My discoveries on Vaio Z’s Hybrid Graphics

Metsn
Is it stable yet?
You can switch between nvidia and intel via bios right?
Have you tryed any 3d game yet?
HDMI?

I wonder how it goes, if everything went stable for you after all - than i'll try it too!
But i don't like powermizer off

Hell...since it flicks - then surely trouble is about monitor sync EDID...

Andrew's driver got it...

podam
I don't know exactly which one do i need, this program just shows it as aporpriate information, which is cool...now i'm trying mine

 

Stable until now (was installing updated utilities for Win8). I'm not switching through bios, but with the Stamina/Speed slider (and restart). I tried just Counter-Strike Source and it worked well. I'll try HDMi tomorrow...need to go to sleep now

 

Metsn
Awesome! )
If tomorrow everything will continue to go cool - please make a detailed explanation how to, i think it should be bumped in this thread!

And yeah, could you please install this program http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/System-Info/EDID-Viewer.shtml on your new system with this bios hack, press "Read EDID" on the top of file-menu, read any of them, and show me this part:
http://s2.ipicture.ru/uploads/20121102/TV2q2q7p.png

I wonder how your system's screen differs from mine...

 

My way of getting rid from flicker issue:

First you will need to install drivers in the right order, to get everything working.
Please, before installation make sure that switch is on SPEED mode, and also that network switch is on.
Notice that you will have to reboot after each installation of each driver, and can not check in process if switch, volume or brightness is working, until you will install everything - don't touch switches, or whole process can go wrong and introduce some unwanted bugs or issues.

Right order:
1. Install R2170M3 BIOS
2. Clean install Win 7 x64, install SP1 (if you need it), reboot.
3. Got to Windows updates, update every driver that's in there except Intel / Nvidia driver and Network driver.
4. Sony_Shared_Library_5.4_5.4.0.05200
5. Setting_Utility_Series_5.0_5.0.0.07300
6. VAIO_Event_Service_5.0_5.0.0.07010
7. VAIO_Control_Center_4.0_4.0.0.06120
8. VAIO_Power_Management_4.0_4.0.0.08240
9. VAIO_Smart_Network_3.0_3.0.0.09080
10. Memory card reader writer driver Ricoh MS # SD
11. Install Andrew's NVIDIA 263.08 - Intel 2020, reboot, sign them, reboot, then apply reg fix for switching, then reboot again, go to nvidia control panel, create new resolution with 59hz, and open additional syncronization dialog, choose CVT in there, apply and reboot.

This way you will get working almost every issue that we had about drivers: working powermizer, working graphic switching, brightness, CUDA, OpenCL, Direct compute, working HDMI.

"Issues" still exist:
1. After switching to Intel, and then back to Nvidia (without reboot) - GPU-Z shows no CUDA and OpenCL. (not sure if it is actually so, because Photoshop's and Premiere CUDA GPU acceleration works without issues / error messages).
2. No PhysX, but this is just due Andrew haven't packed this drivers with PhysX, maybe when he'll come back he will make us happier with that

POSSIBLE BAD SIDE:
I have try almost every possible combination, and CVT works as you would expect it to work with default drivers, no flicks, no other bad sides.
Actually every other combination of settings i've tried - has some bad effects, and some of them extremely bad effects.

But what i think possibly could be bad about my solution - that info from EDID about preferable monitor timings - differs pretty much, from what you get in CVT mode.
Auto (default values, unchanged after installation):
http://s1.ipicture.ru/uploads/20121102/9Ho4R59n.png (as you can see totally = my monitor EDID data http://s2.ipicture.ru/uploads/20121102/TV2q2q7p.png)
CVT (totally different method of counting, even horisontal polarity is negative)
http://s1.ipicture.ru/uploads/20121102/2LPgTPWT.png

EDID says maximum pixel clock is 110 MHz, but CVT makes is more - 118,3 MHz.
I'm not sure if it's bad or not, because i'm not an expert, but what i'm sure about - is that any drivers that got flickering on our VGN-Z - actually doesn't seem to read actual monitor's EDID precisely, otherwise it would work as expected.

