VAIO Z parts list (older gen)

In RAID mode for now no, but like i said JBOD mode is there for those who are very concerned about it.

Edited to add:
I see now that they're saying no TRIM support in JBOD mode. It seems that things are changing with this all the time. I don't know if GC will work.

 

Well why would you go for two "not that great" drives without TRIM support, while you could have single Intel G2 SSD with TRIM for lower price. The only reason I could find is, that you rather want to have the exact copy of the latest refresh top Z, than the top performance.

 

Any word on an equivalent Intel X25-M G2 SSD with TRIM support but in a 320GB capacity ?

 

@Metsn
Hmm... The last time I checked the Intel drives (the X25 being the most common) were extremely expensive. I am only considering the Samsung drives (particularly the ones the high-end 4th gen Zs in Japan, if I remember correct, come with) because I have links to the factory that build them. Might be able to get them Samsung drives cheap, considering they are now superseded drives.

Rachel has said that her SSD, which doesn't utilise TRIM, is still going strong. So I think I'll stick with the Samsung ones.

Well, I'll research into the 'cheaper' Intel SSDs for now, but really not too sure whether they are cheaper. I am looking for 256GB and more worth of space, so Intel might be out of the question completely, factoring in their prices.

And if I do go with a normal SSD, I'll be able to reuse the HDD bracket and connectors without having to source the dual-bracket / connectors from elsewhere. Tempting........

 

Well if you need more than 160GB, single Intel drive is out of question. I'm not saying that Samsung is bad, I used to run on single Samsung SSD for more than half a year. But I noticed performance boost after upgrading to the Intel drive.


Personally I have some problems with the fan, so I would like to exchange it for a new one...and when I'll be doing that I was considering to upgrade to the fan which came with the C2D T9600 CPU. But I can't find the par number anywhere, Sony US and part sellers in US don't want to help me, as my nb is JP version and Sony JP is not selling parts at all.

Don't you know where I could find the part number, or better the fan and heat-pipes? (I was asking the same question here btw)

 

http://www.sparepartswarehouse.com/Sony,Vaio,VGN-Z-Series,Laptop,Parts.aspx

That's a good place to start; they sell practically everything related to the VAIO (the Z included) so you should be able to find the parts you are after, hopefully.

I just noted that your stock CPU is a P9500. I was wondering if you know whether the T9k series C2D CPUs use different heat-sinks / fans altogether? I'm after the T9900 (or maybe the P9700), and know that the T9900 will fit in my existing CPU socket. But I remember reading here somewhere (can't find it anymore) that the T series CPUs use pure copper piping and fans where as the P series use copper piping and plastic fans, to help with heat management.

Though I would suggest try cleaning out the CPU of dust before buying a new one altogether, just in case~~

 

Well Sony was using the older Samsung drives that were 90/70MB that ended with UP on the end, for example MMCQE28GFM UP. I think they should have started using the 1.8 PBJJ-2 drives 220/200mbs in later models but i'm not entirely sure on that. The XP drives will give you better performance and that is what i have. Also, how well your SSD will hold up all depends on how much you've got stored on it.

I've got a 128gb drive and have everything i need on my computer and have about 95GB space free, I set system restore to 1GB. I'll attach a CM at the end of my 5 month drive( i've got one that is about 11 months old as well but that is a 2.5 drive). I took this a few days ago. I get 0.2 access times with a single drive. Boot up is just under 30s with a ULV processor from pressing the power button to desktop with no trickery involved lol.

I'm so fond of Samsung drives i've used because they have been reliable for me. Not only that they rated the best where power consumption was concerned and for an ultraportable that is very important to me. Getting a drive with balanced performance and the best at power consumption. I read a post Metsn where you wrote that you got better battery life with a Samsung drive. I don't know if that changed for you down the line?

I've also thought about RAID but my number one concern is power consumption/potential battery life loss and not TRIM. I started a post on this yesterday.

