Vaio Z FHD vs F FHD screen

Hi guys, I am confused between the Z and the F series laptops, I understand that the Z is much faster than the F series, so I am tilted towards the Z.

But I would like to know from those in Europe or Asia ( as US F series apparently don't have as good a full hd screen) who have seen both the screens personally if the F series screen is in anyway superior to the Z or both are pretty much the same.

Notebookcheck gives the Vaio F screen a 98% score (highest score for any laptop) and unfortunately they did not review the Full Hd model of the Z.

So please help

 

It's surprising to see someone hesitating between F ans Z series as they're extremely different.

 

The F has the option of i7 quad processors over the Z.

Screen wise - Both have the option of 1920x1080, the z is 13" and the f is 16.4 - the smaller screen will appear sharper, but it's smaller.

You pays your money you takes your choice as they say

I went from my z to the f - I think the f is better value overall. Sure it's not made of carbon fibre or as portable - which is why.

Think of what else you use - I have an iPhone foe my portable needs and the f screen (us glossy) is hd and decent for my gaming. It just looks like a big z!

 

The screen in the Z absolutely shreds the 1080 screen in f. The quality of the panel is so much better it's not even comparable, really.

 

The Z isn't made of carbon fiber. It is made of plastic with a finish that is meant to look like carbon fiber. Maybe there was some confusion about this.

 

^The Z has a carbon fiber and aluminum chassis. I think you are the confused one

 

No, you're the confused one. The Z has a plastic lid and depending on how your order it, you can CTO it with a lid with carbon fibers blended in it. It's purely for looks, the screen is still very flimsy so for anyone saying that it makes it more durable, it doesn't.

 

The chassis of the Z is carbon fiber and aluminium ( here sonystyle)
Did you touch a Z ? the chassis is clearly not plastic (something like magnesium-aluminium, don't know precisely)

 

No, I'm not confused. The chassis is aluminum, magnesium, and carbon fiber. It is NOT plastic.

 

Errr, which one? US or EU?

 

Well actually in my country there is roughly about 500$ difference between the top spec VAIO F and VAIO Z, so if the screen on the Z is as good as the F (if not better) I would be happy going for the Z.

But if the Z screen isn't quite as nice as the F, I am ready to settle with the F.

 

EU/Asia model or US ????????

And also since you have seen the Z and F in person (and perhaps used too), is the Z significantly faster than the F ?

 

I've only used the us models, but suspect similar results from eu models. The z feels ridiculously fast due to it's ssds. For day to day use, it's a huge difference.

 

the specs of the models i'm luking at:

Vaio F12
Core i7 740qm
640gb 5400 rpm hdd
8gb ram
Nvidia gt330m
Bluray multi drive
Full hd 100% adobe rgb vaio premium display
Approx 2700$

Vaio Z12
Intel core i7 620m
256gb quad ssd
8gb ram
Nvidia gt330 + intel graphics
Full HD adobe rgb 96% LED backlit premium display
Approx 3200$

 

I dont know what are wanting out of a laptop. If you go to school or travel plenty, need something light, portable with a hi-res screen, I definitely go with Z and you won't regret. I was in a limbo too between Z and F.

IF you want something that offers bigger screen, do not hesitate about extra weight and sort of looking for a mobile desktop on the go, look no further F is a great laptop.

You could purchase a nice SSD intel G2 for the F anyways, and yes SSD is a nice! upgrade from 7200rpm HD.

 

Well i need a pc that can replace my desktop and can handle multi tasking without any lag.
I wil be using the pc for business and little bit of gaming as well(GTA 4,crysis)
Also need to have a great screen for playing HD movies.
Portability is not a big issue for me, I can manage lugging around the F.

 

I was initially decided on the F but after reading a review of the model I was looking at, I am a bit dissapointed.
It offers not so great performance for the price(in India atleast,it costs 2700$ here)
Dell xps16 offers better performance for significantly less.
But i dont want to go for Dell as I'm a SONY fanboy (lol)
So I looked at the Z and found that it is one of the fastest notebooks in the market(equal to alienware m17x), for general use and application performance.
But I just want to know if the screen on the Z is as good.
If it is, Ill close my eyes and get the Z.
And unfortunately in India premium models are not available for demo
So I cannot see both the machines before buying

 

The Z screens are actually really really good, both the 1600 and the 1920. They're both very bright, have good black levels, good contrast, and are sharp. I don't know how they compare to the F. But the Z is definitely better than the typical laptop screen.

 

You need to read the F series owners thread to understand why the difference between F series EU and US premium 1080p screen matters. They are completely different panels with the EU one being matte type with fairly good viewing angles. The US one is gloss type. I haven't used the US one but the difference was the source of much confusion in the past. Alot of people were coming into the owner's thread saying that their screen was very bad and not at all like the one reviewed by notebookcheck. After a while people figured out that all the people that had a problem with the screen turned out to be from the US.