And i would like to hear some professional opinion about that from Nautis or Andrew.
+ hopefully my research and testings will inspire them with some new ideas of how to fix it properly

 

Finally got the lastest drivers 306 on nvidia working perfeclty no flickering or BSOD at all (powermizer option was already disable in nvidia config panel) and lastest Intel 2302 working perfectly, just need to restart with the switch to change from cards..
Only drawback is that the brightness keys only work for increase but not decrease...maybe i need to reinstall sony part of keys management?

Unfortunately opencl ist working, seems my card is only 128mo and isnt capable because of this, so i ll pass on it.
Anyway i am getting new drivers and better performance, less laggy when loading videos.
will test hdmi too!!

have to sleep too^^

ps: i flashed to the advanced version but fortgot to back up, can i find the R4043M3? i ve the asian version, can Metsn send me the file just in case i need to roll back?

 

Woowww what a good news!!! and good job.
Seems PhysX isnt capable with later drivers too... but about the Opencl things have you the 128 or 256mo 9300GS? curious about it, mine 128 isn t supported....so

 

podam

This is certanly wrong installation order (as far as i can tell on Win7), but probably it could be some Win 8 specific issue (i don't think so).
you should try to install in right order, this should help.

I got 256mb...As far as i can say - what is extremely matters about working CUDA / OpenCL / Direct compute - driver installation order.
But i think it also could be Win 8 specific issue, since Metsn doesn't have OpenCL also, and he also got Win 8...

I'm speaking about Win 7 - and with my installation process - it got everything, except PhysX, which just haven't been packed by Andrew for this drivers (and just installing PhysX separately won't help here).
So we will have to wait for his magical comeback

Sounds like a dream to be honest!!! Except disabled powermizer, which makes insane heat and pretty lot noise...I'm not sure that my fix will work in such case, coz BSOD is much more serious then flickers, and they must be separated. But you can try to test it to make sure.

Looking forward to complete impressions about this bios hack from you guys!

P.S. Do you got FXAA in 3d settings?????? This would be like a dream for such a slow 256 mb and especially 128 Mb card we can finally use AA without insane perfomance drop!!!

 

Thanks failure13 for providing so much information.

I uploaded 1 package of 26308 2020 just for you, it might work like charm or it might not work at all, all included in one package (physx).

note: all the problem about cuda gone after switching is confirmed and no other way to fix this.
VPCZ1 is not windows 8 compatible so we won't see new driver. Yet to check Dell.

for the monitor refresh rate, i have also included new monitor profile, and remove timing restriction, so it might work out of the box.

for the video bandwidth
1280x1024 we usually have 110
1600x900 can have higher

 

Andrew08
First of all - i'm so glad to see you in here again!

Thank you a lot for new test driver, i'm installing now again with my clean Win7 x64 and my installation order, can't wait to get results, seem to be promising!

update: sorry to report that, but it seems that you've packaged something wrong, coz i can't even install it, once i double click on .exe, immediately got this screen saying "Installation fail":
http://s2.ipicture.ru/uploads/20121102/CEcGIWm4.png
And also don't forget to fix title, that saying 1994, since it's actually 2020 it could probably confuse some new users that will come after us

Hope that this failure is fixeable! (I will prepare new Win 7 x64 clean installation meanwhile)

By removing timing restrictions, you meant that it could probably read old VGN-Z "not so usual" EDID correctly now?

But wait, i was saying that i'm worry mainly about my VAIO EDID monitor profile says that Monitor's range Maximum pixel clock is 110 MHz (so probably it means that with CVT's 118,3 MHz we can harm monitor?).

But by bandwidth you meant Horisontal Sync Pulse Width? Then yeah, i think for 1280x1024 (which i have at my desktop now) - it's fairly normal to go ~110 pixels, so with 1600 it's logically can be more.

podam
Metsn
Are you both on R4044M3 BIOS? I think this could be potential problem of BSOD that this guy discussed, coz i had a lot of BSOD with everything rather then R2170M3 (which is made for old VGN-Z actually, unlike higher versions). If you could find it hacked with advanced unlocks, probably you can get off from BSOD trouble, and only flicker will left then (but this we can solve now it seems), so you both can use working powermizer also.

This is only my guess, based on personal experience, probably Andrew will say more about it!