If you wanted to go for an Intel could you not strip 2 2.5 drives and use your original brackets? This may well have been touched on in the RAID upgrade thread.

 

Well unfortunately I already asked them, but they were not able to help me and recommended contacting Sony directly.

Well don't know about later models, but the version with the C2D T9600 CPU did use different heat sink, as you can see here:


I guess it'll take care of the heat better even in case of P CPUs, what more the sound of this heat sink is a bit deeper in High Performance, and that's something I would prefer.

Dust is not a problem, this thing with my fan was happening from the beggining ./

Yes that's true. But I don't think it would be the same in case of two SSDs in RAID. Also I did experience some slattering with the Samsung drive, not much so it didn't really bothered me, but it happened. There's nothing like that with Intel drive.

 

The update to my Z820 and the UJ232A Blu-ray upgrade here : http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=6082717#post6082717

 

@Metsn
If the T and P series CPU sockets use hot-wired heatsinks and piping, there goes my CPU upgrade... Do you know whether it is possible to obtain the T series heatsinks and related CPU material, if they are indeed replaceable...?
Can I ask what problems you are having with the fan by the way? I'm gonna guess, but random high-pitched sounds right before the fan speed goes up a gear?

And @ehosey2
Congrats, and oh, how I envy you (and Rachel)...

 

I believe they have to be replaceable...but no, I don't know where to obtain them. I'll try to contact Sony US by phone, but it's quite difficult because of my location. If you know any part sources by yourself, you could try to check please as well. That picture is from official Sony's Disassembly & Assembly Guide for VGN-Z Series Ver.1.10, so they should know about this heatsink.

Nope, my problem is a bit more special ,)

 

I have asked Sony a question (via email) regarding whether they can do CPU upgrades for me here (they did say to me a few weeks back that they can do whatever mods the owners want, provided they either pay the part and labour fees, or provide the parts and then pay the labour fees).

And as typical of Sony support elsewhere, no reply.

So to answer Metsn; the fan can be replaced, yes. But we need to explore why your fan is having the issue first:
1. The fan is dead; plain and simple motor death.
2. The fan controller jack on the motherboard burnt out.
3. The controller wire is burnt out.

- If the issue is due to (1), then it's possible to source the fan / heatsink assembly from the net. Unfortunately, I'm still looking around for it since I'm also planning an upgrade. Well, my upgrade depends on whether my current heatsink assembly can safely cope with the heat-demands of the T9900...

- If the issue is (2)... Then I would recommend a new laptop. Now, why am I stating whether the controller jack on the mobo is a possible issue? My custom-built QuadCore desktop suffered from it, and I spent a few months (and a decent amount of money) trying to diagnose the problem...

- Issue (3); ditto as issue (2)...

So, unless you have another Z around you, and provided you can take it apart and stick the other fan into your current Z, you are essentially shopping around blind for a new part...

Another question to help your get mind onto less worrying things though...
Your Z has a Intel X25-M on it. How is that performance wise?
I know that it will be faster than the Japanese Z93 (highest spec) that comes with the dual SSD RAID0 configuration, but is the X25-M around abouts the same as the speeds that the new Z owners are having? I clocked my stock Hitachi at 60MB/s (read) whereas the new Z owners and their quad-SSDs are going at over 300MB/s....
...Also...
The HDD versions of the Z come with g-sensors to protect the HDD. Is that based INSIDE the HDD, or somewhere else on the motherboard? Would I be able to get another branded HDD and expect the g-sensor to do its job with the new HDD?

Anyways, cheers for the help, and good luck with finding the fan parts...

 

Thank you for your answer

Well somehow I feel that in case of that three possible faults, the fan wouldn't be working at all or nearly so. Also I think it wouldn't be happening nearly from the beginning. It happens in like 5% of cases, so that's why I didn't really care much.

But I have some progression - I found this heat-sink, as you can see it's for the T9900 CPU model, so maybe you would be interested as well. Now I need to find out if it's using special fan as well or not...


