Vaio SZ powerbrick size

Can anyone with the SZ tell me whether the powerbrick is massive, or a small and sleek?
and are the powerbrick sizes different between the standard and premium versions?

thanks

 

Mine is not that big - I have an SZ110, and the power brick is 5.5"L x 2.5"W x 1.5"H.

Javier

 

thanks for alaying my fears.

Thats a good size for a power adapter

 

it's huge!!! kidding, but it's a lot bigger than on the other I've seen. I actually took a picture comparing to my other PSUs, also the cable is shorter than normal... that's Sony for you, they always have to be different from others!

http://www.rudom.com/sony/psu.jpg

 

I was really surprised with the size of the power supply. I kend of expected something a bit slimmer. Its not any bigger than any other OEM 90W ps, but I think I'll be getting the Kensington 120w ac/dc power supply when I can find one.

 

Is it possible to use other PSU? do you mean like this one?

http://www.chumbo.com/info.aspx?id=258060&ptr=fg

I am wondering if it will charge faster

 

Thats exactly the one I'm talking about. It should charge faster, but probably not my a whole lot. You can get different tips for it and use it for other devices also. I'll use it for my ipod, laptop, cellphone, and camcorder.

 

I agree its way too big given the size of the laptop.

My sister has a 15.4" toshiba and the power supply is TINY in comparison (probably volumetrically 50% smaller). Who understands electrical engineering well enough to explain why they cant make the power supply smaller??

Can is there an option to buy something 3rd party that is smaller and still safe to use ?

 

You'll notice that most of the smaller notebooks have larger power bricks. This is because the circuitry that handles power regulation, etc... either has to be built in to the notebook (making it thicker) or pushed out to the power brick. I'd much rather have a bigger power brick if it means having a thinner/sleeker laptop... Oh by theway, BIGTIMEGAMES, welcome to "Club SZ" You are now officially envied by thousands...

 

I got the Kensington today and took a couple pics.

This is a 120W supply compared to the 90W OEM.

 

LOL, I was thinking "no big deal" till I got to the thickness comparison!

 

How does this thing work, it just has plugs that fit every laptop type?

Interesting.. that it can automatically handle all different voltage/amps.

 

They use "smart tips". There are probably a couple dozen or so different style tips that handle everything from different laptops, phones, pda's, cameras, camaprders, ipods, etc...

I don't know exactly, but I believe different tips when plugged into the adapter, "configure" the adapter for the specific output voltage that the tip is designed for. If you look it up, you won't find a tip specified for the SZ, but I am using a tip (N4) designed for other Sony notebooks, and it seems to charge fine, albeit no faster than the OEM ps. I'll check the output voltage later today.

Ampere ratings of a power supply are akin to a "capacity" rating of a battery. This ps will handle devices up to 6.5a. Depending on the installed tip, it will output anything from 0 to 24v.

I found this ps at Circuit City, they have a pile of them.

 

Awesome - let us know how it works out, 'cause it looks like I'll be picking one of these up for myself...

Javier

 

Can it charge or just power only? I remember I was looking at the Igo power module and I believe it can power only not charge the laptop. Thanks

 

It does charge. The N4 tip that I'm using with the SZ puts out 1 hair over 19v, so it will not charge any faster than the oem brick.

 

Couldn't believe how huge that power brick was compared to the Z1 and others. Thought I was smart and got the Kensington 70w and just found out that you can't use the 70w or 120w with this computer. Bummer! Anyone wanna buy a brand new 70w ac adapter with a dual charging cable??? I have a gateway tip set for it.

 

The 70W may not have enough grunt for the SZ, but the 120 does work with the N4 tip. It may not be spec'd exactly for the SZ, but it does work. I'm waiting for a reply from Kensington support regarding a "correct" tip. The OEM supply outputs 19.5v, the kensington with the N4 tip outputs 19v. Thats easily within acceptable limits.

 

Anyone know about the IGo products? Their site says they have adapters that will work but I don't know anything about them.

They look cool - like you can charge mutiple items from one adapter?

 

The Kensington one will also charge multiple devices, but you have to buy the adapter separately.

I think the IGO is pretty much the same thing. I like the form factor of the Kensington better.

 

Kensington is much lighter.

