URGENT! Refurbished VPCZ1390X a good purchase?

I'll be purchasing this machine for college this fall, where I will be studying Engineering. I found it for $999 refurbished... Is this a good deal?

The problem is that I've heard both horrible things about refurbished Vaios and the Z, specifically. I have 30 days to return the machine if there are any problems, right? But then, afterwards, apparently there are issues with the fragile screen and fading palm rest. Will this machine last me three years, and is it a better deal than say the SB (which has a weaker screen and GPU, but supposedly better durability)?

 

My Z, purchased new as CTO, is nearly mint after almost a year. The difference between your usage and mine is, my Z sits in its dock most of the time. I hardly touch it unless I really need to work on the go, or I want to take it apart. I’ve been taking it apart about once a week recently, messing with WiFi, BT and WWAN upgrades. It has gotten to the point now where I don’t even put the screws back in unless I know I am going to need to take it somewhere.
Anyway, the Z is pretty durable, but it isn’t very cosmetically durable. You could always purchase a palm rest leather cover from eBay…

SGP Laptop Wrist Rest Skin for Sony Vaio Z11 series - eBay (item 110527878728 end time Jun-27-11 01:17:25 PDT)

 

im in the same boat...options...

1. refurbished VPCZ1390X for $999
2. "new" old Z for $1699 from microcenter (same specs as VPCZ1390X)
3. new Vaio SA for like...$1250 + OEM SDDs/Ram upgrade (+$500) = $1850 after tax for a beast of a machine (better hardware than the old Z) but weaker display quality. SA is more durable as well.
4. wait like 2 months for new Z..for minimum of $2k+...but have to be ok with external GPU/ODD..hardware on it should be great..but do you want to deal with a cable connected GPU/ODD?? Not very laptop-like is it..

those our the 4 options im dealing with...im not sure which is best....advice??

Also...1 thing I DONT like about the old and new Z is that it comes with SSDs....why is that bad?? Because (1) Sony SDDs are in raid..which means no TRIM..which means they kinda suck and (2) You can't save money by getting the Z with an HDD and upgrading to a better SSD yourself and (3) even if you buy an OEM SSD to replace the raided ones in the old Z...its a big hassle..have to remove keyboard/hinges/etc...upgrading SA is easy...not sure how upgrading will be on new Z...

SA is perfect...it just needs a better screen! i hate my life... =(

 

It doesn't matter that there's no TRIM, the garbage collection works well.

 

Seconded. The garbage collection works quite well, just make sure you dont fill the disk to the brim. I've always had around 10-20GB free on the 128GB SSD on the Z and it seems as snappy as it was a year ago.

 

I like new, if you have the money just do it. If you want to save the money you will probably do fine with the refurb.

The new Z2 looks lame IMHO.... and waiting sucks.
I bought my Z12 new for nearly $3K and it seems like just yesterday, even at $1,600 it is a steal. The current Z is by far the best laptop ever made!

 

Will it survive three years of student usage, though?

And is an extended warranty (past the 90 days) necessary? Apparently, they don't help at all.

 

Considering the fact that the Z11 came out ~Jan 2010 no one can answer that for you. I've had mine since October and use it at school/ home, cosmetically and component wise it's held up really well.

 

What is student usage? does that imply abuse?
It is a high quality product, I believe it is more durable than it appears or feels like its. It is not cosmetically durable.
Like any of my nice watches. They are super durable, but if I smash them around they will get dinged up and maybe broken. Take care of your stuff man, simple as that, be gentle with it and store it safely.

The components don't seem to go bad in the Z all that much. I just had an offer from Sony to extend my warranty because it is about to expire. I am not going to do it. I want to mod anyway.

 

i didnt get sony warranty...i think i might get sqauretrade warranty...its alot cheaper and seems to be very good.

 

@requiem86, does that mean that you took the deal? I think I'm ready to purchase as well.