About the SSD. The point is not r/w of the big files. There are SSDs which has much higher speeds in that case than the Intel. The beauty is in relatively high speed for the small files, which are important for running OS. Sure it's nice that quad-ssd would copy your HD movie super fast, but for me it's more important how quickly I'll boot, how FF will performs etc. Here is my CrystalDiskInfo:



About the g-sensor - I believe it's something based inside the HDD, as you can buy HDDs with or without g-sensor.

 

This is a pretty good deal

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Sony-VGN-Z590...C_Drives_Storage_Internal?hash=item483990b5b9

 

I saw that a few hours ago. It is a good deal considering it comes with the bezel and the connection cable. But... I am aiming for a new drive preferably one with a year warranty. I'll be dropping in at Sony's service centre today to ask about a botched up repair they did on my Z a few weeks back (the power barrel wobbly after it), considering I finally have some free time with holidays for us here. I'll ask them about how much they can source a UJ232A for me while I'm at it.

Though in any case, I'm still a wee bit off from my aim of having enough saved up to upgrade anything at the moment (maybe the 5300AGN)...

Regardless, thanks Rachel~

 

http://www.fazecomputers.net/servlet/the-94/UJ-dsh-232A,-UJ-dsh-232,-dell.-IBM,/Detail

This UJ-232A Blu-ray drive which was installed in my Z as a few of you know is selling at a better price than for what I got it for. But, I'm not sure if he will increase the warranty from 3 to 12 months like he did with my purchase/installation.

 

I might end up making an account with FazeComputers, if they do international shipping.

I just checked that UJ232A, and my oh my... Extremely tempting, but I have university fees to look forward to (yeah right) in a few months so no go yet.

I'll be happy with any form of warranty provided the drive is new. Ebay isn't meeting any of those requirements for me so FazeComputers it is. Though their internet page is not updated. Can't access their contact details nor policies... Need to find out whether they ship overseas...

 

I emailed Paul from Faze Computers and asked about international shipping. On the website it does not say anything about shipping info other than it's USPS or UPS and it's a fixed fee. No mention of international shipping, but I'll get you the answer.

 

Yikes...
Thanks for the help there. The $300US for a NEW BD drive with warranty is very encouraging. Just hoping that it will fall in price just a wee bit more by the time I'm ready to buy later on this year.
+1 Rep~~

BTW, there is a new BD format coming out later this or next year. Apparently allows for 128GB of storage on a bluray disc, 100GB on a rewritable one. But today's drives won't support (seems to need a stronger laser, since these new discs have 3 or 4 layers vs the usual 2).

 

That is a great price for a new UJ-232A and just don't see it going too much lower in price if at all, especially when inventory becomes less and less. And I'm not sure how long it will stay at $299.99.

I'll let you know what Paul says. It's going to be even more difficult to wait to buy if he can provide you with that international shipping. I'll let you know. Thank you for the rep.

 

I'm fine with getting a drive without warranty as obviously i've done this. I've never had a tray load drive die on me since i've owned a laptop. Of course different things are acceptable to different people. Also, how about Square trade warranty that you can get of ebay?
Although, that price from Faze computers is great.

Would you put the third antenna in the bezel yourself or would you have Sony do that as well?
You may as well do the wwan upgrade at the same time if you go down this route.

 

Ah... The timing with Rachel's post.
I got an email from Sony today, THREE weeks after sending them a bloody question regarding the mods mentioned here.

They tell me to go to an authorised service centre. Sony isn't willing to do the mods, even after saying they can when I talked to them in person.

Considering how New Zealand is with electronics after-services (let-alone laptops), they are going to charge me for them opening the laptop, an hourly charge, and a charge for them closing and screwing the machine back up.
Bluntly; darn expensive if it's not Sony, who told me in person they charge a flat-rate fee.

Basically, I will be doing it personally. I can take apart MOST of the Z without issues, just never tried the LCD bezel because I just can't get the side barrels off (especially the power button side).