 

FHi everybody, here are the last updates about my improvement on static configuration and latest drivers.
I used the R5031M3A drivers the ones Metsn recommended, flash worked like a charm. Automatically installed the lastest Intel drivers and went smoothly with 306 forceware that include physix, cuda, opencl....butproblems are inherent to drivers issues, 9300GS with12mo cannot provide officialy opencl ( on nvidia website 256mo of local memory is required) same things with physix.GPU z said my GPU can't support this fonction.

1)Other issue, minor issue brightness keys work with Intel and only increase is functioning for Nvidia( osd works too but can't figure to decrease) this may be a driver issue I reinstalled vaio event services but same things happened.
2)I didn't change anything in powermizer and checked with GPU z, powermizer was functional, played game, back to desktop every thing was silent and same as before. 100% working drivers.
3) now for the bad part, I noticed when I switch to stamima or speed in windows before rebooting using windows restart option( no shutdown) the computer go to rebooting route as before but when the screen finally goes black ( after blue w7 logging off screen) the Vaio stopped for 2 seconds (can hear fan stopping and harddisk parking head noise like forced shutdown) then the laptop just reboot fine with right graphic change. That's a little weird I finally revert to last official bios R4044M3 ( Forgot to backup my bios before but found it on Sony Asia). Then rolled back to stock drivers and reboot is now like before no glitches.
I think it has something to do with the bios, like power option since advanced bios ? Any idea? Or I may go for building myself a modded bios from this working one adding Python patch.
Any one has same issue with reboot glitch using static policy?

 

podam
Hi!

Sorry to hear that

Issues:
1. no no, just re-installing something won't ever help you with this issue, you should make new clean Windows and install all the drivers in right order, as i mentioned in my little guide, unless you done it some other way - you can have such issue, i had it million time before i was trying to find right installation order...So only way - is to make it clean again.
2. But how you have avoid the BSOD and screen flickers then, if you haven't touched powermizer at all?
3. Weird, i know nothing about it...But as i said earlier - i personally wouldn't recommend install any bios except R2170M3 on old VGN-Z, coz this can be potentially harmful (and i had it once very badly with R4044M3).

If you know how to make custom BIOS - i would suggest you to try unlock advanced options in R2170M3, if it's possible in this version. Surely it will be much more stable, since it's last bios made exactly for old VGN-Z.

 

Hi guys, checking on you two again. I have been running this laptop for the whole day without a single problem - great HDMi works (including copy/extended screen), no BSOD, no flickering, everything snappier than ever before.

As for the BIOS version, I don't think there will be any differences. Except for new CPUs and HDD options there were no changes in the VGN-Z line. I was running R5031M3A on my laptop for over a year without a glitch. Since Win7/8 I never had BSOD until I tried this static config. The Powermizer Manager helped with that though. Even with that my GPU temps are lower than with stock Sony drivers. I believe that these different names are used mainly because of Sony's bad (or lack of) support. Lets not forget, that my notebook is until today not officially supported for Windows 7 and if I wouldn't use BIOS from a different refresh, I wouldn't be able to use Win7 properly.

In my Win7 installation I even used some drivers and Sony utilities from VPC-Z and VPC-Z2

As for the GPU driver installation, I don't agree it's needed to do a clean install of Windows everytime before you reinstall them (even thought it's the cleanest way). I was testing various drivers Nautis released and never did a clean install. Just uninstalled the previous version (unistal in Program and Features and deleted GPU in Device manager) and cleaned the system with Driver sweeper. Never had any problem. The problem happens, if you reinstall Vaio Event service, in that case you usually need to do a new clean install.

My Win7 installation with Nautis' drivers was working very well. In case of Win 8 I was lazy to do (and didn't have enough time) a clean install, test which drivers and utilities works etc and did the thing I never recommended to anyone - upgrade. It worked pretty well though. The only issue I have is, that in Speed mode I'm not able to control brightness with FN keys (but I can do it with Win brightness control). I really don't care, as I never change the brightness in Speed mode (and if I would want to, it's still possible after all). In Stamina mode all FN keys are working.

One more slightly negative point. Intel didn't release drivers for our GPU for Win8...so I'm forced to use stock Win8 ones. Didn't find any problem thought, except for missing that fancy control panel


edit: as for the 2 seconds pause while restarting...I have it as well and I believe it's normal. When the GPU switching was on auto, the LED showing which GPU is on was off until Windows start up - means it was decided by some utility. In static mode, the LED lights up from the beginning I turn on the computer. I believe those two second are time, which the computer needs for the actual GPU switch. The same pause happened while switching in the Windows with hybrid drivers.