Student usage implies daily usage and travel, I suppose. I take excellent care of my stuff; I'm OCD and will tear my hair out if I find a single scratch haha. But the usual and sometimes inevitable wear and tear... Well, as long as the Z doesn't wind up looking completely horrible, I guess I don't mind faded palm rests. It adds character. XDD

 

yup, i did. i just needed a couch potato laptop that sits on my sofa infront of the tv...its just for web and minor daily stuff..nothing serious. I have a desktop as my primary gaming machine. i will just install 1 game on laptop (Guild Wars 2). that's it. So 128gb should be fine for me ( i was a lil worried about storage..but i have external HDD if need be).

I skipped on on the SA because tho it is more powerful all around...i think the screen quality will be a bigger impact for my uses. I'm not doing anything crazy on this laptop...so better screen > newer tech this time around. I don't think ill notice the slightly weaker hardware as it probably won't have any real world impact on what i will use the laptop for. Though, i will miss the 6630M =/ ..O well...i think 330M should be able to play GW2...tho like i said desktop will be 99% of my gaming.

Now lets hope they send me a good refurb... hope it's not to banged up, or ill just return it for full refund. hehe...

New Z looks tempting also..but will cost $2k+ easy for me...i think old Z for 1K is better suited for my needs. save $1k now...spent it 2 or 3 years later. =)

 

This must be the one you are talking about eh OP?

http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs...bstock:dg_ggldf&productId=8198552921666322449

Surprised you bought it and its still not out of stock as of yet. I guess they still have some more. Maybe I should lap up one. : )

 

That's a pretty nice deal. Rarely see these things at a grand.

 

What are the specs since the Sony site doesn't tell you. I'm assuming it's a base model 13 (which is still very nice for that price).

 

If the screen is such a worry you can buy an SA/SB and use a monitor ($150- 250 more when you're at your house). You shouldn't be playing games / watching movies in class. SA/SB seems to be much more solid.

 

Yep, the 1390X is still in stock. Would've preferred the 1290X, but arguing with your mother certainly eats up some time and then they got sold out.

SA was pushing my budget, so I'm going to try this baby out.

 

I'm also considering the same. But am a litle worried about warranties and return policies. requiem86, you say that you will take squaretrade warranty, but that covers only 1 year (they only offer one year for refurbished laptops) and it's more expensive than what Sony offers.

Someone also mentioned that the Warranty by Sony for refurbished laptops is useless. Why is that so? Aren't they still supposed to fix stuff and all? And do refurbished laptops also have 30 day full refund policies?

 

only 8 left in stock for VPCZ1390X.

 

yeah the refurbished laptops have 30 day full refund, and 90 day standard warranty.

i just called squaretrade and they quoted me like $139 for 1 year and $239 for 2 year for a standard warranty (no Accidental on refurbished laptops)...so, yes i think you're right - sony warranty seems better right now. Though i think there are like 30% off coupons for squaretrade...i'd still go for 2yr accidental or no coverage on sony website.

1 Year Express Ship Service Plan$69.99 +
2 Year Express Ship Service Plan$124.99 +
2 Year Express Ship Service Plan with ADH$249.99 +
No additional coverage

ill figure this out soon...probably after i get my Z on Wenesday...if it looks good...maybe ill call Sony and get the 2yr ADH warranty...or i might just risk it with no warranty.

UPDATE: Actually..i think im going to buy a warranty from the SonyStyle store...maybbbee...i hear they offer a better deal than sony website...ill check them out tomorrow.

 

Im serious considering this deal as well. How is the Z for games like World of Warcraft, CS:S, an Stalker: Call of Pripyat? Would it be any good for gme development or programing C++? Would I also be able to instal an hdd as opposed to an ssd for more storage space?

 

I don't play games, but I write code on the Z all day long.

You can dump your ODD for HDD, that is easy. 2nd hard drive / SSD caddy - Sony VAIO Z, Z11, Z12, Z13, VPC [SONY-2BAY-Z11] - $43.00 : NewmodeUS, Hard Drive Caddys for Notebooks

You can't really replace the SSD with HDD, not enough room there.

