Vgn-ns240e/w

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9155601&type=product&id=1218038553190

GF Just picked it up. No idea that it had a Radeon 3430 until I checked Bestbuy's website and confirmed at Sony's website.

Can't wait till she gets back to Japan so I can test it out

 

congrats on the purchase

 

AFAIK, this is one of the only notebooks out there with the Radeon 3430, and I have been unable to find any benchmarks or reviews.

 

Well despite bestbuy's website as well as sony's website saying it has a 3430, I can find no evidence to support that. I checked the BIOS, hardware drivers, etc. It's either a phantom 3430 or it's just not there.

 

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chat id : a25a4b42-31e4-4935-8d1e-e3494b5bffe2
Problem : The ATI Radeon 3430 Graphics card isn't showing up, and does not appear anywhere.
Angela_ > Hi Jessica. Welcome to Sony Online Support. I'm Angela. Please allow me a moment to review your concern.
Jessica Kumar > Thank you
Angela_ > Thanks for waiting, Jessica . I'm sorry for the inconvenience you're experiencing as the ATI Radeon 3430 Graphics card is missing. I'll be glad to assist you with this.
Angela_ > You're Welcome.
Jessica Kumar > So, the integrated
Jessica Kumar > Intel 4500 graphics are working
Jessica Kumar > But there's no sign of the discrete 3430 radeon which your site and bestbuy's site both list on this model. That's part of the reason I purchased this model.
Angela_ > How long have you been experiencing this issue?
Jessica Kumar > since I purchased the computer
Angela_ > As per the information available online the Computer is shipped with the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3430 with the Computer.
Jessica Kumar > Supposedly..
Angela_ > Are you able to view the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3430 in Device Manager?
Jessica Kumar > no, only the intel graphics accelerator, which I believe it is also supposed to have.
Angela_ > Please stay online while I check this information for you.
Jessica Kumar > Thanks
Angela_ > I'm still checking for the information. Please be online for a moment.
Jessica Kumar > Ok
Angela_ > Thank you for waiting, Jessica.
Angela_ > According to the information available online the ATI Radeon 3430 Graphics card is integrated with Intel GM45 Express Chipset.
Jessica Kumar > ok, does that mean that I cannot use the catalyst control software?
Angela_ > Yes, Jessica. Please make sure that the Software you're using should match the specification of the Computer.
Jessica Kumar > Do you have a link to that information? I believe it would be good to know where I could find that if anyone asks me about this in the future. I know other people who have also purchased the laptop.
Angela_ > You can get all the available information of the Computer from the Marketing Specification that is shipped with the Computer.
Jessica Kumar > Okay. Thank you.
Angela_ > Is there anything else I may assist you with today?
Angela_ > You're Welcome.
Jessica Kumar > Have a great day.
Angela_ > Pleasure is mine.
Angela_ > Good-bye and thank you for contacting Sony Online Support.
Angela_ > Analyst has closed chat and left the room

 

http://www.docs.sony.com/release/SPECS/VGNNS240EW_mksp.pdf

Somehow I still feel robbed. Perhaps a driver update will give the laptop credit for it's ATI chip in the future.

 

Well, I installed Steam and TF2 on it last night. It recommended leaving all of the settings at medium/high, but being an FPS whore, I turned it all down to get better gameplay.

Runs smooth at the regular resolution 1280 x 800 ws, high texture and graphics / low shaders / no aa. Holds 30-40 fps steady.

ATI CCC will not recognize the 4500 as an ATI chip, which makes sense because Intel decided to hide it. I hope with a driver update the ATI chip will be visible, as I prefer using ATI CCC to tweak the performance of the card.

Overall, two thumbs up for this laptop for mild gaming.

Lack of HDMI / eSata are major minuses for me, but it's not my laptop so whatever, it was only $700.

 

Have you tried installling updated drivers for the 3430? There should be plenty of places to find modded ones aswell.
Can you see it in:
Control panel > Hardware & sound > device manager and under the display adapter tab?

 

Yeah. It's all explained above. Sorry if there's tmi.

Basically I believe the Radeon chip is integrated into the Intel chipset. So the intel driver actually controls it. I tried CCC but it doesn't work. The laptop performs fine in TF2 though, so I'm not concerned. Plus it's my GF's laptop so w/e she never plays much beyond Bloons Tower Defense 3.. not exactly demanding.

 

There's no intel driver for ATI gpu's. The gpu is soldered onto the mobo which is what the rep must have been refering to as it being integrated with the intel gm45 express chipset... I could be wrong but i wouldn't like to say so

Download GPU-Z and see what it says.

 

Would GPU-Z say anything different than device manager? If GPU-Z could detect my video card why couldn't ATI CCC? Also when I started steam it said "Unrecognized video hardware, please transmit to steam", however the game run smooth with relatively medium to high settings.

I'll try it when I get home.

 

There's two options in GPU-Z and both say Intel GM45

 

Their both the 4500mhd. I'd get onto sony support again and see what they say then possibly see about sending the thing back.

 

SiSoft Sandra says one of the two has DDR3...

 

... Try running "dxdiag". See what it says on the display page.

 

Still just intel.

I am wondering if this could be a hybrid graphics notebook, and that I need to use some key combo at boot up in order to enable the ATI? .. Like the Speed/Stamina buttons. I don't see those buttons on this laptop though.

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=295892

Some are saying it switches automatically, so say you have to do it yourself

 

Interesting. I'm not entirely familiar with all this, but since I just bought the same model, you can imagine my interest in the topic.