 

Metsn
But do you have any idea why BSOD happens in the first place?
Clearly not because of powermizer state, this is 100% caused by a bit incorrect driver's display timings reading...

So if you will know what caused BSOD on your system, and it can be fixed - than me and Andrew could help you to eliminate flicker issue, and then we can get everything to work just perfect, with pwermizer on!

 

failure13

I have no idea. It never happened to me before with any custom hybrid drivers. It seems to have something to do with the static settings.

btw...small success, this is the solution for newest Intel drivers on Win8.

So right now I'm running 2555 driver on the Intel side and 306.97 driver on the Nvidia side.

 

Sorry, I might have missed something. Do you have the latest Nvidia drivers with hybrid?

 

2555 Intel 306.97 Nvidia means optimus.

because latest available hybrid driver should be Nvidia 26314 Intel 22xx, xx can be more than 81.
26315 and above failed
23xx and above also failed.

we don't have any update for windows 8, so it is safe to assume 26314 22xx is the latest hybrid.

what i would like to do is 26314 2xxx for vgnz.

 

Few posts back we were discussing this guide for setting up static switching (with restart), which allows you to install latest drivers. Works very well for me. I don't have any need to switch GPUs on the fly...

 

Metsn
podam
How exactly to flash advanced BIOS?
Can you give a little guide?
Coz i've never used hacked ones, only official, and not sure about differences.

 

It's relatively easy and straightforward process, but you need some preparation. The longest time will take making a bootable flash drive with DOS. If you don't know how to, you can use some of many guides on the internet, eg this one. Than you'll need "flash*t" utility. It's included in the zip file with BIOS. Than put that utility with tha BIOS I linked earlier on the flash drive with MS DOS and boot from it. In MS DOS type "flash*t R5031M3A.rom /all". Aaand it's done.

PS. NBR doesn't allow me to write the name of the utility for obvious reason * = i

 

Metsn
Cool & EZ! )

lol))))))))
But does your R5031M3 have virtualization option also?
And also, if i will flash to this bios, and will switch to switching policy: hybrid - i can still reinstall Win7 as usual, and test Andrew's build as it was before, rirght?

 

Yes it does have virtualization option and you don't need to change the switching policy. As stock it's setup for Auto switching (means hybrid).

 

Metsn
Great, coz i will be able to test both Andrew's at auto and Static (i want to try help you guys eliminate BSOD and set powrmizer on also).

Now i'm testing new Andrew's build, have installed it, will test now everything about usual issues, hopefully we will go for first ever stable release for Win7 / Win8 Hybrid old VGN-Z!!!

update
Andrew have managed to get working just everything:
Now driver is signed, switch is working, brightness works both in SPEED and STAMINA.
CUDA, OpenCL, Direct compute 4 works even after switching on fly and then back!!! GPU-Z reports them!
Also EnableGoldOnHybrid reg fix is now included in package.
And more than that...When i was playing GTA III - gpu temp was 65 C, which is unbelievabely low, i never had this temp even idle! O_O
And now i have 54 idle!!! Can't believe this!

There are just few things we need to test about flickers and PhysX, and this will be just ultimately working hybrid driver for old VGN-Z!

 

I'm closely watching this thread. Been testing with a couple of scenario's too.

So far running on the hacked bios with static mode, but couldn't get the flickering to stop, not even with the CVT option. It really shows when playing a video wiith overlay mode.
I'm thinking about switching back to auto-switching, but I couldn't find the drivers you and Andrew are testing on, Did you figure out the right EDID settings?

 

TheDizzAR
I would ask you to wait a bit, Andrew now is building new packcage with my little help in testing, when we will be ready - he will upload first ever stable driver that totally works on old VGN-Z.
Just a little patience please, we don't want to harm your VAIO if something goes wrong.

I believe we will finish in a few days.
It is very important to make stable one, coz there is need to hardcode refresh rate in driver itself, coz when you just set it manually (even according to monitor EDID) - it won't work correctly, or will lead to very unwanted results / even nvidia driver not working at all.

