Z1190 RAM upgrade question

My Z1190 CTO arrived today (model Z119GX). It was supposed to come with 4GB x 1 RAM, and it said 256GB x 1 for the HD

I liked the idea of this RAM configuration, so I could easily pop in another 4GB stick (for alot less than the $300 that Sony charges). I found this at Crucial ;

4 GB 204-pin SODIMM
* Module Size: 4GB
* Package: 204-pin SODIMM
* Feature: DDR3 PC3-8500)US $129.99
Computer memory upgrades for Sony VAIO VPCZ119GX Laptop/Notebook from Crucial.com

is this real easy to do? is there a guide on here? I searched but too many threads came up.

Also how can I tell if I have 1, 2 or 4 Hard drives? in my computer it only shows the one, but I suspect there is more than that, as how could it be RAID?

Thanks,

 

It's very easy, there's just 2 screws to remove and then slot it in and remove. by the way, the RAM is probably a samsung one, so check out this world:

M471B5273CH0-CH9 Samsung DDR3-1333 SODIMM 4GB Original Notebook Memory - DDR3 SODIMM 200 Pin - SuperBiiz.com

for $77 USD.

 

Go into the BIOS menu when powering up the laptop. On the first page you can check your actual RAM and drive configuration. If you enable the RAID utility to be displayed at boot, press Ctrl+I (I think) and you can configure your drive arrays.

 

Man you are good! two little screws, and there is the one RAM stick, I am happy to see that their description was correct, it came as a 4GB x 1, and tho the writing is too small to see, I can see that it is Samsung, so I will be buying as per your suggestion.

Also I went into an intel device program ...something or other, and it showed there were 2 122GB drives, so I guess I am good for now.

Thanks again!

Gary

 

You're welcome. If you've got the same RAM module as me, it should be the model: M471B5273 BH 1-CH9, which is slightly different than the chip i liked you above. I looked at samsung's specs sheets and they seem to have the same voltage and timings. Both are rated at a Cas Latency of 9, but the faster clock speeds, 1333 mhz vs the Z's max of 1066 mhz makes the CL 7. When you get it, can you update us on if it works?

For the Z11, at least in the USA, the 256 GB SSD is physically 1 chip, with 128 GB on each side which your laptop sees as 2 separate drives (and that's how they're placed in RAID0). Internationally in Europe, etc. The 256 is actually 2x128GB physically, and 4x64GB logically(to your computer)

 

I took these 2 photo's of the RAM stick I have, I hope this helps to tell which Samsung I should order? (came out pretty sharp for a macro from a Point and Shoot)
and in the first one you can see the empty bay.

Thanks

 

yep, that's the M471B5273 BH 1-CH9. I found the info at the bottom of this page:

DDR3 1333 Non-ECC SODIMM Validation Results 1DIMM/ch

i think if you remove the RAM, there's a label on the other side? mines actually came with a label that gave the M471... blah blah blah info.

 

Here's a possible deal, the RAM type looks right, right?

Buy.com - Kingston Apple 8GB Kit (2 X 4GB Modules) 1066MHz DDR3 SODimm iMac and Macbook Memory

 

I think i should work too. It is DDR3 1066 mhz, I don't think iMAC/MacBooks have proprietary RAM... i think it's just marketing BS. They're just using 204-pin RAM like the rest of the notebooks. I'm not sure about the timings on this one though. So it might not work with the preinstalled samsung RAM the OP has in his laptop.

 

It's Apple-certified, it must have some super-duper good stuff in it

I got it for myself Good deal I hope, perhaps there are others waiting for such deals...

 

Hey ggold, have you recieved and/or upgraded your lappy yet?

 

Yes I received it, but as I haven't had it a month yet, I did not order the RAM upgrade, but plan on from your link.

I want to make sure it works for the whole month with no problems, and that the prices dont drop too much.

I am pretty sure I will be keeping it, as it really seems great. Fast, light, and I think the screen is the best I have used. Love the non-gloss and am very happy with the 1600 x 900.

I will post when I buy and install the RAM. I have not really pushed this lappy much at all. As this is Halloween weekend, I will be taking photo's and then use it to edit.

Thanks.

 

haha okay then . smart, black friday/cyber monday's coming up in a month... pray for <$50 upgrade

 

yes, and today I noticed that on the outlet , they have the exact same config as mine for $200 < not sure what to do.

