Virtualization option on 2011 Sony SA series

Hello Everyone,

This is my first post!

I am planning on buying the Sony SA and I mainly have two concerns.
Please assist me.

1. Virtualization: I know that Sony disabled the hardware virtualization (Intel VT technology) on the VAIO laptops in 2009. There was a huge uproar against it. Then they came back saying the option would be available on "select" models.
Did Sony now make it available in the BIOS (or) is still locked down on the SA model?

I've read a couple of articles over the internet suggesting the microsoft has released a KB update that allows users to bypass this problem specifically for Virtual XP mode on Windows 7 professional and higher versions.
Secondly, there was also a thread suggesting the even if the option is disabled in the BIOS, user must be able to install tools like Virtual Box and still be able to run a Windows XP VM on this laptop.
Can someone please clarify?

2. I don't intend to game a lot. I will mainly be using this for my office tasks, which would probably require me to install some VMs and use our company's proprietary simulation software. The tool is not graphics intensive, but pretty CPU intensive.
So, I am wondering if this laptop (planning on i7 with 8GB ram) will cope up fine for my tasks in terms of heat and noise.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

1. Sony may have disabled it in the past, but not anymore. There is a cleanly marked BIOS option to turn it on or off and it works perfectly. I've been running a few VMs with full hardware support.

2. The i7 and 8GB ram should make it a very powerful laptop. Although you may benefit further from a SSD as the main bottleneck in performance would be the hard drive.

The SA manages with heat quite well and it seems to cope with everything I can throw at it.

To save yourself some money, and to get better parts try and resist purchasing a SSD or 8GB ram through Sony. They mark it up way too far to be reasonable.

The switch from a HD to SSD is very easy, and adding a stick of 4GB ram is also very easy.


Hope that answers your questions!

 

Hi and welcome!

1. It's disabled out of the box, but there IS an option in the BIOS to enable it. So, you do NOT need to go through the contortions I and others had to do on previous models. Don't worry here.

2. I really can't answer this - have had it a week, and doing a clean install today. Fan is whining just a bit with an i5 - but I'm on the back porch and it's 100 degrees F here! (My SUV's engine fan also whined about the heat earlier today! ) I 'think' you'd be OK with this in a 70-ish degree F environment with the back elevated half-an-inch, but I really don't know.

Best to you!

 

No it is there. I enabled it in BIOS first day I received my SA. BTW it was on my F11 too and I purchased it in January 2010.

WIth couple VMs started, your SA will be your new winter heater

 

Thank you so much everyone for the clarification!

@lazybee: Yeah, that is exactly what I am planning on. I will buy the SSD and RAM later. Definitely not from Sony...they are way too overpriced!!!.

As mentioned by you guyz, I think I just have to be prepared to deal with the heat factor given the size of the laptop...Looks like its inevitable!
never mind as long as its not worse than my current old heavy DELL Inspiron E1505.

 

If you need more storage space, and you have little use for the optical drive you can swap it out for a caddy that will accept a hard drive. I put together a quick guide on doing so HERE.

It does tend to keep the laptop somewhat cooler as well. the caddy is a decent heat sink and lowered my temps by 2 C or so.