Sony VPCZ1 fan problems thread

Hi there,

I'll start this new thread for all people expecting fan problems with the Vaio VPCZ1

my new Vaio Z13 is pretty loud... It's not the default noise of air flowing out of the case, it's more like a small propeller spinning inside... even with silent mode enabled (in vaio control center) and stamina mode and power savings enabled...

does anybody else expect problems with his fan?

is there a utility to control the fan?

do you think sony will change the fan?

 

There's a utility to change the speed in vaio control center, but you've found that already.

Sounds like you have a bad fan...have you called Sony to schedule a repair? My guess is they are much more likely to tell you whether it's covered or not than folks in an internet forum

 

And if it's brand new, you could try returning/exchanging it.

 

Have a listen to the mp3 file that is posted in this thread: http://forum.notebookreview.com/sony/500972-z1-my-fan-abnormally-loud-mp3-file.html. Does your fan sound like that? If so, then I think it is normal. The fan has a whirring noise because of its shape. Some have found it annoying. But I don't notice it if there is ambient noise. And better cool than quiet, at least in my opinion. And even so, when I'm sitting around other grad students in class, I'm shocked at how noisy their laptop fans are compared to the Z.

 

^Mine does not sound like that. When it's cranking due to load you can hear it but when it's spinning at low speed it's silent.

 

I had close experience with 3 Z12s, all were equally noisy to my ear when ambient noise was next to nothing (i.e. deep at night and everything turned off in my place). That said, with regular stuff I can't hear any of them in normal daily routine, even when they were loaded a bit (i.e. playing back HD video)

 

yes, thats the whirring noise...
If I'm in skype conference with audio, my partner hears the fan pretty loud because of the lousy microphone placement and the thin buddy...

 

Since I don't want to open a new thread for this question, I hope it is ok to ask here:

Is the VPC-Z1 getting loud in stamina-mode too?

My TZ21 is a very noisy piece of... notebook.
The fan is very loud, than turning of for 2 seconds, an loud again for minutes.

I wonder if it is the same with the Vaio Z. I know it has to be noisy if it is under load, but while surfing and listening to music?

 

I second that. The noise in the mp3 is the same whirring noise I have on my VPCZ1. It sound as though the bearings are complete crap in the fan... Btw, has anyone managed to find a service manual for the VPCZ1? I'd like to open the computer up and have a look at the fan, and a service manual or a writeup of a previous disassembly would be helpful.

 

for my Z11
Stamina mode (if not playing game/video editting) - no noise at all
Stamina mode (when playing game) - medium noise level
Speed mode (if not playing game/video editting) - very low noise
Speed mode (when playing game) - it's like a jet engine, very noisy

 

Thanks for your answer!

 

Do you really mean "no noise at all"? Is the fan moving? Compared to, let's say, a glass of Coke, how much noise does it make? I got my Z13Z yesterday, and I'm really bothered by the mechanical noise that my fan makes, even at minimum speed. If yours is truly silent, I will definitely send mine in for repairs. Thanks for the help.

 

I think a distinction needs to be made regarding the position of your ear when doing these "sound tests." In my experience, the fan always spins, even on Stamina and even when you have the software set to minimize noise (Silent I think is the setting). Can you hear it while typing and looking at your screen? Not really, so it sounds "silent." If you put your ear up to the vent, can you hear the fan's whirring? Yes--and it doesn't matter the activity. @beaups, if you put your ear up to the vent I would imagine you could hear that whirring sound in the mp3 clip.

A computer always is going to make some noise, so "no noise at all" may be a misnomer. The key question is "Is the noise noticeable when doing an activity like typing in a silent room?" I think the answer to that question is that the Z's fan is "nearly silent" to "completely silent," unless you have the machine under load.

 

it's still spinning, it's probaby beacuse I'm not in a complete silent environment so it is virtually no noise at all for me~~~

 

When this fan is spinning at lowest speed I can hear nothing unless I put my ear right up against the vent...and then all I can hear is is air hitting my eardrum and the faintest possible whir you can imagine. Compared to a "glass of coke", my Z is WAY quieter.

People with noisy fans at idle...have you checked cpu load to make sure there isn't a process running that is causing hi-temps/hi fan speeds? When I game I can certainly hear things whirring, but not any worse than I'm used to on other notebooks.

 

Yeah, I'm pretty happy with the sound levels of my Z122GX. Similar to baronng, when listening from normal usage position (i.e. typing w/ laptop on lap).

Good post JP$.

 

That's great info. I'm very glad there's still hope for getting a quiet computer then, and I'll send the noisy one I got back to Sony for repairs. Thanks a lot!

 

The fan can sometimes STOP, depending on the internal temperatures.
If my past experience with Sony machines proves correct (upto the VGN-Z, since I own one), the fan is at a stopped state till 40'C, when it enters the SLOW speed.

50'C and higher, it enters a MEDIUM speed.
60'C and higher, HIGH speed.
And anything over 65'C upto 80'C, the fan speed is variable but is at the MAXIMUM speed at 80'C or higher.

If you hear anything at or lower than 35'C, in the case of the VGN-Z, it's the HDD spinning. A one hour plus duration worth of shut down should be enough to cool the internals down to lower than 30'C.

As for noise (decibal-wise), I'd suggest finding a VPC-Z in a very quiet store or maybe a peer's machine?

 

The Fan in my Z122GX is certainly not silent, I can easily hear it in a completely silent room, but it's very quiet overall. Barely noticeable with normal ambient noise.

 

Agreed. I think this is the norm.

 

I think it depends on how sensitive your hearing is and how noisy the environment is, but perhaps there is a slight variation in the models. Certainly, this sony is the noisiest notebook I've owned (when idling), but you get used to it after a while, and its not noticeable in an office with aircon.

In the Vaio control center, if you select a different "Thermal control strategy" and click apply, it shuts of the fan for a brief moment before it starts up again - and I find that you can clearly hear the difference.

 

Determined to resolve the issue I sent mine for repair (Europe sevice repair center). According to the repair sheet the Fan was changed.
But for your information the noise is the same.
It seems a common noise with these fans.
Anyway the repair service here in Europe seems to be better than EEUU.