 

just so you all know...you can get 8GB DDR3 RAM at newegg for ~$130-$150, essentially the same price as 6GB CTO. dont waste money on the CTO option

 

since this is a Ram info, i just receaved my Z1390 and i want to upgrade the Ram to 8gb, dont really knew what is better !
i found 4 major brand in the acceptable price range : G.SKILL , Corsair, Kinkston, and probably Crusial for about 70$ for 1 Ram of 4GB

DDR3 1066 (PC3 8500) 7-7-7-20
DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) 9-9-9-24
DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) 9-9-9-24

G.SKILL 4GB 204-Pin DDR3 SO-DIMM DDR3 1066 (PC3 8500) Laptop Memory
G.SKILL 4GB 204-Pin DDR3 SO-DIMM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Laptop Memory
G.SKILL 4GB 204-Pin DDR3 SO-DIMM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Laptop Memory

is it better to get 8GB =2x4GB or can i get each 4GB alone ?
what wood be the fastest?

 

Getting the individual 4gb sticks or the 8gb kit (2x4gb) makes no difference. The important thing is to look at the latencies, ie 7-7-7-20. The general rule is that the lower the latency, the better/faster.

Keep in mind that the higher end ddr3s (ddr1333), though might have higher latency numbers, will be lower when clocked at the Vaio Z frequencies. I onced had a ddr3 1333 8gb kit from OCZ it was rated 9-9-9-24 but when in the vaio Z, it showed up as 8-8-8-20.

If I were you, and don't plan on using the ram for any other laptops down the line, stick with the DDR3 1066 and the lowest latencies possible..

 

I wanted to knew What Ram are in my Z1390 and I found these ones
MT16JSF25664HZ-1G1
they are Micron I think they do ram for crucial too

for the price of 137$ from newegg.ca (since I'm in CANADA) I think that I'll go with the G.SKILL 8GB=(2x4GB) 204-Pin DDR3 SO-DIMM DDR3 1066 (PC3 8500) Laptop Memory.

if you have better proposition go-ahead, seems the corsair are good deal too for 74$ each 4GB and there is a kingston option For 70$ on Ncix

NCIX.com - Buy Kingston 4GB 1333MHZ DDR3 NON-ECC CL9 SODIMM Memory Module - KVR1333D3S9/4G In Canada.

I really don't knew what could be the best reliable for use with my Z1390 since i use it more than 10H a day.!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I think RAM modules have a lifetime warranty?

 

yes G.SKILL, Corsair and the Kingston have all 3 a lifetime warranty, but in term of performance and compatibility what should i get ? a lot of peaple has Ram failur after 3 monthes they had to RMA them (wait time, paper work, ....) i'm trying to get the most reliable and probably those having better Support services in case

 

Well the Kingston are 1333 mhz CL9 which when used under 1066 MHZ will probably be CL7. If the G. skill are CL7, then you should get the same performance.

CL: Cas Latency. As for reliability, i'm not sure. Sorry! Maybe read a few reviews on newegg?

 

Newegg has announced Black Friday / Cyber Monday for all days of November, which is the marketing way of saying that they won't have a Cyber Monday this year.
(Newegg now having become a publicly traded company means short term profitability focus and less freedom to do stunts where you lose money in order to gain long term customers).

My advice is to compare products and prices. Sites like good ole pricewatch.com is more valuable than blindly believing that whatever is on Newegg's "Daily Deals" is actually a good buy.

 

About newegg, this Newegg.com - Patriot Signature 4GB 204-Pin DDR3 SO-DIMM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Laptop Memory Model PSD34G13332S just got posted on slickdeals, it's a 1x4GB DDR3 204-pin 1333 mhz stick of ram by Patriot for $55 after a mail-in-rebate with free shipping... and TAX for us Californians... *sigh*

 

We have the same discount in canada but No free shipping Newegg.ca - Patriot Signature 4GB 204-Pin DDR3 SO-DIMM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Laptop Memory Model PSD34G13332S
the problem is we only get one discount of 25$ eaven if we buy 2 of thees
1 dicount only for one adress they should make a 50$ discount on a pair of 2x4gb

 

Buy.com - Kingston Apple 8GB Kit (2 X 4GB Modules) 1066MHz DDR3 SODimm iMac and Macbook Memory

this should work in the Z too... I dont think "MAC" RAM is any different from any regular DDR3 sodimm 204-pin RAM... But i'm not sure Buy.com ships to Canada...

 

I have those in my Z now Though when I bought them they were $149 :*(

 

just bought 1x4gb 1333mhz here. is it work on z12 or can it work with 1066mhz stick ?
thanks.

 

they don't ship to canada
the canadian website selling them at 153$
http://ca.buy.com/PR/Product.aspx?sku=210663054

 

Well that's good to know that they work, what's the cas latency on them Tofu?

 

I think it's... 7?

 

I think it'll lower its frequency to match the highest the machine can support, which is 1066.