No doubts in that...Flickers - is because of our very specific monitor's EDID.
I think Andrew could try to fix that for usual drivers, when hybrid driver will be approved and fully tested..
I'm insterested in this as well.

But do you got BSOD if you don't turn off powermizer?
Any chance of know why it happens?

 

I did a lot to my precious Z so far, so that won't matter. Anyway, if more testing is needed, consider me a lab rabbit.

I don't have powermizer disabled, never did.
I never had a BSOD on the static setup, despite whats being mentioned here.

Funny thing is, I've been running the Nautis hybrid drivers on Win8 CP since that came out, and there would be some flickering but different to this issue. It would happen only if I start IE. Aside from that, everything would work. Maybe the display settings could be taken from Nautis' if they're different. I can upload those too.

As for the reason why this happens on Win8 RTM, I noticed that when I dock my laptop and use both an external screen and the laptop panel, there is no flickering at all. As soon as I use it standalone, the flickering starts. As I said before, video overlay doesnt work either, probably because the player I use is switching framerates.

 

First of all thanks failure13 for testing.

I think Physx and flicks should be fixed by my latest inf.

as for powermizer, i tried it with my vpcz1 with code 333, and the result is unexpected, as my vpcz1 became very hot at time even workload is idle.
disabling powermizer however, makes my vpcz1 around 20% hotter. I would like to rebuild 26314 2263 as well.

note: this 26308 2020 is build from scratch without looking what i have done before, that is why failure13 got tons of errors while testing

 

TheDizzAR
I think 1 probably broken VGN-Z better than 2 Coz it's really precious!

Which eaxctly Nautis's driver you mean?
On latest with 2020 - i got same flickers as with Andrew's...hmm

So you got Win8 and never got BSOD with static?
That's really good news!
Which exactly laptop model? How many memory in videocard? Which BIOS do you use?
Andrew08

my pleasure!)

So, today we got everything working, include PhysX, now only few test about flicker left!

 

Yup, Win8 RTM and no BSOD yet (fingers crossed). I even dock/undock all the time. I never switched to stamina though. It's just the damn flicker!

I have the VGN-Z21VN, so the 256 MB Nvidia card.
I was using bios R4044M3 for a couple of days, but I upgraded to R5031M3A today and no problems so far.

Got fingerprint working today, with bios power on as well and switched TPM on. Everything is working now, except for that video driver.

I was using these drivers from Nautis on Win8 CP; N26063 I2020
HGMS_N26063_I2020_x64.exe

Thanks both you and Andrew for all this work!!

 

TheDizzAR
That is very interesting...So you use same bios as Metsn and podam but don't have BSOD - that probably means that they have installed something wrong.
Oh wait, but you meant that you haven't try newest drivers with static?

That would explain why you don't have BSOD

Don't worry about flicks, i feel that we will find the right remedy real soon, and hopefully it will be wroking solution for any other drivers!

P.S. Can you install EDIDViewer 4, file - save to .rtf and send it to me?

 

Yes I do use the static with the newest 306.23 drivers, and no I don't have any BSOD. I just never switch to stamina, so that could be why.

I got several EDID profiles in the registry. Two of my dell monitor which I discarded obviously.One that I couldn't read and gave a mismatch error. Two sony edid's and one nvidia default edid. Hopefully one of them is the right one. Which could explain why I don't suffer from flickers when I'm docked.
edd.rar

 

TheDizzAR
What's eaxctly sony 2?
Your internal VAIO monitor or not?

What do you mean by docked?
Connected to another monitor?

 

I guess he's using the docking station. I have one as well. In that case the video signal is going through the docking port (in case he's using external monitor only).

 

Metsn
Not familiar with docking panels, is there additional videocard or something?

Ther is just some very strange difference in one of his EDIDs, i need to know somehow why...

P.S. Updated bios for R5031M3Advanced, testing nvidia drivers, wonder if they will make any big perfomance difference in games with PhysX for example.

 

The 3 edd profiles are in the registry, could not figure out which one is in use now, but they're all for the same laptop panel. I did not uninstall the Nautis drivers before switching to static, so I guess one of the two Sony profiles is the one we should be using.