So basically, there is a way to switch over to the ATI graphics card? I read the other forum post, but I have to admit that I'm still a bit confused.

Can anybody enlighten me? Thanks.

 

Me too Maybe start a thread in the gaming section; you'll get alot more attention than at the back of this thread.

 

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chat id : 0e378ba0-b5b6-4805-8c9a-b0d88c01a279
Problem : ATI Radeon 3430 Not working

Jessica> Sony Vaio v

Randy_ > Hi Jessica. Welcome to Sony Online Support. I’m Randy. Please allow me a moment to review your concern.

Jessica> Okay thanks

Randy_ > Thank you for waiting, Jessica. I'm sorry for the inconvenience you are experiencing as the Video card of the Computer is not working normally. I'll be glad to assist you with this.

Randy_ > Could you please explain your concern in detail so that I can assist you better? Thank you.


Jessica> Okay I have a Sony Vaio VGN ns240e, which was supposed to include an ATI Radeon 3430.

Jessica> There is no sign of that gpu in device manager or anywhere else.

Jessica> I've run GPU-Z and dxdiag

Randy_ > Jessica, your Computer is supplied with the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3430 Video Card.

Jessica> Yeah supposedly

Randy_ > Could you please explain your concern in detail so that I can assist you better? Thank you.


Jessica> Okay.. my concern is that either the card is not working or it's not there at all.

Randy_ > Are you getting any error messages?

Jessica> No

Randy_ > Could you please confirm if you have ever changed the preinstalled Operating System? Thank you.

Jessica> Nope

Jessica> it's as it came from the brand new sealed box from bestbuy just about 2 weeks ago

Jessica> and it was not configured by geeksquad

Randy_ > Is the Display working normally?

Jessica> It's working normally for an Intel GMA 4500

Jessica> But not for a Radeon 3430.

Jessica> Which should show up in Device manager, GPU-Z, or dxdiag.

Jessica> The only driver available from Sony's site is the one it came with.

Randy_ > Yes, that's correct.

Jessica> Is there a Sony approved driver which includes support for the Radeon 3430?

Jessica> Perhaps for another laptop with the same platform/motherboard/northbridge, etc..

Randy_ > Jessica, all the Sony Computers are supplied with model specific hardware configuration.

Jessica> Of course

Jessica> So...

Jessica> Is there any way to get this computer working or is it defective or missing the ATI part?

Randy_ > Jessica, as per the information available online your Computer is supplied with the Intel GM 45 chipset.

Jessica> Yeah, and an Ati Radeon 3430

Jessica> That's right on your site.

Randy_ > The ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3430 Video Card is integrated on the Motherboard of the Computer.

Jessica> That may be but it would still require a driver.

Randy_ > Hence the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3430 Video Card is not listed in the Device Manager.

Jessica> Is it switchable?

Jessica> or is it supposed to be Automatic

Randy_ > It is automatic, the Video card cannot be switched.

Jessica> That's not what I meant

Jessica> Let me explain how it works..

Jessica> The Intel GM 45 Chipset + ATI Radeon 3430 Graphics is actually two GPU's

Jessica> The Intel GM45 Chipset itself utilizes its own 4500MHD or 4500HD GPU

Jessica> it can also switch, either manually or automatically depending on the sony model

Jessica> to a different video card

Jessica> this would be in this case an ATI Radeon 3430

Jessica> The reason that Sony/Intel/AMD did this is to save power when the computer does not require the higher performance and higher wattage ATI GPU

Jessica> That is the reason I purchased this laptop.

Jessica> However the Radeon 3430 is either not present or not working.

Jessica> or it needs to be manually switched and there were no instructions on how to do so in the manual which was provided.

Randy_ > Thanks for taking time to provide all these detailed information.

Randy_ > Jessica, as we have exhausted all possible avenues to resolve this issue right now, the best option at this stage would be to contact our next level of support team. I am sure they will resolve your issue quickly and efficiently.

Jessica> Okay

Jessica> How do we do that.

Jessica> ?

Randy_ > It was a pleasure to walk you through the troubleshooting steps and direct you to the appropriate resource center.

Jessica> Sure thanks

Randy_ > I suggest that you contact our Telephone Support team at 1-888-476-6972 to get further information on this issue.

Randy_ > They're our next level of support.

Randy_ > They're available 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.

Jessica> Thanks.

Randy_ > I suggest you to contact our Telephone Support Team as the unit requires some extensive care for the issue.

 

I find this all very interesting. This is the exact model I plan to order from Best Buy only in pink. It is currently on backorder but will order as soon as it is available. Thanks for sharing all of this info.

 

Thanks no problem. It's a great laptop but I'm very annoyed about the GPU not working. Of course in the long run any actions taken will have to run past my girlfriend because it's her laptop. And she doesn't care about the GPU as long as it works..

 

Wow - I thought this thread was dead. Thank goodness it's not. Would this be false advertising? Because I've noticed that Best Buy has removed the ATI remark from their website. =(. Hoy, thanks for keeping us all updated.

 

its funny because on sonystyle.ca they still have the ATI gpu in the specs.

http://www.sonystyle.ca/commerce/servlet/ProductDetailDisplay?storeId=10001&langId=-1&catalogId=10001&productId=1006015&navigationPath=32009n100299n100525

 

You're right. How weird.

 

hey Hoy, did you try to test the gpu in 3dmark tests? Do it and see the results it gives you.

This way you will know if it only has the intel 4500. if you have a higher score it will mean the gpu is switching automatically.

i don't know why they would put ati in the specs unless the guy from sony writing the specs made a mistake lol