Review: Sony Vaio SA

did you also disable 'igfxtray.exe' and 'igfspers.exe' from Startup items of msconfig.exe? i tried your settings mentioned above, but whenever i run Intel Graphics and Media from Control Panel, the colors revert back to the factory settings. does your SA do the same?

 

yes I did.

 

so now if you run Intel Graphics and Media (in Control Panel), the colors revert back or they stay the same?

 

hey guys I've a hint, on firefox go to options /advanced and disable the "use hardware acceleration", that way you can switch speed/stamina without having to restart firefox.

 

I just got my SA a few days ago and have been putting it through it's paces. I really like the design and feel of the laptop. Screen is fine with me, doesn't come close to IPS but it's viewable. Keyboard is nice to type on and mouse responds just fine. I like the angles of laptop. What I can't get over is how loud it can get. Surfing the web and light tasks, the laptop is quite, but when rending video or stressing the cpu in anyway those those fan engines switch on and boy, it's damn LOUD. It kills me to return this laptop as I really like the design and features but that fan noise is something I've never encountered before.

 

I'm going to get rid of my SA, I've restore to factory settings but does anyone know how to turn off the laptop after it's done? I can't find a way to turn it off when it gets to the initial setup screen. I pressed and held the power button but when I turn it back on it say's it turn off abnormally and asks if I want to turn it on in Safe or Normal mode. I don't want this to happen when I sell it.

 

What I've done in the past when I sell a laptop I usually create a user called "Owner" or something equivalent. It is nice to have the first boot screen for the new owner, but I never could find a way for the laptop to be shut down properly at that screen.

Best of luck! I'm sure any buyer will be comfortable with creating a new user of their own.

 

Not sure about this but I guess someone could try it. When you install Windows 7, there is a bit where the system will do a reboot. How about just shutting the thing down at that stage so that when the new owner turns it on, it will be as if the machine has just rebooted as part of the installation process.

 

Just throwing this out there but wouldn't it be possible to get the LCD, Controller board and Screen Bezel from the latest Z and mount it in place of the current ones on the SA (or SB for extra value)? It would probably cost around $200 to $300 but it would be well worth it.

 

^you cant get a z screen for $200-300 let alone the other required parts.

 

Very good point. A quick check on eBay showed me where a 1/6 - 1/4 of the Z21's cost must be coming from. I guess all that's left is finding a decent quality display for the SA or SB since the current one is pretty bad even after calibration. I'd like to step up from the display on my three year old MacBook too.

 

Real close to buying a SA version laptop. Have been researching for a few days. (I know thats not long around here) Had a 2010 Z13 and wish i hadnt sold it. Dont want a docking station Z, so im steppnig back to a SA style.

The problem is i see so many versions of this laptop at various retailers.

SA21 - $1199
SA23 - found for $1299
SA25 - around $1699 (maybe jumps from 128gb to 256gb disk space?)

I dont think an additional $400 is worth an additional 128GB.. but those disks are probably hard soldered too, so...... tough decisions. not for gaming really.. just a sweet light laptop for browsing and videos.. would like an i7 but not for $2499-$2999...

 

Had my finger on the Buy button for weeks now too... but still havent had any replies to my question re. which version to buy. Would prefer 256 Gb SSD and leaning toward buying the HDD version and then replacing for 3rd party SSD on the Sata 3 connector.

Not sure if you can retrospectively add larger SSD if you buy the 128Gb SSD version? As far as I understand it uses a different connector for the RAID SSD's

Can anyone confirm?

 

oh good calls..

#1 maybe the SA21 is the SATA drive version? Except i cant find that in black anywhere, i hate silver..

#2 dont know if that single SSD drive on the SA23 is a normal SATA connector that would be cool. then you can sell that drive when you upgrade to a 256 Intel SSD.

 

My local Frys:

Sony SA23GX/Bl 13.3" Notebook
Mfr: SONY Model: SA23GX/Bl
FRYS.com #6659644 UPC: 027242830110 $1499
Intel® Core™ i5-2410M 2.30GHz2 with Intel® Turbo Boost Technology up to 2.90GHz3
13.3" 1600 x 900
4GB (onboard)
AMD Radeon™ HD 6630M
128GB SSD
Genuine Windows® 7 Professional with Service Pack 1 64-bit

And they price match bigger online sellers.. i found it for $1278-$1299 range..

 

Anyone knows SA is support for SATA3?
cuz I replaced Intel 510 250G SSD, but it only running under SATA2
HD tuner shows only 16x mb / Read..
and IRST shows SATA is running at "3.0 GB"
anyone has idea about this issue..?

 

Was about to buy SA from Sony UK but now looks like all configs are out of stock... are we expecting an update? or is it just because they are introducing the SE?

 

I'm about to buy the Vaio SA.

Do you guy still think it's a good deal? 820€ with student discount.

