FHD Premium 1920*1080p display [old VPCF1290X & 1390X series]

Hey guys!
Who among You has old F series laptop VPCF1290X or VPCF1390X [or F115] with FHD Premium 1920*1080p CCFL backlit display?
How is display? Provides good juicy picture? How is gamut, viewing angles, brightness?
I gonna buy one but since it's old technology wondering if it's worth to buy. I'm not a designer, photographer but anyway I'd like to have good display.

Could U be so kind to provide Yours display part number since they say the displays were different for both series and even countries. I am in US.

Thanks!

 

Not sure which is the same model (in Europe, the model numbers are different), but this review site provides pretty detailed information about the screens of PCs:
VPC-F21Z1E/BI 3D Notebook - Notebookcheck.net Reviews
VPC-F22S1E/B (FHD) Notebook - Notebookcheck.net Reviews

 

There are at least two different versions of the 1080p display from the F1 series. The US glossy one which is not very good and the EU/Asia Premium matte one which is very good. The EU Premium one is a dual CCFL backlit TN display. It has a wide gamut and better than average horizontal viewing angles. I used to own an F12 and its one of the nicest screens I've seen in a notebook of its class.

With that said, I still don't think its good if you are doing colour sensitive work like photography because of the unstable viewing angles. You can't really beat a big, properly calibrated desktop IPS display because it stays in the same place and the viewing angles are very stable so you always get consistent results. With the majority of notebook displays, you have to sit incredibly still whilst working. Even small changes in vertical viewing angles cause dramatic contrast and colour shifts. The F12/F13 is no exception.

I don't know the part number of the EU/Asia full HD display but I do know the model number and the manufacturer. Its a Sharp LQ164M1LA4A B.

Be warned that buying one of these second hand is extremely expensive and will likely cost you more than you paid for an F1 series notebook to begin with. I highly recommend you go with a desktop display.

 

Hayte! Thank U! Yeh, I meant model number and manufacturer. I wanted to buy one which is new and Sony refurbished since I can't understand people who buy a used one laptops and things which U need to touch or wear everyday at all [except cars]. But was confused by CCFL backlit technology.

I'm not going to do any photojob on this laptop but viewing angles are quite important to me since I like to have laptop with me while being in bed or in armchair when it's always difficult to hold laptop straight right.

Where did U get this number? I mean since U don't own now that old one F1 series laptop anymore?
And U say there a matte version for Eu/Asia?

 

I bought a customized VPC F12X5E from Sony.co.uk on the 5th August 2010. My order confirmation says F12X5E but I could swear it was in fact an F12C5E but whatever. For various reasons I wasn't happy with it due to the very annoying whistling fan/cpu and I sold it at some point in October 2010. In that time I dismantled the notebook twice and that was the model number on the display.

If you google the model number you will get a discussion on this forum about the correct part number. I don't know why there seems to be variance in the model description. The display I had with that model number was not glossy with an anti reflective coating. It was matte (as in satin finish similar to my U2311H).

Please note that this display is available x2 on ebay.co.uk right now but the lowest price is just over £700 STG (including shipping within the UK mainland). It isn't worth that kind of money.

 

@Hayte! By the way, where is Ur avatar from? DeviantArt? Can U please provide a link to the original source. Thanks again!

 

What laptop U have now, Hayte?;-)

 

I have a Z13 now but I'm having problems with that too. I haven't had much luck with Sony notebooks.

Avatar = Dace2 by Greno89 (and yes, I believe it was uploaded to deviantart).

 

@Hayte
@all the guys here with F1xxxx for EU

Help!
Asap!


Model: VPCF12Z03
Model: VPCF12S1E/B
Model: VPCF13Z1E/B
Model: VPCF12M0E/B

eBay UK

Can't check the display model, since sellers on eBay are so stupid.

Please, owners of these models from UK & Ireland especially, verify screen model number and if it is manufactured by Sharp [matte display] please!

