New Sony Z12 Owner - What Should I Know?

Hello all,

So I'm probably going to be getting a Sony Z12 second hand and was wondering what I should know about this laptop?

Any specific bits and bobs that stand out? An analogy would be the 3830TG's throttling issues - that's something that one should know.

Also, can anybody give me a ballpark area of the kind of games that will run comfortably at native res (16x9) on the downclocked 335M?

 

Nothing I can personally think of besides:
If the fan sounds like it's grinding, it's probably normal.
Be careful of the hinges.
If you notice your screen getting darker and brighter, it's the ambient light sensor.
The inbuilt microphone is the hole that's underneath the hard disk light and to the left of the headphone plug.
If you open AIDA/Everest, and some other programs that read temperatures and such, the screen brightness might get stuck until you restart your computer.

Besides this, the computer has been rock solid for me.

 

A grinding fan eh? That is a bit weird.

The original owner says the lid is scratched up. Does this happen easily?

He also says there is something lodged under the spacebar - probably a food crumb or something. From the look of the chiclet keyboard, this really doesn't look all that possible, so must be a freak incident.

The Z12 is supposed to be a daily warrior for me. I plan on taking it to work and back from work, but I ride public transport. How is its weight for this? Backup and shoulder bag?

Any more quirks, idiosyncrasies or various niggles of the Z12, owners please speak up. I'm looking throw the lounge as it is, but concision there is not particularly rampant.

 

The fan is always on, but you probably won't hear it unless your surroundings are otherwise basically silent.

My lid has a few marks, but nothing too extreme.

Ya, I haven't had any crumbs sneak under there yet.

It's about the same weight as a netbook. I think it should be fine.

Some things:
The original VPCZ1 doesn't use standard graphics drivers.
Latest official Hybrid Graphics driver: Sony eSupport - VPCZ1390X - Software & Drivers
Hybrid graphics mod thread: http://forum.notebookreview.com/sony/342947-my-discoveries-vaio-z-s-hybrid-graphics.html
BIOS mod thread: http://forum.notebookreview.com/sony/473226-insyde-hacking-new-vaio-z-advanced-menu-bios.html

The original VPCZ1 doesn't use standard 2.5" SATA hard drives like other mobile computers.
Replace the optical drive with a hard drive for extra storage space: link
Upgrading SSDs: http://forum.notebookreview.com/sony/511578-how-replace-ssd-vaio-vpcz11-vpcz12-non-sony-ssd.html

 

@namaiki: Thanks for those resources, that really is a great help. Really, I can't say thanks enough.

 

As for the lid scratches, they are not uncommon as the finish is not very durable cosmetically. Many people use various skins and protectorants for the lid, keyboard deck and palm rests (the latter a notorious place that shows wear - if yours doesn't, by all means look into the means of protecting it (there are threads here about this) before your use makes them fade.

If your color is silver, you can use a very low abrasive car rubbing compound to smooth them out and even make some disappear, followed by a quality car finish, such as Meguiar. If your color is black or carbon fiber premium - well, I have only owned those for brief trial periods, so someone else will have to advise you.

If you just want to cover the lid if the scratches bother you, SGP is a company that makes a variety of very high quality skins.

Otherwise, this is a wonderful computer and you will be surprised how much more you appreciate it each day you use it! Enjoy!

 

NVIDIA 263.00 modded

Games running:

Fifa 11, Fifa 12 Demo, Darksiders, Anno 1404, Diablo II, Heroes of Might and Magic 5, Dragon Age and Dragon Age 2, Divinity 2 - Eco Draconis, Neverwinter Nights 2, Borderlands GOTY, Fallout 3, Fallout New Vegas, Hellgate London, Hunted.....

all are running very very nice on my downclocked GT330m!

 

Can't speak for any of the silver models but the black and premium carbon lids scratch very easily. The finish is very thin or non existent. The glossy premium carbon lid doesn't scratch as easy because of the lacquer coating but its nowhere near as hard as the gloss finish you get on say, guitars. I have a Taylor acoustic guitar with a glossy lacquer finish and that thing is hard as a rock. Its taken some hard dings on pint glasses and tables but so far none of them have managed to even crack the finish.

This is quite easy to do. Crumbs can get in underneath the keys and theres a small gap around the palm rest.

It ain't a warrior thats for sure. Weight isn't an issue because its only like 1.5kg. If you are expecting Thinkpad or MBP ruggedness you will be sorely disappointed. The display has barely any protection at all because the lid and bezel are flexibile, so the display also flexes. If you put pressure on the lid you can scrath the display on the keyboard. The palm rest is plastic and spray painted. Again I can't speak for the silver models but the gun metal paint does wear off with prolonged contact with your wrist.

