SZ330P/B Questions/Comments/Concerns

Hello,

I've spent the last couple of days trying to read through these forums for every morsel of information on the SZ330P/B specifically, and still have a few questions I'd like cleared up (if possible.)

Batttery Life -- What's the deal here; Sony says 5.5hours and I understand that's not right, but people on these boards are throwing out many different numbers... Some say 1.5hrs, others say 4:15hrs... Basically, what I want to know is what kind of battery life to expect with the standard battery using the stamina setting (with Wifi ON)? Similarly, what battery life can I expect with the speed setting (which will be used for video editing and light gaming)? Naturally this will be under WinXP, as that's what the SZ330P/B ships with.

Clean OS Install -- I read through that massive thread and it really got me worrying about Vaios and drivers. I'm used to having a Dell where you can essentially download/use drivers from anywhere (presumably the hardware manufacturer -- e.g. nVidia) and not have to worry about compatibility and/or battery life issues. If I wanted to install Vista on a SZ330P/B, is there any simple way to do it or do I have to follow a guide like the one posted in these forums? Also, will there every be a time (in the near future) where the SZ330P/B will have easily installable Vista drivers? Do I need to depend on Sony to release drivers (WinXP or Vista) or can I use ones from Intel, nVidia, etc. and still have normal battery life?

Construction -- I know it looks sexy, but reading some user reviews about the construction quality has left me perplexed. Some people say it's tough, rigid, sleek, strong, etc., while others says it's flimsy (particuarly the keyboard) and cheap feeling. Can any SZ330P/B owners (or users) clarify when I should expect?

Heat & Fan Noise -- I haven't really found much on this except for a few random claims that the laptop gets too damn hot or that the fan goes berserker. Are either true? The 330P/B comes with a T7200 and 7400 Go; under maxspeed/load will it get too hot to place on my lap?

Video Memory -- The official Sony specs sheet says that the 7400 has 128mb of dedicated memory and that the 950 has 128mb of shared memory. I read that the latest BIOS update increased the amount of shared memory to 224 for the 950, and apparently adding Turbocache functionality to the 7400 (bringing it's total ram to over 300megs.) But then I read in these forums that the 7400 only has 64megs of dedicated video RAM... So what gives? Does the 7400 have 128megs of ded vram or 64? Does the new BIOS update enable (more?) shared memory for the 7400 or not?

Anyway, that's it for now. I'll probably have a few more questions soon, as I know I'm forgetting some already.

Thanks in advance for your help,
-Rogue5-

 

Does anyone here own an SZ330P/B?

 

use the search button, its all been answered

 

That's why I posted it; after searching for so long, the only definitive thing I've found out is that some units get 1hour battery life, while others get 4+, some have 128mb dedvram others have 332 shared vram (with only 64 ded), etc, etc... I just want to have clear and concise answers... borderline yes-or-no responses will do (e.g. Q: Do you get more than 3hours on stamina mode with wifi on? A: yes!)...

Know what I mean?

 

you'll get anywhere from 2 1/2- 4hrs on battery, the graphics card is 64mb dedicated. its built solid, dosent get too hot, or loud and i dont know about vista because i havent installed it nor plan to.

 

Awesome, thanks.

Is that 2.5 on speed mode, or on stamina but being used heavily?

Thanks again.

 

In speed mode surfing the web with wifi on, just short of 3 hours on XP, more like 2.5 on Vista. In stamina, about 3.5 hours on vista, using a utility that changes the theme from Aero to Vista Basic. About 3.75 hours on XP. How bright your screen is can make a big difference.

Heavy usage will reduce battery life significantly. Even video playback can vary considerably. Post processing using an Xvid decoder can raise CPU usage from 15% to 35%. Audio and video compression can run at 100% and the battery will go dry fast!

A clean install of either Vista or XP is an advanced topic. My advice for XP is to rely heavily on the EU site vaio-link or something like that. The US site is very incomplete.

For a clean Vista install everyone has their own method. I use the desktop utilities package for a SZ450N, a few SZ330 Vista drivers, Ti Flash and Camera drivers from XP. Generally the results will suck the first time out, but after a few tries it comes together.

Honestly, if you want to run Vista, just buy a new computer with Vista on it and save yourself a lot of trouble. By the sound of it, you are looking at a used or closeout SZ330 to save a few bucks.

Unless you need every special feature of the SZ, it makes more sense to buy something that is not so complex and less expensive to start with.

 

I got the SZ330P/B with XP and installet a fresh Vista. Follow the guide in the forum and EVERYTHING works perfectly.

In vista, with ultimate battery (lowest brightness) and stamina with WiFi on, I get 3h.

Vista business BTW.

/T

 

Have you used XP on it before? Is it safe to assume that you'd get an additional 1/2hr (3.5) in XP over Vista, or in your experience is the difference not that big?

 

i have sz330p with xp pro on it.
average battery life is 2 hours
stamina mode, wifi is on, cd disabled, network disabled, lowest brightness...

I am thinking about buying an extedned battery..