 

just FYI for anyone interested - only 7 refurbished VPCZ1390X left in stock. ($999)

I hope there is like at least 2 or 3 left by the time i get my Z...just in case i need to switch it if its banged up!! =P

 

Few things to consider before you do that:

1) By far the cheapest and best ADH coverage you can get is from your homeowners or renters insurance policy. You can add computers as "scheduled articles" and you get full coverage for ADH with no deductible and the annual cost is around $15, depending on the cost of the computer. There was a lengthy discussion of this on an earlier thread here, so Google it if you're interested. If you have no homewners/renters policy, and you are a student, you can get it added to your parents' policy at that price.

2) You can negotiate on the phone with Square Trade and get the one year policy down to $89 and you can get two-years on a refurb for $130 - I know because I did it.

3) Sony's extended service plan (ESP) is not backed by Sony, but by a third party called "Servicenet," who has a terrible reputation, whereas Square Trade has a sterling reputation. Also, if you read the fine print on the Service Trade ESP, they will only provide coverage up to the price you paid for your laptop. So, if you paid $999 and you have a $400 repair, and then you drop it and it is destroyed, they will only pay you $599 for the ADH coverage. Also, they can choose to replace it instead of refunding your money, and they can replace it with anything they, in their sole discretion, consider "comparable." I spoke to an agent and she said that they would not necessarily replace a Z with a Z, but with any 13" Sony that had a roughy equivalent cpu, Ram and HD size. SSD vs. HDD, screen quality would not be factors.

I would strongly advise against the Sony/Servicenet policy. BTW, I had to get a copy of the fine print surreptitiously - they claim you can't see it until 14 days after delivery of your computer. You do have 60 days to cancel, but you probably no longer will have the ability to get coverage elsewhere. They are sneaky and sleazy, IMO.

________________________________________________________________

BTW, I have purchased 4 Z refurbs (two went to family members, still own 2) and all arrived in perfect physical shape and all continue to perform flawlessly after 1-3 mos. Have 2 Microsoft retail Z1390 versions and 2 CTOs w/256GB SSD and one also has 1080p. As Cowboy says, the Z is the best laptop ever made, period. Getting them at $999 (though I did get 2 @ $850 from a non-Sony refurber) is a steal and if it looks fine and works fine on arrival, it will likely serve you well for several years and, if still working, the screen will ensure that it always has a decent resale value in a few years. Go for it!

 

thanks for the post lovelaptops - very informative. I'll look into the insurance policy and will see if I can haggle with squaretrade, tho i wish they offered ADH.

 

I've been very indecisive the past couple weeks. I was deciding between:

1. Samsung Series 9 [with free X-Box 360] $1449
2. Toshiba Portege r835-p56x [with free X-Box 360] $899
3. Sony Vaio SA w/ HDD (500GB 7200rpm, 4GB RAM, Win7 Pro) ~$1500
4. Sony Vaio VPC-Z125GX/B (256GB 0-Raided SSD, 8GB RAM, Core i5-520m) ~$1800
5. Refurb Sony Vaio VPC-Z1390X/S (128GB 0-Raided SSD, 4GB RAM, Core i5-460m) $999

Samsung's have wifi issue. Toshiba's keyboard isn't nice (travel was short). Vaio-Z has the Nehalem instead of Sandy Bridge on-top of being expensive. Refurb Z's silver (I prefer black) and has less storage and RAM.

But I've been coveting for the Z for almost a year.

In the end I pulled the trigger and bought the refurb. Why?

Because of what lovelaptops said:

If this thing comes in good condition, I'll have lovelaptops to thank very much The money saved from not getting a non-refurb Z will go towards either my savings account, or buying accessories.

If it doesn't, well, nothing lost. I'll send it back. And maybe get the non-refurb Z.

Edit: The other factor that prompted me to get a Z instead of an SA was that I just went to a Sony Style store today and took a good look at the SA. It's lighter than my current laptop for sure, but even at 3.65lb is a bit heavy IMHO. The size is also somewhat bigger, too. People said Z is a 13" laptop in a 12" body. The SA to me is like a 13" in a 14". Also, the screen...I wouldn't have nitpicked about it if it weren't for some of you complaining about how it's worse than Z's. I think it's pretty okay - average like any other laptop's. The vertical viewing angle is bad...just like some other laptop's. My conclusion is, you wouldn't complain about this if you never bothered looking for such flaws. You'd buy this laptop like you'd any other laptop. It's an okay screen really. But now that you've read all these posts complaining about the screen, I guess you'll start to form a similar opinion as well.