 

Ostack,
Did you have to buy the SZ (or N4) tip or it is bundled? Does it bundled with ipod tip? How do you like it so far? Thanks

 

You have to buy if you are getting the one at Circuit City - it doesn't come with any tips. The one online at Kensington has tips including the one you need, but it wasn't in stock. And then I found out it didn't work with the SZ. It is for sale.

 

Rivergirl is partly right. The one I got does not come with any tips. The one that comes with a bundle of tips is not in stock anywhere, and is about $20 more. I got a pack with 2 Sony tips, the N15 and N4.

It works fine, and is much more convenient to haul around. I still need to get the ipod tip, and a tip for my camcorder.

Don't worry that Kensington doesn't list the SZ as a supported device, I just don't think their documentation and web tools have been updated with the SZ stuff yet.

I don't think I would get hte 70W model as it probably doesn't have enough grunt to power and charge the SZ.

 

It was the 70W that I got, so can't use.
thx

 

What in the Kensington info indicated its ability to properly charge the SZ??
-I'm not disputing that it does, rather simply not seeing anything to guide one to this power supply. Any hints on this site?
http://www.chumbo.com/info.aspx?id=258060&ptr=fg
Have you enjoyed normal charging, etc. from your Kensington? It is MUCH thinner according to your images...
-Thanks for any info...
Mark

 

Thanks Ostack. I notice Circuit City does have it in stock and I can pick it up. I'll pick up tips for my sony as well. I did call Kensington and customer service told me that they are releasing a bunch of new tips in mid-april. I have a Treo 700w and hopefully they'll have a tip for it. I'm so tempted to go with Igo as they have tips for basically any devices. However, I prefer Kensington's size so I guess that's what I'm going to get. Thanks again for the advice.

 

Well, thats the problem with it. There is nothing on their web site or in any of their documentation that indicates that it will work. After looking at hte oem ps, it seems to have a pretty standard connector, and 19.5V is about what most laptops use, so I figured the kensington has the capability, in that it will go up to 24v. It has the capacity at 120w vs the oem 90w. The charging logic is not in the oem ps, it is in the laptop or battery itself. The only problem is finding a tip that will work. I emailed kensington about the correct tip, and they responded saying the n15 tip would work on the SZ. Well, the N15 tip does NOT work. fortunately, in the same package as the N15 tip is the N4 tip, which IS the one that works. Using the N4 tip, voltage is 19v from the kensington ps. The voltage difference is a little less than 3%, well within the margin of tolerance built into most electronics.

I haven't done any time studies, but in a subjective comparison, I can't tell the difference in charging cycles. If a side by side test was done, I would imagine the Kensington charges just a little slower, based on the difference output voltage.

Now I just have to find the other tips I need. They all seem to be out of stock.

My only complaint would be the way the smart tip plugs into the receptical, it creates a about a 2.5" solid piece that sticks straight out the back from the charging port.

Overall, I like it though.

 

Thanks for the info.
I bought the unit tonight, along with the little two-pack of tips.
When I got home, I discovered that they had accidentally put 2 N4 tips in there and no n15...so I'm glad to hear I have the right one (saves me a trip back...since I have no use for the n15 anyway).

As much as I hate CompUSA, they had tons of the chargers in stock, and a huge selection of tips...in case you're still hunting for one in particular...

 

hm. instead of instantly dismissing the 70W, has anyone
here tried using it with the sony sz to charge it?

 

Using a power supply rated _less_ than the OEM is a very dangerous proposition especially if the requirements of the computer are not known. You can actually damage the computer as well as destroying the PS because if the PS burns out due to too high a load, you could get unregulated power or spikes on the output. Normally, there is protection circuitry, but IMHO it's not a good idea to test the PS by just plugging it in. Seems like too much risk to me.

Skrunch.

 

That would be good to find out since it is considerably lighter. Since I don't have an SZ yet, can someone else test?
thx

 

compare AC adapter of sony sz & sony c1 !

 

hm. i thought it was a case of not being able to produce
enough power for the laptop to recharge.. but the way
you say it, it's as if the adapter would be forced to gene-
rate more than it can handle?

*update* indeed that seems to be the case; the adapter
would be forced to generate more than it can handle and
would get warmer than usual, perhaps not even reaching
the amount needed to power/charge the laptop.

but i strongly doubt that it would destroy anything.