And to top it off, after my LCD was serviced under warranty from Sony (their Sony centre), the power button barrel is slightly wobbly. I can't ask them to fix the looseness because I needed my laptop back urgently then, 2 months ago now. I finally have the free time to take my Z back to get the barrel looked at, but they can easily argue I did something in those two months and not them, so my word against theirs...

For now, I won't risk changing the lid (or until I get some tips taking off the darn barrels; the service manual ain't helping). That basically means I won't be able to route the WWAN antenna into the LCD bezel, so WWAN too is out of the question too, FOR NOW...

On the subject of a third antenna, I'm pretty much ready for the Intel 5300AGN half-height card upgrade. Just waiting for the 'right' auction to pop up on eBay.
I know ZugZug who has done the upgrade. He routed the 3rd wifi antenna in a rather imaginative way around the mainboard:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?p=4947053

So basically, I'll be doing all the mods in the front page by myself. Besides, my Z will be out of warranty by the time I can start the big upgrades anyway, so Sony ain't really required... I only considered them since they have a one-year workmanship warranty.

...And with the past experiences that I've fared through, I won't buy anything unless it has some sort of warranty...

 

So we're on the same boat buddy We'll take a deep breath and open it up I found it relatively easy to swap the SSD, but taking out the MB will be completely different story. And I don't think it's that hard to take off the barrels, you should consider it one more time. But I would be a bit scared to open the LCD bezel, as it's just on clips.

Right now I'm having some screenshots from some different service manual from sparepartswarehouse.com, which is much more precise in case of parts, but unfortunately they can't send me the whole manual.

For now I'm planning mainly switching the fan and putting new better thermal paste....that should make a few degrees difference.

My Z is already completely silent in Stamina mode anyway.

 

I have already tried taking the barrels off a few times, and considering that the Sony service fellows from the LCD replacement left a noticable mark where they tried to disengage the lodges that hold the barrel in place, I'm guessing that even they had a hard time getting those things off.

The power barrel has two lodges (top and bottom), whereas the AC socket barrel has one (top). Everytime I get the top loose, the bottom lodge is almost impossible to disengage. And vice versa...

And yeah, the entire bezel is on clips; kinda surprised at first that it's easy enough to take apart the entire LCD frame with your fingernails (minus the 2x screws which can only be accessed by taking out the barrels...). Considering that, my (expensive) premium carbon fibre mod is going to be a walk in the park compared to everything else planned.

The CPU is on the underside of the motherboard; we literally have to take apart the entire machine for it. I do believe that the top side of the motherboard that we see with the fan is the nVidia GPU. Regardless, the CPU upgrade will be the last upgrade I do in my list of mods. Need to grow some confidence fiddling with the innards before getting that intense...

The deepest I've gone into the innards of the Z is just removing the keyboard and cleaning out dust from the fan. And playing around with the HDD and optics assembly. Have yet to check out the 5300AGN card area, but that just needs some speaker connections clipped off along with a few screws.

The only bad part taking apart the LCD frame (I'd say) is the wireless antennas. The ends of those antennas have metal blocks and are loose without the front bezel clipped on. When you are clipping together the frame, you just have to make sure the wires aren't caught anywhere at the clips. Well, Sony solved that issue with bits of tape but the metal ends of the antennas are at best, annoying....

So as it stands now for me:
- The RAM and SSD upgrade *, I'm considering doing pretty later on. Reason being is RAM and SSD prices are tipped to fall. I might as well just source the RAID0 proprietry connector and dual-SSD bracket now though, incase they get hard to find later on.
- The CPU mod, again pretty later on. Likewise, planning on buying this soon incase it gets hard to find. I might stick with the P9700 since it doesn't need extra bits (better on my wallet), but I haven't researched too thoroughly on the Z's CPU assembly yet, so that's to be confirmed.
- Priority is on the 5300AGN and the UJ232A.
- If I can get Sony Service to source the Carbon Lid, I might as well do the WWAN mod as well. Hoping Sony will at least fit those in for me...