Edit 2: In case you're worried about how the vents on the SA are located on the laptop's bottom, there's actually a big vent on the back of the laptop (right below the hinge). I hope that alleviates some of SA buyers' worries.

P/S: The rep in the Sony Style store dared told me the SA's screen is the same as the Z's. I corrected him and he had nothing to say, knowing he made a mistake.

 

tehsupermeowmeow - a lot of us bought the refurbished VPC-Z1390X from Sony Outlet store this past week. There are only a few left now. Let's hope we all made a good decision. At least you have friends in the same boast as you! If the laptops are in good condition...i think we got a steal! The refurbish Z is def. the best option (and cheapest).

Also, i think i might upgrade the 4gb to 8gb. It's easy to upgrade ram on the Z...tho it's not easy to upgrade the SSD (not that i planned to). However, you can always get a WD Passport external hard drive if you need more space (i own a 500gb WD passport and its great). Lastly, tho i like black better also..i hear silver is more resistant to palm fading...so hey, look on the bright side!

BTW - where are you seeing the VPC-Z125GX?

FYI - Microcenter still has a few Vaio Z's in stock. The 128gb Z sells for $1699 (same as the ones we got for $999) and the 256gb for $1999. A 70% premium for a new Z wasn't worth it to me...so i went with the refurbished Z from Sony Outlet.

 

Yeah. Actually a few days back I found refurb Z12's as well on sony style store. Couldn't decide back then, other wise I'd have snatched them up :/ (they had better specs than this refurb Z13!)

I think I'll upgrade the RAM, too. About the SSD...I'm aware of this whole TRIM issue, and one of the things to keep in mind is not to fill it to the brim. I plan to get a memory card and just put it in permanently for data storage :/

Also, requiem86, you're probably aware of this, but these refurb Z13's don't come with GT 330m (N11P-GE1), they come with N11P-LP2, which according to notebookcheck:

I saw the VPC-Z125GX on ebay. Very tempted to get it since it has 256GB and 8GB RAM. Such spec goes for at least $2.2K I think :/

Also, in case anyone still wants to get a Z but wants to be able to customize the specs (like get the FHD option), you can head to conics.net. It's bloody expensive though.

 

Wait - you mean all of the old Z's come with the underclocked 330M not JUST the refurbished ones. right? At least that was my understanding.

 

Who is this non-Sony refurber that is being referred to here? Wondering if they still have any i7 and/or 256GB left?

 

Update: only 4 refurbished VPCZ1390X left on Sony Store...at the rate they have been going...they all will be sold out by Monday for sure...if not tomorrow.

 

Oh interesting. I was under the impression that they use the normal clocked ones because the graphics chip model stated was different (the Z12 refurbs listed a GT 330m, but the refurb Z13's listed a N11P-LP2 (which raises another question. Is this the same as N11P-LP?)

I take it that you know more than I do. Perhaps it is the same GT 330m as used in all other Z's after all.

 

I'm like 99% sure all the Z's have underclocked 330M.

Source: http://forum.notebookreview.com/sony/585182-gt-330m-poor-performance.html

"The GT330M in the Z is underclocked compared to a normal one. However, you can overclock it quite nicely!
I'm using EVGA Precision when gaming. I can run 600 MHz core speed instead of 450 without any problems so far."

Source: http://www.gamingonlaptops.com/brands/other/sony-vaio-z/

"The Sony Vaio Z series are one of the lightest gaming-capable laptops. The Nvidia GeForce GT 330M in them is slightly underclocked, but it is very hard to fit more performance in 3 lbs (1.4 kg)."