 

What is the point of getting a really lightweight computer if the A/C adapter is so much heavier?

 

well, often people buy laptops to use in places where
they do not have the ability to use their adapter.

so then they only have to worry about the weight of
the laptop, not the accessoires.

 

hm. this one seem a good match, 90W instead of 120:

http://us.kensington.com/html/4724.html

 

You are likely correct. The way the switching power supplies work, though, requires that the power inductors do not saturate. A higher load will increase the duty cycle of the switcher in the PS. The closer the duty cycle gets to 100%, the voltage appears more and more like a DC voltage to the inductor. The magnetic field collapses and the imedance drops resulting in high currents through the inductor and the thing heats up.

When things break, you're not guaranteed to just have the voltage go to zero nicely. The power inductor can push a huge burst of current into the computer when the switcher fails. Normally, there are fuses to protect against that, though.

Maybe I'm being paranoid, but I've seen circuits fried due to PS failure and I'm not about to do any 'testing' with my SZ. If someone adventurous out there can do it, I hope they will post their results

Skrunch.

 

oki i will wait till my sz arrives before i order a new adapter though.

 

Crazy question?:
I have a small and lovely ac adapter with my current Vaio (Model pcg-r505gck). I am ordering the sz160. Do you think I can use the ac adapter that I have with my current laptop (the ac adapter’s model number is pcga-AC5Z)?

If the old adapter doesn't "fit" in the new laptop can I buy a tip so it will?

 

Same question, I have the exact same "tiny" adapter, its amazing how thin it is. I think you should be able to switch the wires from the original adapter to this one?

 

So I'm planning on purchasing the Kensington brick tomorrow...

I understand that the N4 tip is the correct one, right ?

Also, I know that the 120W is available, but if I can find it, would the 90W be a better choice ?

Thanks !

 

No, I tried this with the other Sony adapters that I have - the SZ won't recognize them. It won't charge, and it won't supply power.

Javier

 

I use the iGo Juice with the SZ and it's perfectly fine. Tip S12, which comes with it. It's a tad lighter and smaller than the Sony brick, but ultimately more useful. The iGo Juice can also be AC and DC (so I can use it on a plane, in a car, in a house, etc.), and charge other things with an adapter while you're using it with the laptop. I have the tips for my cel phone and one or two other things.

I used it prior with both my JVC and Sharp with no issues, either.

I flirted with buying the Kensington over the weekend, but while it is thinner, it's not small - it's bigger width-wise than any other adapter. Sure, it's thinner than the others, and may be 3 - 4 ounces lighter, but I think the iGo is a better deal.

Plus, as I saw in one review of it somewhere, if you lose, say, the part where it goes from the adapter to the wall, Kensington doesn't sell that part. iGo sells their parts. Kensington's answer was to buy a new one.

Also, the iGo comes with the notebook plug - don't need to spend $10 - $15 on it separately.

Just my $.02

 

Fender: I'll take a look at iGo, thanks for the tip !

One more question:

The Kensington adapter comes in AC and AC/DC flavors...

what is the difference, and the advantages / disadvantages ?

 

You may also want to know that the cord that runs from the Kensington adapter to the wall socket is only about 3 inches long - which means that if you don't plug into a power source that's on the floor, it will be hanging from the wall outlet.

Javier

 

That's fine with me... ideal, even.

What about the AC/DC thing ? Any ideas ?

 

AC = standard wall plug
DC = car/plane

For someone like me who travels a lot (and where there are power ports sometimes on planes), it's easier to carry one adapter that does both.

The iGo doesn't hang from the wall - it's a normal size cord for both AC and DC, but comes with a velcro thingy already around it so you can "customize" its length.

 

i have both and the igo is much heavier (even heavier i think then the giant sony one). i find the short cord from the wall kind of wierd but on the other had i constantly find myself with a mess of igo cords (i also have the adapter to charge treo). i travel all the time and the less mess the better. also the dc side is a must for cars and airplanes

tips seem to be much more limited for the kensington not even sure if they have a treo one. so what i do is use a usb charger from the computer which actually is a bit less messy (retractable)

 

Oh, something else I forgot to mention - the Treo smarttip for the Kensington brick is NOT OUT YET. That's one of the other reasons I decided to return my Kensington...

Javier