*Are those 2x 256GB Samsung SSDs that Sony used in the RAID0 setup of the 4th and 5th gen Z, proprietry dimension-wise? Or would any SSD stripped out of its enclosure resemble them? Been researching those Samsungs, and they are proving hard to track down...

 

Yes, I know what you're talking about. This is one of the screenshots I got...it's a pity no one from repair centers shared these files with us on NBR, they would be quite handy.

 

Hello, this is Paul at Faze computers. We do ship overseas. To New Zealand it costs around $37. Just proceed to checkout and you will get a quote before submitting your payment.

 

Disregard, I deleted the post.

 

AH. Thank you Paul and ehosey2.

That BD drive is first on my list!
...As soon as I save up the required amount that is...

Here's me hoping that US$299 pricetag remains constant (or even dropping a wee bit ^_^) by the time I'm ready...

 

Seeing that it may be some time before you actually get to replace your HDD to a SSD, why not get a single 300GB or 600GB Intel G3 SSD instead when those are released? I'm sure those Intel G3 SSDs are going to be faster than the RAID0 Samsung SSDs used in the (old) VAIO Z series. No?

Furthermore, IMHO, our (old) VAIO Z series' main advantage over the (new) VAIO Z series is the ability for us to do a straight forward swap from HDD to SSD while also keeping the optical drive.

 

This is the first time I hear of a single 600GB SSD drive. Interesting...
I considered the Samsung RAID0 setup (the same setup the older Japanese versions have with 2x 256GB) because that's pretty much the biggest SSD storage you can get on the Z, and also since those drives are now superseded models thus cheaper. Well, that plus I want my Z to resemble the highest spec older Z, but not something I'm expecting to get as the end result... Anyways, I wish I could say those drives are now cheaper but I'm having trouble sourcing them...

Yeah. In any case, I have to wait a wee while for a SSD mod. I am NOT holding my breath on the price of the 600GB G3 though. I am tempted go down that route since pretty much everything (connectors, HDD bracket) is recyclable whereas the RAID0 setup needs me to source the dual connectors and SSD brackets; I'll just wait and see the prices of the G3 before writing this in stone (maybe even wait for a review)...

Cheers.

 

Ok. Bit more digging around here with SEARCH and managed to find some closed threads regarding the SSD mod.

Metsn has said that the Samsung SSDs that I'm after (that Sony Japan uses in RAID0 to form 512GB) have extremely slow read/write speeds (90MB/s to 70MB/s).
I have confirmed this, however, also found that Samsung released a 2nd generation of this SSD that the US models used with their 128GB SSDs, with the SAME model number, but with 220MB/sec read and 120MB/sec write. I understand that 256GB versions of the 2nd gen is also being mass produced. Actually, some people benched the 2nd gens at even faster at 350MB/sec read and 220MB/sec write.

Now, a quick check on ebay and one 256GB SSD is US$1000 new, and all are 1st gen (apparently).... Which sucks.....

I need to confirm this with Metsn, who has been active in the older SSD discussions relating to the Z. Does the RAID0 configured older Z in Japan use 1.8 or 2.5 stripped-down SSDs? As it is now, seems like I will be going for a cheaper Samsung with better specs. But need to know the compatible size to research a bit more... I'll probably end up using them stripped down and in RAID0, but should be faster (and hopefully cheaper).

I have also found the RAID cable connector part number, but still looking for the dual SSD metal bracket / holder. Cable model FPC-126.

The image below shows the SSDs (2x) in the dual bracket, and the RAID0 connector FPC-126. I might need a few proprietory screws as well, 8 of them to be precise.... Though that is the least of my financial worries at the moment...



Also, does using the RAID0 connector require me to change BIOS settings? Like install the hacked firmware to enable RAID? Or is that all just handled automatically? That is, will the Z boot up if I had two SSDs connected to it using the dual connector above, without any sort of BIOS setting change?