Source: http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Sony-Vaio-VPCZ11X9E-B-Notebook.28704.0.html

"The first small drawback is seen in the theoretical graphics performance. Sony's built-in GeForce GT 330M has been significantly downclocked and thus "only" achieves the rate of a GeForce GT 325M. However, these are still excellent rates for a subnotebook and can only be topped by a fast Alienware M11x with a GeForce GT335M."

 

how do you even know there's 4 left?

I don't see that anywhere on the page...

 

if u put 5 of those laptops in your cart - a orange bar shows up and says "currently unavailable" - but if you put 4 in your cart - it will allow you to order...I've been monitoring it for a while...Sony Outlet had about 10 or 11 Vaio Z's in stock like 2 days ago.

 

There is no reason to downclock refurbs any further. But, I wrote anywhere else here in the forum that Z13/Z14's are even more downclocked (450MHz vs 475MHz, reference GT330M core clock is 575MHz) than Z11/Z12. Probably because of the stronger CPUs in Z13/Z14's. Effectively, you actually do have a GT325M in a Z13.

Z11/Z12:


Z13/Z14:


Anyways, its no big deal to overclock them decently into the 600MHz core range

 

The Sony Z and SA are the rare 13" systems with a 900p LCD. The next closes would be a 14" Lenovo T420s - it has 900p LCD option, weighs 1.83kgs and can do a mSATA SSD + 7mm HDD + ODD setup. See some other 13/14" systems here, like the R830. All have expresscard slots so can have an eGPU attached. Eg: a GTX460 is doable for as little as $200. It will considerably outbench a GT330M.

A 13" Acer 3820TG is the other portable powerhouse with a HD6550M. People on here are overclocking their i5's to 3.4-3.5Ghz. Seems there's more demand then supply so may need to do some work tracking one down.

 

Thanks pyr0 this is very helpful. I guess I don't mind the graphics chip being under-clocked that much...if it translates to more battery life and less overheating issues. I do play games, but preferably I won't be playing that much on this refurb Z.

Also, the refurb Z13's (stock) CPU (i5 460m) isn't more powerful than Z12's i5 520m. I see no reason for them to do an under-clock across the board

 

FYI - only 2 VPCZ1390X left in stock on Sony Outlet....Vaio Z for $999 will be a thing of the past in under 24 hours. If you're planning on getting one...now is the time.

 

Oh, in for 2 then.




Hehe... Of course, I'm just kidding.

 

I just received my Refurb Vaio Z yesterday. Turns out it has the annoying buzzing/fan noise. Has anyone else experienced this with their unit?

 

hmm...not good...maybe sony can fix it....idk...hope mine doesnt have a buzz..

 

I remember reading somewhere in this forum this is probably a matter of updating BIOS. But of course it could also be a borked fan.

 

I had one of these in my basket much earlier. I don't live in the US so would have to ship abroad via a friend. With tax the 1 year plan at $59 it came to $1,162 or about that.
This is about £690 and i could probably upgrade from my SZ for about £300. I'm getting less impressed by the SA and have been thinking about alternatives.

Some things that put me of- the fan noise, i've seen a number of complaints about that. Also, the palmrests discolouration issue but that was much less of an issue. Being abroad i'm not really in a position to deal with a possible defective model.

 

Hi Rachel.

Is it possible to get sandy bridge soldered unto the motherboard of the Sony Z1? I was not aware of this. Can you let me know where I can have this done?

 

FYI - VPCZ1390X is now sold out. No Z laptops ($999) in Sony Outlet anymore.

 

612kimx1853 i don't think so no, i went back to read what i thought i'd read on this and going back to read it they were not talking about this.
If i see this going for a great deal at Sony clearance in the UK i might possibly be tempted, but it will never be sold for anything near like this deal was.

 

Thanks for letting me know. I didn't think it was possible but that would have been awesome!!!

 

very good price
I bought my Z refurb for my wife for ~1250 after tax with 256g ssd and i7-620m though

 

Yeah I found a good deal also, with i5-540M, 1080p, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD, and metal shield lid for $940. Pretty happy about it The lid alone is worth the cost. Now I know why it's a premium lid.