 

I ended up buying a SA25 model, forgot to update, i got too many threads. loving everything about it. zero complaints. putting in an extra 4gb ram in a couple days.

 

Only thing that keeps me from buying it it's the fact that I would have to wait 5-6 weeks to receive it.

 

i'm loving my SA. i have absolutely no complaints about it. the display (which seems to be its weekest point) is perfectly fine for me. i have overclocked the GPU and have played FIFA 12 with it with no problem.

 

Lol, I do have a complaint about the screen (contrast could be better, but not noticeable if you are comparing to many laptops of this size), but the higher resolution, combined with the fact that this is better than the double glossy (and the plastic panel on top was NOT flat!!!) m11xR1 and m11xR2 I had, shuts me up real fast.

 

On my local Sony store, they now offer the limited colors(glossy brown) and engraving. It's things like that, that makes people want to buy that over competitors. I know a lot of people who buy Apple due to these reasons.



A few questions about SA;


1) If I disable the discrete graphics and put the computer to "stamina mode" will it then make a lot of noise? I'm worried about some of the videos I've been hearing on Youtube were it sounds like a jetplane! I'm going to use it at school and in bed, and I would hate to disturb people around me? If I am browsing youtube or watching VLC video with integrated 3000 HD Intel graphics, will it then go crazy with fan noise?


2) Is the 6630m in Vaio SA underclocked, like 330m was in the old Z? Or is it a full-on GPU?


3) I heard someone had a problem with an SB about typing on it in bed.. that the screen is wobberly, as the person was typing. Is the hinge and screen good and tight on the SA?


4) Does SA support the new fast SSD drives with SATA III(6 flops)?



5) Anyone given BF3 Beta a whirl on the SA? How does it run?

edit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfxUuZotRRI < very interesting conversation in the comments about drivers and so on. gut stuff

 

1) No, thankfully In SPEED mode, the fan isn't noisey while desktop work, either. In gaming, the SA fan noise is better than the SC fan noise (despite the SC having a HD6470m).

2) Underclocked on the core by 15MHz, no big deal. No throttling, either. BTW, despite being "underclocked," it still reads as a full 500MHz in game... I dunno what's up with that.

3) SA has a "light," hinge (that tightens up at some key points to make opening and closing the screen with one hand much easier - the SC does have this "feature," since it was eventually agreed upon by many SA owners it was a deliberate part of the design, and not a mistake). But unless if you actually *move* your laptop, the hinge won't wobble, either. I have no problem typing in strange positions, including lying down in bed with the laptop on my chest.

4) Yes, though it seems it's affected by LPM. We're still investigating that as SA owners.

5) I didn't try.

 

my fans on my SA25 are on almost constantly full airplane mode... i havent ever played games on it... really damn annoying lately.. i think i upgraded to that new bios also, which i thought would make this less of an issue.

 

Does anyone know SA390X or SA3X series support for SATA 3 ?
because I need to replace the hdd to Intel 510 SSD, wondering to know if it support or not, can anyone share the experience?

 

I am still looking for a suitable 13.3 inch notebook to replace my Dell xps
m1330 notebook does the Sony SA model have problems with overheating? Does the palmrest get really warm? Has anyone had any really bad experience with the Sony support?

Also is it worth the extra money to get the i7 cpu or is the i5 enough for some light gaming and some photo editing?

 

although my SA fan is super annoying.. nothing ever overheats.. (probably because the fan is always on full blast..)

 

What cpu do you have in your system? Does the fan run all the time even if you are only surfing the net?

Can you change the harddrive in the notebook? The sales guy told me that I couldn't put a ssd drive in the system if I order the notebook with a regular drive.

 

Intel® Core™ i5-2410M Processor

dood. the fan runs even when im not at the laptop sometimes... doing nothing. just sitting there idling it comes on and off at times. and yes, i did do the new bios that was "supposed" to make this issue a bit better. it "pitch" is so strong i could hear it when i was coming down the stairs from my second floor..

dont know about that regular drive in the SA stuff, i wondered that too. i doubt they hard solder a regular drive, that would be weird. has to be a normal connector.

i just added memory to get to 8gb yesterday... i cant really sell it now, got way too much invested. but the fan noise isnt a complete deal breaker, just a bit annoying. the rest of the laptop is killer. i got the 256GB SSD setup.

 

Wow that would be annoying.

Besides the fan are you happy with your notebook, I know it won't be perfect but if it can last me at least 3 years I would be happy. I just need a lighter notebook to take when I am on the road.

 

How weird, I have the Core i7 (only option when I bought it) and I have no problems with the fan, I tried some gaming on it (well, tried to install Sims 3 - it was the disk's fault) but it did go loud, but then again it didn't go 'jet powered' loud like other people have said, I thought it was ok, acceptable. Considering that you can actually game on this tiny thing I think the fan is a blip, its fine. I mostly just surf and use Office and only a few times have I heard the fan really loud. I can 95% of the time hear it on but its still quiet and doesn't annoy me.