 

Sorry, don't have much time to answer now, so just quick answer:

Don't know the part number as well, but I'm quite sure they will be able to tell you the number at sparepartswarehouse.com, if you'll show/tell number from this picture:


About the SSD, I would still check the speed for the small files. The speed for big files doesn't matter, and I'm quite sure that even in RAID 0 that Samsung SSD will be slower in case of small files. What more, because of RAID config, the boot time will be longer as well.

And I believe Sony always used two stripped-down 1.8" SSDs...

 

I linked to this thread much earlier in this thread and stated that in post number 5 Zephir provided a link to the Sony VGN Z bracket.
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=363312

The second gen drives are sold with 220/200MB speeds.

There are 256GB Samsung drives less than $1000 on ebay.

This is a second gen drive.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-1-8-Samsung-256GB-SSD-MLC-Thin-uSATA-FREE-US-SHIP_W0QQitemZ280489260560
QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPCC_Drives_Storage_Internal?hash=item414e767610

As is this one
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SAMSUNG-256GB...34QQcmdZViewItemQQptZCPUs?hash=item414e75f95a

 

Argh...
I should go back and read that post then...
Anyways, that thread pretty much answers most of my SSD questions. And it's a little comforting to see the SSD is cheaper than initially thought...

Now, the issue with the screws... Metsn's image shows that I need 2x screws not found on the non SSD models (B11) to use the bracket. Kinda hoping I have some similar compatible ones in my large box of unorganized parts...

Regardless, thanks to Metsn and Rachel~~

And as for small file handling. Well, I'm assuming small file speeds are relatively similar compared to HDD. Or is that assumption wrong...?
It's just that I handle huge video files (ranging from 1GB to 50GB sometimes), so you can imagine the agony of trying to move them around. Well, I'm pretty sure the SSDs won't last too long with what I do, but I don't expect to use my Z for more than a total of 6 years (hoping the Z dies before the SSDs ^_^). My Z26 is already a year and a half old anyways, so around about 5 more years and it would have done it's job well.

 

Ok.
Just been looking up some of Google's cached database for the VAIO Z, the older one.

This question is directed at Metsn, when he is not busy that is...
Can you confirm that the Z93 was the very last older Z refresh that VAIO Japan sold before introducing the VPCZ models?

I ain't too knowledgeable as to how the older Japanese Zs were numbered generation-wise, just that it followed a funky pattern.

Just asking because a parts centre here can apparently bring in Japanese parts; just need to state the actual model (ie for me, the latest older Z).

Cheers... again...

 

It's morning here, so still relatively calm. I'm planning to exchange thermal paste today or this weekend btw

About your question...to tell the truth, I'm not sure, but I feel so and it makes sense to me...as my Z is 1st gen - Z90, after that was Z91, so Z93 would be 4th generation.

btw...after doing some research, I found out that most of the parts are actually the same (you could check the part number) for all generations and local mutations of Z. When they changed/upgraded something in newer Z, they started to sell it for older as well. The only difference I noticed was possibility of black color later and three kinds of heatsink for the lastest Z.

What I'm not happy with these part sellers, that none of them can assure you, that the part will be new. In fact most of them will be refurbished...

 

Which is why I'm not too keen on buying from eBay. And another reason why I'm asking for a warranty of some sort incase I find out something is not as described (ie, not new).

And yes. All the Zs (from the 1st gen onwards) are pretty much the same internally minus the CPUs, SSDs, optics, RAM, and casing materials / colours used. And they are ALL interchangable provided you know what you are doing. Sony won't admit it here and elsewhere for some reason... Well, the CPU is an exception seeing that the T and P series use different heatsinks, and the work that involves. What CPU uses the 'third' heatsink? I thought there were only 2x types...

Also, aren't there 5 generations worth of Zs? Or did Japan only go to 4th gen...? Well, I guess Z93 is the last since googling Z94 doesn't come up with anything.