The base plate is thin plastic. Thy say its carbon fibre reinforced but it feels like thin plastic and yeah - it scratches easily. The strurdiest part of the laptop is the aluminium top plate which is what keeps the whole thing even remotely rigid.

I don't think Z1 is built to take 3+ years of being jostled around. There are good reasons why several people on this forum either buy hard shell cases for their Z1 or build a second skin around it with protective film. And before you ask, yes, its fragility does make it alot less portable than you may think given its size and weight.

The sheer expensiveness of the notebook plus the difficulty and expense in sourcing replacement parts (250 bucks ex shipping for a replacement black/silver lid!) probably means that you will baby it for fear of tearing it up.

The only thing I can think of off hand that hasn't been mentioned yet is to avoid compulsively cleaning it. Especially the screen. If you get clumps of stuck pixels, it is usually a result of pressure on the screen. They will mostly fix themselves so resist the urge to accelerate the process by doing things like massaging them since you will probably make them worse.

The keys have a slightly rubberised feel to them and they pick up oil from your skin very easily. Thats normal, so resist the urge to constantly wipe the keyboard down. Its a flawed machine if you can gather fro the above post but its also the only subnotebook with a non crap HD display and one of the few left that has an expresscard slot or a firewire port. You probably don't want to hear this but I think the Z1 works better if you keep it at home. Its a thief magnet and theres less risk of you damaging it when you don't have to move it around in unfamiliar surroundings.

Now, I know it can take a couple of knocks because I bought one that was beat up pretty bad. The chasis was bent quite severely, both plastic hinge shells were broken and the display had so many stuck/dead pixels I couldn't count them (hundreds, localised in 2 areas). The palm rest was faded and the lid was scratched up pretty bad, but it worked and it was relatively cheap so I wen't for it. I think if you really abuse it, it can take some punishment but it won't stay pretty. It doesn't take alot of punishment either to make it look all raggedy.

Also, Z1 doesn't have a downclocked GT335M. It has a low voltage GT330M which performs similar to a GT325M. It can run Super Street Fighter 4 AE at 30 to 40fps at 1920x1080 if you max everything out except anti aliasing. It can do Mass Effect 2 at 1920x1080 on medium detail and no AA at around 30fps. As a general rule you won't be doing AA at all because it will just crush the gpu.

 

This is one point of view, not shared by the majority of Z owners. I don't know how much your view is affected by the poor condition of the unit you bought (presumably for a very low price), but though you are absolutely correct that the Z's exterior is more scratch prone than most other notebooks (though the Macbooks' aluminum exteriors are equally vulnerable), there are things you can do to minimize that, and in some cases to reverse it. Here's a couple of pointers:

1) Get Silver!!!! It hides scratches, dirt, dust, stains far, far better than the darker finishes, and the painted surfaces (lid and palm rests) can be rejuvenated with automotive polishing compound. You will also pay less for a silver one, because they are considered less desirable. Go figure.

2) Consider putting skins on the lid and palm rests. This is becoming the norm for Macs and other computers. There are some excellent products, particularly those from SGP, easily found on eBay. There is also a thread about this on NBR.

3) get a case/sleeve with a "hardened," not necessarily hard, which is fine, but adds more weight - probably best though for air/train travel. When you can, place the computer in whatever bag you use with something reasonably hard (books, even several notebooks on either side That's just smart for added protection.

4) Take an extra minute when packing it up or taking it out to be careful not to scrape it against anything. Not very hard to get used to.

There is no question, this is both more cosmetically fragile and costly to fix than a Lenovo. Kind of like the difference between a great Swiss watch and a Skaagen. You take a few precautions to protect it's surfaces and not to sling it into a backpack like a book, and it will last you well, and will be more satisfying to use than any other notebook in its size class and price, as a used model. They are very well known for reliability, which is why there is such a dedicated following. Their cost when new is the thing that keeps it a "boutique" brand.

I don't disagree with what hayte is saying, but I think the fragility is greatly exaggerated. Would I give one to my 18 year old college freshman? NO! But for a responsible, careful person, who takes care of property, it's a perfect choice, IMO.

 

I actually replaced it with a non busted Z13 which I've had for a few weeks now and I stand by the comments above.

