I/O error and suggests a corrupt installation file in the next message.

 

yes i have had these problems with previous computers with sony made software. which is making me consider doing a clean install which i have found to be an equally daunting experience and very hazardous.
has anyone done a clean install with all the drivers without any problems. do they have blue ray.

 

Hi everybody
I`m new here and my english is not so good - sory of this
I`m going to buy vaio VGN-FZ190N4. I found it on PC Nation:
http://www.pcnation.com/web/details.asp?item=M87846
What do you think guys about it? It is worth the cost?
What is dedicated video memory this model if total available memory is 383MB?
Thanks a lot

 

I talked to sony rep before my installation and they told me that I do not void the warranty by changing the ram or hard drive. I decided to buy an external usb/esata hard drive enclosure for the original hard drive. It is nice to have a small external unit to store files on the go.

 

The FZ is a great notebook for the price. The particular model you are interested in buying comes with 1 gb of ram. I would suggest putting in another 1 gb (2 gb total) to increase performance. The dedicated video memory is 256 mb (1023mb total available graphics memory if you upgrade to 2gb of memory). The xbrite hi-color screen is beautiful, even on the lowest brightness setting it is very visible.

 

Looks good, except for the memory. I concur, you should add at least one more GB. It's probably easiest to buy a 2GB stick from elsewhere, then you'd have 2.5GB if the thing comes with 2x 512MB or 3GB if you're lucky and it only has 1x 1GB. (It's easy to install, just carefully remove a screw on the bottom)
If this is a FZ190 for the North American Market, the dedicated video memory should be 256MB. 383MB is the maximum you get with 1GB of memory. With more RAM, the amount of maximum shared graphics memory goes up accordingly.

 

Does anyone know if there is a way to access the powermizer technology in the 8400M GT? I have been reading the product info on the nvidia website about the ability to reduce power consumption of the gpu when performing non intensive applications like word processing, emailing, surfing, etc.

It is too bad that most notebooks don't have dual video options (similar to vaio sz). It makes sense to have this capability, especially when your on the road and only doing work stuff.

What kind of battery life is everyone getting with and without wireless/BT (what settings)?

 

well then it looks like im only a couple steps away from buying a new HD. just a couple questions. what warranty/service plan do you have? second, what number did you call sony at? was it 1-877-865-SONY, and go to technical support? I wanna make sure that if I do put in a new hard drive that i have it on record and in writing that my warranty will still be good. I've had enough issues with Sony telling me multiple contradicting statements.

 

Ehm, dude, i don't wanna ask any dumb questions, but should'nt you be able to find al the info your looking for in your warranty agreement...?

 

well we both have fz190s, so im guessing the same/similar warranties and so far i have talked 2 different technical support reps and a sales rep and they have all told me that my warranty would become void. im wonderin if he had contacted a different department and if so what the number is. if i could get ANY customer service rep at all to tell me that my warranty WILL NOT be void in writing, then i wont have a problem putting in the new hard drive, despite what my warranty agreement says. my story, "i couldn't find the paperwork to my warranty, and this is what your sony representive told me." case settled. but so far no such luck.

 

hey guys, i'm not the proud owner of FZ series as well!! bought FZ 17G AUS model.

picture quality is just striking!

 

How does the Hitachi 7K200 compare with seagate momentus in terms of heat?

 

I want my seagate!!! im broke... just this morning i started to hear sound coming out of my hard drive...

 

Going to try again...I get mine on the 10th (Tuesday). This is after sending one back due to the fan issue.

 

Well, are you sure about 256 mb dedicated video memory in all version FZ with GeForce? Look this:
1. VGN-FZ180U/B - 1023MB total available graphics memory and 2GB (1GBx2) PC2-5300
http://b2b.sony.com/Solutions/product/VGN-FZ180U/B
2. VGN-FZ190N5 - ONLY 895MB total available graphics memory and 2GB (1GBx2) PC2-5300
http://b2b.sony.com/Solutions/product/VGN-FZ190N5

Both had 2MB memory but diferent graphics memory!

 

I've decided to upgrade to the Seagate Momentus 160Gb 7200.2 HDD (ST9160823ASG). I also like the idea of utilizing the one that came originally as an external HDD. It's a Toshiba MK1234GSX 120Gb 5400 Rpm. The one thing that I need to figure out now, is the right external enclosure for it. I'd really appreciate your suggestions for a good enclosure. Thanks.

 

Nope, there are different memory layouts for the 8400GT.
So far models with 64, 128 and 256mb of dedicated memory have been spotted, the shared memory varies from 256 up to 895 as far as i know.

I think it's 256 mb shared mem. for the 1Gb ram versions of the FZ's and it increases whit the amount of ram you have.

It's a bit unclear witch model has what amount of v-ram (why Sony, why???), so watch out when you buy one (!!!)

 

So, how to find out what is v-ram in FZ190N4? I hope it is not 64MB!!!
I`m thinking about this model a lot of time (its beautiful) but maybe better choice would be ASUS F3SV? Similar price. What do you think?

 

So, how to find out what is v-ram in FZ190N4? I hope it is not 64MB!!!
I`m thinking about this model a lot of time (its beautiful) but maybe better choice would be ASUS F3SV? Similar price. What do you think?

 

I decided to go with a vantec 2.5 inch usb2.0/esata hard drive enclosure. It is small, light, and sleek looking. It also comes with a esata connector for your desktop and a carrying case.

 

I did some looking around but i can't get you any definite nr's. I think it's 128mb dedicated v-ram for the model you are looking at, but if you want to be really sure you should contact Sony about it.

The Asus is a very good machine to, i just don't like the way it looks myself. And to me looks are very important too

 

Thank you. It looks nice and sturdy. I'll probably get it, once I order the Seagate drive.

 

I'm having trouble with the AV Mode. It hasn't been working on my FZ since day one. Pressing the button would just boot the system up normally, and only after it's completely booted a "Windows Media Center" (?) bar appears briefly at the top end of desktop. I've reinstalled the VAIO AV Mode, installed the update for WinDVD Instant Mode, nothing changes. I have the regular DVD burner (non BluRay).

 

it actually seems to be a problem related to the 8400m GT, not limited to just blu-ray models. the lack of proper nvidia drivers is most likely the culprit.

 

it happened to me too. i don't know what it is supposed to do?

what about S button? what is it for?

 

Happy owner of a fz11s (uk spec) laptop, no gripes so far, totally chuffed to bits on the way it looks and performs. The only feature that's got me scratching my head like everybody else here is the AV mode launcher. Hope someone comes up with a solution soon n hello to all my fellow FZ mates and notebookreview mates!

 

Welcome to the club lad

Congrats !

 

The S button is simply a Quick Launch button. You can configure it to open programs, it opens IE on mine by default.

 

Can Someone Please Help. I've Bought The Sony Vaio Vgn-fz180e/b Two Days Ago. While Deleting The Sony Preinstalled Programs My Hardrive Space Actually Decreased From:

152gb Of 178gb (when First Purchased) To

135gb Of 178gb.

I Don't Understand Why I Have Less Hardrive Space. When I Checked The Entire C Drive I've Only Used Up 15gbs Altogether. So Where Has The Extra 30 Gbs (approx) Gone?????

does Anyone Have A Similar Or Same Problem? Anyone Please Help!!!

 

tiger, vista has an automated backup feature which is creating restore points when u do all that deleting and uninstalling. Disable the system restore feature and u should be fine.