Good luck with your CPU thermal paste application. Would be keen on hearing a personal experience / review in getting to the CPU assembly, considering that it is on the underside of the motherboard...

 

Don't know about the heatsinks really. I guess there were two for the 1st gen Z and later they did some slight change for the T9900. But from all pictures from service manuals I got I can't see any real difference. It looks more like that put more cushions to protect other parts of notebook from heat than actually make better cooling for the CPU. Also the fan seems to be always the same.

I think there were just four generations in Japan...but practically every older Z gen had the possibilities which got next gen in US

Right now I'm already doing some short tests regarding to temperature. I did undervolting again and it did make some difference already:

CPU 5 min Test (Speed mode)

room temp 25C
idle max - 38/42
performance max - 90/92
ACPI - 99

undervolted
room temp 25C
idle max - 32/36
performance max - 81/83
ACPI - 90

 

Hopefully your thermal paste replacement went well.
An update here is that the parts centre in New Zealand started relocating, which explains the lack of reply...

I've also edited the OP post heavily to make it easier to read.

...This is a bump post in the end...

 

Alright " old " Z owners. I have a question. My Z820 has the P8700 processor with a 320GB 7200 RPM hard drive. I'm looking to eventually upgrade to SSD, but most likely will wait for an Intel X25-M G2 SSD equivalent, but with something like 320GB or greater storage capacity. I have been eyeing those " old " Z's in Sony Style's Clearance section with those T9900 and P9700 processors. If I had one of those with the new SSD, would I really be able to tell a difference in speed using a fast SSD and a P8700 compared to the SSD and a T9900 or P9700 ?

 

Hello.
Thanks for the link Rachel. But the price was unexpected. I was more-or-less expecting a range near the 5300AGN... And this doesn't even include the antenna...... Since the WWAN module mod is not high on my priority list (but on the 'good-thing-to-have-nonetheless' list still), I'll chuck that back with my CPU mod and wait. And yeah, I might not come across such a chance often but I really don't have a choice.......

@ehosey2
I understand the thermal management with the T9900 is bad; the CPU is underclocked most of the time by the motherboard due to the heat it produces at full speed (3.06GHz). I want it regardless even if it has short full-on bursts~ It appears to stay on 2.6Ghz while downclocked, which I remember reading here somewhere.

The P9700 does not seem to suffer from the same effects.

But in regards to performance increases, you are better off with a SSD than a CPU upgrade. Most people usually don't notice the difference of the CPUs unless they do scripting (a category I'm in).

 

@ 5ushiMonster

Thank you for the information. It sounds like I'm better off just waiting for Intel to release the higher capacity SSD and putting my money towards that. The $1400.00 dollar price tag for one of those Z's in the clearance section ( after the current 20% discount of course ) has been nagging at me due to the attractive price, but if my Z with the P8700 processor will seem to perform as fast as the P9700 or T9900 with the new SSD, then I'll wait. Hopefully Intel gets to releasing the new SSD soon.

 

I'm pretty much ready to buy the Intel 5300 AGN, and need to confirm two things before commiting.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220593919435&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

1. I was wondering if there are such things as 'aftermarket' Intel 5300 AGN half-height cards? The image there doesn't have the Intel logo on it and looks like a cheap knock-off... Granted that is just an image, but it is a stock photo so I need to make sure I'm getting the real deal...

2. If ZugZug is around somewhere (or anyone else with experience)... I was wondering what length the 3rd antenna should be? I've seen 1.2m and 0.9m lengths, which are too long to route through and around the motherboard framing (would have to loop it 2 times at least...). Those antennae have that metal 'block' at the ends so I guess snipping the wire to fit is out of the question.

That... And this is another bump post to keep this thread alive at the very least...