You can also put an SSD into an F series. It won't have Raid-0 read speeds since you can only get the 1x 2.5" drive but you do get to choose your SSD and they are getting plenty fast, plenty quick not to mention the ongoing price drop.

The Z and F are really not comparable though when you think about it. One is a desktop replacement, the other is a subnotebook and they are suitable for entirely different things. The F has an esata/p port meaning that you can use the expresscard slot for more USB/Firewire ports. It also runs much cooler with a quad core cpu than the Z does with a dual core cpu which gives you some idea of the engineering that has to go into cramming Z specs into a chasis thats smaller than a sheet of A4 paper.

 

I thing that if portability and battery life are not important to you, then get a bigger screen.
If you want a little gaming, then GT330M might not be the better option. HP envy 17 offers quad i7, FHD screen (I don't know about it's quality, you should look at it), and better graphic (up to ATI's 5850).

 

But isn't the Z performance vastly superior to the F's? I mean the F has a PC Mark Vantage score of around 5500 whereas the Z scores 12000+ (almost same as an Alienware M17x with SSD and significantly higher than M17x without SSD)

 

it is due to SSD which dramatically increase overall system speed.
Regarding CPU and GPU this computers are similar (for dual core).

Discrimination between F and Z series should be made from portability, battery life and size. (you can put a SSD into a F, which will no longer be so far away from Z's performance...)

And what I said about HP envy 17 is still right. For 16-17" class : quad core CPU, better GPU, FHD screen too (have to check quality), optional SSD for CTO.

 

Z has Arrandale (dual core) cpus
F has Arrandale & Clarksfield (quad core) cpus
both have nVidia 330M gpus
both have the same system memory options

Only other significant difference specs wise is that you can't RAID an F series whereas the Z has a custom RAID-0 array built into it. This is of course a non issue if you buy the hdd equipped 'econo-Z'. The ssd array is not that expensive considering its non standard design but the base price of a Z is much much higher than the base price of an F.

I don't know how PC Mark Vantage weights its results but it seems to place alot of emphasis on its hdd tests.

http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Sony-Vaio-VPCZ11X9E-B-Notebook.28704.0.html
http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Sony-Vaio-VPC-F12Z-Notebook.35963.0.html

Again these notebooks are different classes altogether but the 9k score the Z gets is comparible to other similarly specified notebooks with ssds (not necessarily RAIDed). The Dell Latitude for instance scores higher with a single 256gb Samsung SSD. Put a Crucial C300 256gb SSD into an F series and no doubt you will end up with a similar score.

Either way, synthetic benchmarks can be funny things and you shouldn't base your purchase around them. Especially when it comes to benching SSDs which can be incredibly misleading.

 

So nobody else has seen/used both these laptops?

 

I purchased the Vaio Z FHD with 256GB SSD but am returning it because the screen is too small and dim for my purposes. Honestly a 13.1" diagonal screen seems very small when the aspect ratio is 16:9. If you want to actually look at things on the screen, then I would definitely recommend the Vaio F with its 16.4" screen instead of the Vaio Z with its 13.1" screen.

 

Hey did u check out the F? And what region are you from? US?

 

Also is the Z really that much faster for daily use??? I'd appreciate your inputs on the Z

 

For daily use it's a huge difference. Obviously you could recreate that by putting an SSD in an F though.

Honestly once you've used a system with a good SSD for a while it's VERY difficult to go back to a spinning HDD machine.

 

I agree, the SSD is great. The OS boots sooo much faster and applications start so much quicker as well.

 

Yes I checked out the F but am probably going to get a portable workstation instead. Once I had the Z in hand I realized that I care much more about the size and quality of the screen than about the laptop's weight.

 

Okay so I tried to find info on SSDs, and it turns out that an F + 256gb SSD will cost me MORE than a Z
Will it be worth it????

 

^they are very different laptops. If you travel a lot and need the portability get the Z. If you mostly are plugged in and like a bigger screen get the F (with an ssd )

 

^^

I like a bigger screen but i like great performance too

So not able to choose between the two

 

An SSD in an F should be able to match or beat the Z's performance, remember you can order an F with a quad core i7.

Or, you could wait a few weeks and get an F13 with a newer, faster nvidia gpu as well...

 

How long? And can you tell me exactly which particular graphics card its gonna come with please?

 

Can't comment on europe but in US they will be showing up in stores over the next couple weeks and in ads, etc. on 9/26. I really shouldn't get specific on the part #, but it's a definite improvement over the 330m....but still not a super high-end part like a 460 or 5870.

 

It will still be GT330M for F13 (look here, CTO canada), and 256GB SSD F13 with i7 740QM, Blueray disc reader and 8GB RAM is $2700.

 

No. F13 will offer the 310 and 330 still in lower configs. Higher models get new video. I promise

 

Oh WOW

That sounds great

 

Thats the other problem with obsessing over what to buy. By the time you decide, its already obsolete or on the way out. I just pulled the trigger on an F12 and its already getting a refresh but thats the computer industry for ya.

 

Ok.