As Metsn said, I use the Sony Docking station at work. The docking station for the VGN does not have an additional video card, it uses the same NVIDIA 9300 GS, it's just a kind of ports extension.

But I use both the laptop screen and the external monitor at the same time, so as an extended desktop. Somehow the laptop screen panel does not flicker while docked, so one of those profiles probably has the correct values.

 

TheDizzAR
Well, Sony 1 - is certanly your laptop monitor, since it flicks, besides it looks exactly like mine, but Sony 2 got some difference, which i think could be important...Probably this is what happens when you connect to dock.
That's very promising information actually, will test that out tomorrow!

Which resolution your external monitor have?

 

I hope we will come out with a solution!! My external monitor is a dell on 1680x1050, but I did not include that one..

 

TheDizzAR
Can you please also send it's EDID?
I wonder about some timing.

P.S. I've just installed 306.97 driver on static, tested perfomance...Well i'm not impressed.
I was testing on Mirror's edge with PhysX enabled, on same graphical settings it performs exactly same as latest Andrew builds, but at the same time temperature and fan noise is much higher...
Only real benefit i found - is that static driver include FXAA, which is just amayzing oportunity to use AA on such a poor videocard as 9300MGS (but it's reasonable only with older games, like for example Hitman Contracts or so), coz newer game will anyway lag on high graphical settings, and with low they will look such crappy, that you won't need any AA.
On video playback i couldn't find difference also.
But minuses are: no OpenCL (on Win7 also, i thought it could be Win8 specific, but no.), no switching on fly, higher temps and noise, problems with brightness not working (which i had also in Win 7 x64 on nvidia driver).

Only thing i couldn't test now - HDMI, but i don't think there will be huge differences, if there will be at all.

So now i'm rolling back for my previous bios, and clearly decided for myself that there are much more benefits in stability and no issues at all, with what Andrew is building now, than in static route.

 

Here you are, the two dell profiles;
dell.rar

You don't have to flash the bios back, just switch to auto, since the bios has its advantages and is stable from what I know.

 

TheDizzAR
Just as i thought - your Dell monitor have exactly CVT timings, that's why you don't got flicks, but do you use it as both monitors at once, or only Dell?
So it seems that drivers use CVT timings as primary for both displays - which actually made me go %)
Can you connect to dock, then press Win + P, and choose only laptop monitor and check if there will be flicks?

I know, but as far as i concern - only advantage that i need is virtualization, which i got in my previous bios (that is official and suite for VGN-Z hardware), plus as far as i concern - in case of static this BIOS or combination of BIOS and drivers still could be potential BSOD reason, so i will stick to R2170M3.

 

I use the dock with both monitors at the same time. I can't connect right now though, cause the dock is at the office. I could stop by tomorrow to test if that helps you.

 

TheDizzAR
I think this would be extremely helpfull, that would make final approval to my narrowing theory.

 

Didn't have the oppurtunity yet, I'll try later on. If not, definitely tomorrow..

 

Well, I docked my laptop. When using only the internal laptop screen panel, the flicker is still there while docked.

When using both the internal panel and the external monitor simultaneously, there is no flicker.

 

TheDizzAR
Awesome, than i was right about what we're searching!
Thank you very much!

Today Andrew have found and decrypted EDID values in drivers file, tomorrow we will test new build again!
Hopefully that will be it!

 

Cool!!!

Waiting for you both!

 

Great news...because about 10 pages back I reported I was able to install Andrew's old hybrid drivers on my VGN-Z570N in Windows 8.

Everything seemed fine after the initial install, but my graphics switch is no longer working...

 

so excited about these news! My 3yr old Vaio Z31 still kicks , and with new video drivers I couldn't ask for more!

 

We continue to build & test.
There's a lot new valuable information come out through Andrew's research, which in the end could help not only old VGN-Z users i think!

 

have been following this thread for a while now and finally registered to say thank you for your efforts! can't wait to download and test your drivers on my vaio!

 

Hi I've tried to install several type of drivers on Windows 8 (64-bit) on my VAIO VGN-Z 650NB laptop (13" - 1600x900 - 256mb 9300m gs hybrid with switch) but when I finally managed to install the drivers (Andrew's 263 I think) they didn't work because they are not signed. The only one that worked for me are the original ones from Sony for Windows 7 64bit.