 

I would avoid going for one designed for another laptop although theoretically they should be the same. I had bad luck with a 6200 Dell card. It kept on freezing my laptop up so i had to do a reboot.
That one is a Dell part.
Btw, i found that the 6200 card with two antenna signal wise was better than the 5300 that i used in another laptop. Others may have different experiences but those were mine. For the antenna i would look for a short one that Sony used for bluetooth. Or you could look for one that Apple made.

Btw, i bought that Z WWAN card lol. I used it to upgrade the wwan in my TT.
I already sold of the wwan board.

 

Ahaha~~ Well, hopefully your WWAN mod went fine then.

Yes. I do see that most of the parts that I'm seeking (WLAN, UJ232A, even the Samsung SSDs) are from / intended for Dell machines, and if they are not they are often for IBM systems.

I did read somewhere here that the wifi cards can be BIOS locked, meaning they can't be used just on any motherboard.

...When you say that "the short one that Sony used for bluetooth", you are saying that the bluetooth antenna and the wifi antenna are the same? If that is the case, then I would be able to source the antenna here in New Zealand; would you happen to know the part number for that?

Now... the problem with finding a proper wifi card then...

 

It well thanks.

This is the bluetooth antenna and yes it will work because i tried that antenna as a 3rd antenna in another laptop and it worked fine. You just remove the antenna.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Sony-Vaio-TX-TX...tem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item414eb8fa08

The Apples ones are also a bit shorter.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Apple-wifi-an...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item1e5b7f4256

 

That antenna looks extremely short...
I know that ZugZug had to practically route his one around the perimeter of the motherboard, I was kinda expecting about 60 - 70cm in length; that thing there doesn't even look like 10cm....

Just came across this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Brand-New-Hitac...tem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item45e70750a6

The length is the one I'm looking for (I think), but the overall antenna doesn't look very genuine... Anyways, will have to try and ask Sony here and see whether they can sell me a bluetooth antenna first of all, and go from there.

Cheers again~

 

I bought a 5300 card today from this seller.
I don't know if you've bought yours yet?
These ones are direct from Intel they claim. Ebay is littered with Dell ones.
Intel WiFi Link 5300 - WLAN-Netzwerkkarte (intern) on eBay (end time 27-May-10 08:36:08 BST)

May be you could mail the seller and ask them if they can ship to you?

I will be using that short antenna i showed you.

This card was used in some CTO TT models in Japan.

I've used one before and couldn't really tell a difference between a 5100 card but on paper it is a better card so i thought i might as well go for it.

 

The funny thing about antennas is that they don't have to be stretched out to work. One that is doubled back will work just as well as one that is extended full length, provided that the antenna is exposed to the signal. Extending it just increases the chance of getting a good signal.
But the length of the antenna, straight or not, is what dictates which frequencies you can pick up with any clarity. So getting the right length helps, even if you have to double back on part of it.

The reason for 3 antennas isn't, as one might think, to enable sending/receiving at all of them and thus increase the speed -- that can be done with a single antenna too. It's primarily because the 5.4 GHz band is divided into three segments with different maximum signal power. If using two antennas to cover all the bands, one of them has to transmit at the lowest allowed strength (40 mW). Secondarily, it helps tuning each antenna to the band it covers by having the correct length.

Thus, don't just buy an extra antenna to go from a 2-antenna system to a 3-antenna one -- swap out all three, and be careful which one is connected where, or the result will be sub-optimal. Oh, it'll still work, just not at peak efficiency.

 

@Rachel
That card looks promising. Though I ain't sure if that seller will reply in English....?
Yes - ebay is littered with Dell bits and bobs; some of which even seem to be aftermarket 5300AGNs. I'll seriously consider that and a 70cm piece of antenna. Not too sure where or how I'm going to route it in the chassis, but hopefully will be able to find the exact spot that the Japanese CTO old Z uses (if anybody knows the official 'route', then I'm more than happy to know). Otherwise, I'll be following ZugZug's method and pray my length is right.

@arth1
With your reasoning then, I can go and buy a 10cm antenna instead of a 70cm??? That would make my life alot easier....