What I'm not sure about is how well matched the two sticks should be for optimal performance. My impression from some time back is that matching the sticks is needed for the dual channel RAM architecture to work: Dual-channel architecture - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. It seems to suggest that at least the latencies should be similar. I'm not sure what happens with the latest generations, whether the benefit is reduced with non-matching RAM. You can run the experiments

 

Yeah i remember that for DDR2, it was advised to use the same sticks of ram, however with DDR3, i think it's fine to use two sticks with the same latencies, don't quote me on that, I would however consider getting two of the same sticks anyways, you never know if the subtle differences between the manufacturing processes might just not work out for ya

 

Still waiting for a really good deal for reliable 8 GB for my z1390 in Canada somting under 120$
i had an offer for the Micron (same those in my notbook) at 149$ US !!!
8GB KIT ( 2X2GB) SODIMM MICRON DDR3 PC3-8500 1066Mhz Laptop Memory (MICRONSOD8G8500KIT) MICRON the seller clame this
'These are tested on the Acer/Toshiba/Sony and Macs
We can make this memory at 149$ USD including free shipping! So even
cheaper than the Kingston and better memory'

 

I'm late, but this was on slickdeals yesterday:

Mushkin 8GB (2 x 4GB) 204-Pin DDR3 SO-DIMM DDR3 1066 PC3 8500 $109.99AR Newegg - SlickDeals.net Forums

edit:

I think this is a sign of DROPPING DDR3 prices... Oh be $90 for 2x4GB sticks by the time black friday comes around! ($90 was the price i was looking at if i wanted to upgrade 2 months ago!)

 

i really hope that the price will drop in canada too

 

So even if you purchase 1333 rated RAM, the Z will only support 1066? There are no RAM settings in the advanced BIOS?

 

There's the option when the advanced options are unlocked. I don't think I've seen anyone try it, since it seems possible the machine will brick itself if it doesn't work out.

 

Hah, I certainly do have a nice collection of expensive bricks. I think you can always clear your CMOS settings and get back to defaults.

 

I tried that and there's no danger to it. No benefits either.
I had no increase in WEI and SuperPI ran a couple of seconds slower at 1333 then the default 1066. My memory is at 1066, so the 1333 setting didn't work as an overclocking. Maybe someone with 1333 memory can try and post the results.

 

What were your timings out of curiousity? And with what RAM?

EDIT: Nevermind, you tried OC'ing stock RAM I see. I need to read more..

 

Thanks, as a token of my appreciation here's a chocolate chip cookie for you:

 

Thanks Turkey. It was delicious.
I have a question for you. How did you get the Gooble Goobledegook
title? You seem to be the only one around.

 

You are welcome

When one says way too much nonsense, then one gets blessed with the 'Goobledegook' title. It's actually quite an honor...

I'm kidding, when my posts exceed a number (650??), and the computer-assigned title goes from Enthusiast (I think) to Deity, I get the option to set my own title. The color of the username also turns dark blue, which is pretty cool since it makes me feel special

 

I just received my RAM stick from Super Biiz as per your suggestion. I am going to pop it in tonite.. but first... do I have to do anything in the Bios? or do I just physically install it and nothing else...

Thanks for you help..

G

 

Touch something metal before you touch the RAM (to dissipate all static electricty) and then just unscrew the hatch, and plug in, then power up. Windows should recognize it without any prior notification/tweaking

 

thanks, I also do the "remove battery and hold power button for a few seconds" protocol as it is supposed to drain any power in the circuits and or magnetic charge.
popped the RAM stick in, rebooted, and there it is. just like you said, recognized. I will re-run the windows experience thingy just to see if it boosted anything. I just opened Lightroom 3.2 and it seems the same, no noticeable improvement when adjusting a RAW converted to DNG file, ,but I am sure the extra RAM will help when I have lots of stuff open.

 

your WEI score should go from 5.9 -> ~6.4 give/take .2

Yeah that's probably just testing your CPU/GPU as opposed to your RAM.

 

Ok I think I found something, Corsair CM3X4GSD1066 4GB 1X4GB PC3-8500 DDR3-1066 Memory, seems they are 7.7.7.20 according to corsair. I’m getting 2 of them at 59$ each at NCIX.COM http://ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=36698&vpn=CM3X4GSD1066&manufacture=Corsair&promoid=1260
I really hope they will work as good as my 2x2GB Micron in my z1390. What do you think are they good memory? Reliable and fast?

I checked around and I found that Micron Brand are very very good memory, and that Micron are the company that build crucial since they are a sub product of Micron!!! It seems that the offer that made me the commercial of memorydepot for the Micron 8GB at $149 was really very good offer
http://www.memorydepot.com/details.asp?id=MICRONSOD8G8500KIT (the 1x4gb of Micron retails for $100 lowest price) . I hope the corsair will work fine if not the micron offer will be the one since they are certified vaio z and macbook pro

 

How do you find the latency? is there some test I can run to see if it the new stick runs the same as the one that came with my Z?

 

Try CPU-Z, like what I did here:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/sony/526927-z1190-ram-upgrade-question-3.html#post6858407