Which model had "grey bottom line" problem?

Asap!
TX to all of U guys for concern!

 

If it is an EU model with a 1920x1080 display branded as "VAIO Display Premium" then it is the good one.

The first model number doesn't make sense. The F12Z1E has the good screen and the faux leather palm rest. The second one has the good screen but it does not have the faux leather palm rest. It has a plastic palm rest. The third one has the good screen and plastic palm rest. The fourth one does not have the good screen. It also has a plastic palm rest.

 

@Hayte! Look at this item on ebaY UK please if U can:

180789583901

http://www.ebay.com/itm/18078958390...AX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649#ht_7261wt_922

It's VPCF13Z03 and it looks like it has matte display on photos. Sellers wouldn't check display number and manufacturer. Saying that laptop is recovered to it's manufacturer setting and they can't install additional programs for identifying hardware. I say they can do it tru windows commands like msinfo32 but they keep silence the second day.

I sure that this model is matte since it has Z index plus official Sony UK description for this laptop states display as Premium and also photos in ebaY listing testify the guess.

But just ask U to be sure.

Is the price £779 too high for this laptop?

And "grey ribbon in bottom" is more likely to be on this laptop display?

TU.
Don't know why U know all this information guess U like to know every detail before buying something like me;-) So appreciate Ur concern and help.

 

^^^ Thats got the good display yep.

For reference, in August 2010 I paid £1,231.51 for this:

Quantity : 1
Product ID : VPCF12X5E
Description : Laptop VPC-F12X - Configurable
Price : 1.231,51
Optical Drive : Blu-ray Disc(TM) player
Hard drive : 320 GB Serial ATA (5400 rpm)
Documentation : English documentation
Wireless LAN : Wireless LAN + Bluetooth
Processor : Intel CoreTM i7-740QM, 1.73GHz
Display : 41.6 cm LCD, 1920x1080, webcam
Graphics : NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 330M 1GB
Finishes : Premium Black*
Memory : 6 GB 1333MHz DDR3-SDRAM
Battery : Battery life up to 3 hours
Keyboard : English QWERTY keyboard
Memory cards reader : SD and MS card slot
Operating system : English operating system
Internet security : No protection
AC Adapter : 1 AC Adapter
Adobe Creation : No Adobe® Creation
HDMI(TM) output : HDMI(TM) output
Adobe® Lightroom® : No Adobe® Photoshop® Lightroom
Microsoft 2010 & Adobe Acrobat : Office 2010 Starter
Operating system : Windows® 7 Professional(64bit)

* Premium Black is exactly the same as Black except it has the faux leather palm rest.

I can't say if the price is good now because it depends on what you want. If it has everything you want then go for it. I would still be wary of doing graphic design or colour sensitive work on most notebook displays (F series included) because of the unstable viewing angle - especially the vertical.

I highly recommend reading the notebookcheck review of the F12 and F13. As a former F12 owner I think that they nailed their review - all the good and the bad.

I don't know what you mean by grey ribbon.

I used to post in the F Series Owner's Lounge thread where lots of other F series users shared information. It became apparent at one stage that American F series owners complained about the quality of the FHD display whilst Euro/Asia owners had nothing but good things to say. With a bit of sleuthing and a few folks who were willing to tear down their laptop *for science!* we eventually ascertained that the American and Euro/Asia FHD displays were completely different.

Much of this information was then collated into a handy guide by Joe Bleau. I don't know if that guide is still around but if anyone knows, anseio does. If I were you I'd introduce yourself to the F series Owner's Lounge guys since they are a font of useful information and are super friendly. I should pop by and say hi more often.

Edit: Found the guide!

http://www..org/images/Sony_Vaio_F11/Vaio_F_Series_Monitor_Calibration_Users_Profiles_Roundup.htm

I forgot to mention that the EU F1x notebooks don't have backlit keyboards. The US F1x doesn't have the nice display option but it does have a backlit keyboard option.