Its amazing how much rigidity is provided solely by the aluminium top plate. The base plate actually wobbles like a piece of thin card once its detached from the top plate. Also its true what they say about taking a photograph of the lid assembly when dismantling it because there are lots of small parts that are just loose and fall out once you remove all the screws.

I dunno. I think its mad to use a Z1 on public transport. I've owned one that took a beating since there are signs that it was dropped more than once, so yeah, I do think it can take some punishment but it won't take it gracefully. It will look like a mess and there are exposed areas like the display which are especially prone to damage.

And boy is it expensive to replace parts of the frame and the display. You are looking at over 500 bucks for the 1080p display, 260 to 440 bucks for a lid, 150 bucks for a replacement keyboard. 90 bucks for a replacement keyboard ribbon cable. If cosmetic damage bothers you then start building a second skin around it, buy a hard shell case or be prepared to dig deep into your wallet.

 

Thank you very much for this information. I will be getting the silver model, so hopefully that hides the myriad scratches the original owner claims there to be.

As for the keyboard, looks like some dismantling is in order to clean it.

Thank you for your insight on the potential fragility of the notebook. I'll certain keep it in mind when I take the Z12 on a few test runs through the city.

I live in Hong Kong and, for the most part, won't be taking the laptop out at any point between work and home. Just, work computers suck turd, and I need a nice screen to do my work, not to mention the Z12 will carry more processing power than the feeble and impotent age-old computers we have at work.

Thanks for the tips - I'll certainly have to look into some kind of pouch or perhaps hard casing for the laptop. Don't want to end up wrecking such a nice looking laptop.

The fact that this is "boutique" does not matter one bit to me. I need the high res screen in 13-inch format with discrete GPU. This is my only choice, or the Z2 which I can't afford.

Thanks again for the tips and warnings on replacement. Will certainly have to look out and be extra careful day to day. I'm a careful guy by nature, so this won't be a "burden", so to say.

 

Quote does not equal Edit.

 

Deus Ex (default settings) runs comfortably well on my z13

 

The keyboard isn't difficult to dismantle which is a plus. You just need to be careful not to tear the ribbon cable when you lift the keyboard assembly out. Best solution is to get into the habit of not eating over your laptop (crumbs!) and generally keeping your workplace clean. From the sound of things you already do so it shouldn't be a problem.

If I were you and wanted to travel with it, I would definitely get a hard shell case. Theres a Mach 3 12" one that fits the Z and comes recommended from a few forum goers. Its kind of expensive at 200 bucks. Then again, its still cheaper than having to replace a busted up lid or display.

 

I don't necessarily disagree with any of your points, though I may think a few are a bit overstated. As far as taking it on public transport, I definitely agree that it's more susceptible to cosmetic damage if you are actually using it while riding and the possibility of banging it against something is increased, much less the possibility of dropping it. Though, I don't think I'd use most any laptop in a moving bus or Underground car.

And you are very right about the cost of replacement parts! Getting an extended wtty that includes "Accidental Damage from Handling (ADH) is the best $250 I ever spent. What is available from Sony and from non-Sony warranty companies varies greatly by country. Here in the US, a company called Square Trade is the exclusive provider of extended warranties on both Amazon and eBay, and they are great. Regardless if you dropped your machine in a bathtub or the screen went dead, they commit to either fix the computer within 5 days, or you get a check for the amount you paid for the computer - used or new. I don't expect that they would cover cosmetic-only damage, but there's a world of difference between getting a scratch or even small dent and having screen, motherboard, SSDs quit - much less dropping your computer and destroying everything!

Rule of thumb with these computers: you need to treat them more gently than either a cheap computer you would not be overly upset at having to replace or Thinkpad, which apparently holds up quite well to all kinds of assault. It seems a shame to only use it inside, when it's 1.4 kg weight makes it ideal for traveling. A little extra care and a good warranty are great "equalizers.

 

I multiquoted 3 posts to reply to in a single reply?

Thanks for the tip on the case and the keyboard. Yes I won't eat over my notebook but doesn't seem like the previous owner had the same kind of stringency.

 

Nope. I quoted my own post instead of editing it resulting in duplication. So I edited the first one to "Quote does not equal Edit" so that my post history will forever remind me to look at the buttons I'm clicking on.

 

Yes of course that was my mistake.

It seems many are comfortably overclocking the core to around 650/680 levels, which should result in a nice boost for many games. At native res (I've got the 900p screen) AA really isn't all that needed / doesn't bug me.

Glad to see I can run some modern games, don't mind the lower details. Will mostly be playing Tribes 2 on it though which is like 10 years old