As for the screen I think its fine, average! Its not bad at all, in fact I think its good. Its no Z screen so don't expect that but its like any other 13.3" screen out there. Plus, the resolution is amazing

 

i also dont like the fact that my SA bios doesnt seem to have a lot of changeable settings...

 

Sales guy is ... misinformed. It's perfectly possible (and simple) to replace a regular HDD with an SSD; it's the reverse that's tricky as the Sony-shipped SSDs do not use the standard connectors (though it might only be if you order the 2xSSD RAID0 configurations -- I'm not sure).

Check this thread for more details: Replacing Optical with HD/SSD in SA/SB/SC/SD series

 

I dislike that either but on my previous Dells and HPs are not any better either, sadly.

 

Just recieved my VPCSA3C5E last week Core i7, 8Gb RAM, 256 GB SSD and have so far not experienced any overheating and laptop is completely quiet, not even a whisper.

Battery life a little under what I expected but then again I haven't done a complete drain and recharge yet.

Screen is not Macbook quality but at least as good as my wife's Acer timeline.

So far very happy

 

My SA is a LOT quieter than my SC. Maybe just different quality fans. I assumed the extra power draw of the HD6630m would of made the fan louder, but the opposite happened o.0 Not only that, it's cooler to the touch!!

 

Well, they say you get what ypu pay for!

Yeah, my old laptop advertised this cool touch 33% cooler than body heat kinda thing but the SA is cooler LOL (well on the left side, its ice cool but the right side is a little warmer, have you experienced that?)

EDIT: Yeah same for the GPU, I just wish I had the option to have the Core i5 CPU and not the i7, unfortunatly Sony changed the options about 2 weeks after I got my laptop to include the i5 (and also another option to have a regular webcam and £10 more for the HD version...) but the laptop comes out the same price for the lower CPU or some reason :S... and now (i've just looked) the config model for the SA on the UK site has gone?

 

SA is now on the third refresh, it may take a while to get out there for the CTO options.

 

omg, how many refreshes do they need/want!?

Do you know what this one is for? They only just got the other one on the site...

 

Slightly faster Intel CPU (Intel's foundries get more effecient/effective at making 32nm chips, therefore the leakage of transistors get less and less as they make them better and better. As a result, the chips can run at higher clockspeeds while consuming the same amount of power), but that's all we can figure (if you are wondering why GPU don't go through refreshes as much, it's because by the time something is refreshed, the GPU's extremely short development cycle means the next generation is about to be out - case in point, the HD4890 [HD4870 refresh] and the HD5870).

We dunno if other things were changed, yet. I take that back. It's not the "3rd refresh," just merely the "second version." (SA2 and SA3 - afaik, there was never a "SA1" in the USA/Europe).

 

Does anyone notice that their SA keyboard is uneven meaning that the left side and right side is lower than the middle of the keyboard?

Also, am I the only one that has noticeable keyboard flex?

PS: Does anyone have actual pictures of the brown or black carbon mesh?

 

The wireless chipset is slightly updated to, according to the owners' forum.

There are no VPC-SA1 - even on Sony's support site - but I'm guessing that's because they line up the model revision number with the VPC-SB, which *does* have a first-generation model -- that launched months before the SA2.

 

No keyboard flex with me and nope sorry, its all even throughout the keyboard.

And yes, can anyone show the brown oe black carbon. I'm interested in those or even the normal black

 

Ok thanks this is good to know because I want to order one with the regular harddrive as Sony charges alot for the ssd.

 

Nice to know!

Sony uses a custom 2PCB SSD RAID0 setup, which does raise the price Though I'm unsure if the 128GB model still uses the dual PCB or just a single PCB (in the previously gen Z, it used dual 64GB, but I don't think current ones do that).

 

I am in Canada what is it like to deal with Sony tech support and what kind of turn around time do they have on a repair?

I have had Dell's and Toshiba's all of them have service located in my city so I haven't had to send the notebook off for repair.

 

hey users. after more use of the mouse buttons does the mouse click buttons soften or always "clicks" when pressed? could have one but i know how loud the button is but would it softn in time like some other laptops.

 

I've had mine for 2 months now and it still clicks. Having said that, there's a certain area on it which I press that doesn't click as loud. And if you click slowly, its not as loud either.

 

Yea thanks for clearing this up. i have noticed this aswell. i was clicking it and i thought its not that loud. then another time i treid it and i was like WFT! but it was where i pressed it.
sigh. i have to get the asus u46sv. (the dimensions are the same as the sony sa) so im not losing anything but a quiter click.....my GF is noise sensitive to the constant clicking why i had to know.

thanks