I've owned the vaio z with ssd and vaio f12.

SSd - it is fast in the sense that programs open quicker, but your not going to see that when playing games or movies.

The f is bigger and not so portable, so going back to a spindle isn't such an issue - 7200rpm hdd is fine for video editing.

Processor - the f has the biggest with the i7 840qm - this will make a difference in performance. The ssd may open tue program a bit quicker, but once open, you not going to miss it.

My f beats my z in crystal mark - the z was 130000, the f is 160000. The f loses out on the individual hdd to ssd score, but hammers the z on the processor and ram (I went from 4gb to 8 gb). There is so the improvement in graphics card.

As for screen - I preferred the matte style of the z to my new f - BUT it's smaller Great for portability, but the f is a nicer size for viewing IMO.

Disable the Sony display settings and reset the gamut and the f display shows it's hd credentials and reduces the "angle" issue. Heck, most pcs have glossy screens including apple, so not sure why this one is being singled out. I liked the matte, but I'm not losing sleep over having the glossy - and I'm pretty particular.

What I can say with confidence is that my f configuration is more powerful than the Z. Better for game power, and easier to view. Just not as portable or sexy in the materials it's made of - which is really what you are paying for in the z. And if you really want the z, I'd be getting a jap one with the premium glossy lid - Shane about the current exchange rate though.

 

I am getting the Premium glossy lid if I go for the Z That's the only option available in my country.
And do you think it is worth it to add a SSD to the F even though its gonna cost me more than buying a Z?

 

It depends on what SSD you get. Crucial C300 256gb is the benchmark buster at the moment if you are looking at a large SSD, otherwise go with the Sandforce drives (whichever gives you the longest warranty I guess).

I noticed that Vertex 2E 120gb have dropped precipitously in price over the past month (down from £279 google.co.uk shopping at the start of August to £204 at the end of August).

Intel is putting out their 3rd gen SSDs this quarter so expect the current generation of SSDs to drop in price soon. Or not depending on how fast the Intels turn out to be and at what price they hit the market. Indilinx has another controller in the works slated for 2011 I think. Right now the industry is quite volatile and the price you pay for early adoption is weighed in bugs, and the fact that you could have king of the hill today but bottom of the dung heap tommorow.

You can get low capacity, early generation SSDs as boot/application drives very cheaply now. Even the old Indilinx and Intel 2nd gen SSDs blow any mechanical drive out of the water and the prices are dropping all the time.

 

When I had a Vaio TZ I had SSD and HDD - the SSD made up for the low processor - it was something like 1.6ghz - and made the pc feel speedier than it actually was - ie, Programs opened considerably faster, BUT I couldnt play games or do much on video because the processor and ram (2gb) was the limiting factor.

Introduce a vastly higher processor - cue the i7 840QM Quad core, 8gb ram and 330m with 1 gb ram and ssd doesnt have nearly have the same speed feel impact, but also I can now play games like crysis.

I bought the SSD in my Z because, a) I wanted the best, and B) the Z is portable and less moving parts seemed the right way to go.

The F is less portable, so unlikely for me to use on the move - therefore my views changed - 7200rpm drives have a decent amount of memory cache in them for heavy video editing and games playing - the processor, ram and graphics cache take up the slack. My advice is if you go HDD do not go 5400rpm drive this will feel slower.

So when it boils down to it - windows has a pretty set boot up time - I dont see hardly any difference between this or any ssd pc Ive owned (which are several).

Programs will open quicker with ssd - but with the higher processor and ram, you are talking more photo finish than, go make a coffee and wait for the thing to load type comparision with a 7200rpm drive. SSD can chug occasionally too - so its only really write speeds that will be noticeably quicker when installing or moving data.

Going for a bigger processor and ram makes more sense to me, especially if you are limited on budget as 7200rpm is adequate and can always be upgraded - the processor is like open heart surgery!
Out of the box your pc will feel nippy, be able to play games at higher settings and do intensive video editing etc.

I have compromised in the past with smaller drive sizes to get SSD - 256gb, when I really needed 500gb and although 512gb is now available and the Z SSD is market leading, its dam expensive.

Interms of Z SSD vs F SSD - Z is quicker, but as the F has a bigger Quadcore available, it would be the all rounder for sure. The Z SSD speed comparison just wouldnt be there.


This aside, you really do need to think about how you will use your PC. If your flying around alot, then the Z is fast and flash.
But if like me you surf, mail, play games, video edit and watch the occasional movie - the F makes more sense. At 16.4 inches, its a good size -lots of screen estate with the high res and all readable. Design is very similar to the Z and whilst it isnt carbon fibre and alluminium, it is well built. Dont get me wrong, I loved my Z, but for me, mobility now comes in the shape of my iphone, so the F is better suited.

Dont get too hung up on SSD is the sentiment - and think about which PC Size suits you.

 

This could be a good solution - Hybrid SSD
Momentus XT | 7200 RPM | Seagate

You would have a bit of pep in program loading times with good storage size at a fraction of the cost.