ordered CTO Z2

wait on the new Z

very nice

with i5-2540
128g ssd (mean to change them into 2 X18 Intel 160g X 2)
8g memory (too bad cannot use my Crucial or corsair or gskills)

about 2K2 shipped since I used education discount plus $1500 gift card I accumulated for SONY Z2

 

besides, I want to ask whether it is possible to install 2 Intel G2 X18 into the new Z2?

Thanks for any input.

 

^ most probably not
Congrats on your purchase!

 

thanks, hope I can still swap them like the Z13

if not then my X18s are screwed up...

 

How do you mean that? I have the impression that there are pretty much no hardware changes you can make on the Z2. Were you ever successful getting those X-18s into your Z11? You seemed to fall off the map right in the middle of describing your project. I hope you keep your Z11 until you've had time to live with the Z2; I have a feeling someone as inventive as you is going to find the Z2 frustratingly closed and limited - and don't forget the sore wrists from those short stroke keys .

Seriously, congrats on the purchase and look forward to your review.

 

thanks!
I did succeed in swapping the original drives with 2 X18s in a Z13, but that system was defective so I sent back to SONY. 2X X18s raid actually achieved 7.9 in WEI which is impressive.

I dismantled both X18 so if I cannot get them into the Z2 they are pretty much useless

 

You wont get them into a Z2 since we already saw the internals and there is not enough space to pack in both and no two mSATA connectors. Its just one double-sided SSD board (like as we know them from the Z1) with a ZIF connector. Sorry for those bad news but I posted that two weeks ago in the http://forum.notebookreview.com/son...-speculation-news-thread-288.html#post7648624.

 

For anyone in Boston, I have a Sony Style gift card for $2500 and a house in NH to ship stuff to.

I'd like to sell it in person to someone in Boston and save them some money on sales tax. Please PM

 

thanks for the info!

So I guess I can swap the 2 128gs on my Z11 into the Z21 then ?

 

Im not sure if that would work (are the connectors the same - thats what we need to find out). It will only fit inside if you have a double-sided SSD (Dual 128GB and not Quad 64GB - check in RST console).

Good luck and post after you cracked the Z2 open.

 

hi what do you mean by double sided?

I think if it is ZIF then it should be the same, 2 128g ssds in Z11

 

As in my Vaio has a 3x64GB SSD array but there isnt room for 3 SSDs so, physically I have 2, but one of the PCB has 64GB of NAND flash on one side and another 64GB on the other (and they aren't connected logically).

Kinda like the 512GB which is a 4x128GB logically, but 2x256GB physically (well this should be a 2x256GB physically and logically in the new Z2, but we already know Sony has that capability due to the Z14 which was a 1TB = 4x256GB logically and a 2x512GB physcally)

 

It's a single PCB, with two controllers and two groups of memory chips, one set each on either side of the board:

Source: ITmedia

As you can see from the pictures, there is only one connector. The fact that here in Japan, Sony will be selling retail models with 2nd gen SSDs, it seems quite likely that you can reuse your SSD from your previous Z in the new one.

But remember, the last Z used two of these SSD devices to achieve "quad SSD". The new Z only has room for one of them, thus if you are even able to put the old SSD in the new Z, you will only have half of the storage capacity as your previous Z.

Source: C-TEC3

Moreover, the old SSDs use an older 2nd gen controller (which I believe is only 3Gbps), while the newer 3rd gen SSDs use a faster 6Gbps controller. So you won't get much extra performance out of reusing your old SSD, either.

 

well Sony actually has the option for a 3rd Gen SSD in the UK and rumors are flying about in the US that retail will have Gen 2 SSDs (because i guess if you walk into best buy to buy a Z you really dont care the difference) and the CTO will have 3rd Gen SSDs. So i don't think the OP would want to replace his Sony SSDs anyways

 

thanks for the info
it is weird that SONY is using the Z11 technology back - instead of Z12 and Z13 (mini sata). Just checked the connector should be the same as the ZIF of Z11

 

I actually want to swap my own SSDs - the fact that it is impossible makes me very sad

I own 3 512g M4s and 2 256G Crucial 2nd gens, but all are too large whatsoever,
So I am resorting to my older X18 160gs, I am pretty sure they could outperform the SONY originals as I tested on my Z11.

 

well... you tested with Gen 2 SSDs (with Samsung controllers) on the Z11.

rumor is that CTO Z2 in the USA is Gen 3 SSD, which could perform better than your X18's, but we'll have to wait for benchmarks. In any case, i am absolutely JEALOUS of your arsenal of SSDs... care to share?

 

For some reference, here are some early CrystalDiskMark numbers (1000MB test):

VAIO Z 2011, 3rd gen SSD 256GB:
Seq Read: 1070MB/s
Seq Write: 415MB/s
Ran Read 512k: 454MB/s
Ran Write 512k: 208MB/s

VAIO Z 2011, 2nd gen SSD 128GB:
Seq Read: 497MB/s
Seq Write: 315MB/s
Ran Read 512k: 288MB/s
Ran Write 512k: 81MB/s

Source: Power Media Dock?????VAIO Z???????????????????

 

hah

if you are in Philly area, I definitely can offer you some at 50% - 60% market price.

Have a good friend in the SSD business, got great deals off him.

 

is that over rated?

1K mb/s??????????????

 

Awesome numbers but unbelieveable for me, a single Vertex 3 shows off already impressive 550mb/s, this would be double. As I don't trust CrystalDiskMark numbers anyways since they are fluctuating around (you can also find 700+ MB/s benches in the Z1 SSD thread), I just wait for real user benches.

Whish to know what SSD mfr they pack in a Z2 tho.

EDIT: Hard to tell, but from the shots it looks like these SSD chips are samsungs. Hard to believe they manufacture 500+ MB/s chips for sony's proprietary implementation while not offering own 500+ MB/s SSDs.

 

Is it even possible to replace the SSd that comes with Z2 with an HDD?

If I decide I prefer more storage over the speed can I change it?

 

^ I don't think it's possible

 

Don't think so, considering the Z2 only comes with SSD models and none of them has a built in optical drive, you won't even be able to the Optical Bay mod.

Best choice is to get what you think you will need when you make the purchase, not upgrade it later.

 

For perhaps not a very good reason ('cept, it was there, i was paranoid about having too little RAM in my 128 and it seemd way cool), I just purchased a 384GB Z11. Feeling less than clever, now that I have it, could someone smarter, who, maybe, thinks before they hit "Buy It Now," just what is the physical/logical arrangement of an, orig. from fact, 384GB (I bold it to remind myself how stupid I am, not at all to brag ) Z11?? How fast should the Crystal Light, er, DM's on it be?

 

128 + 256...?

If they exist:

high density nand with only 60% of channels filled (not likely)
or
dual 192? I dunno.

 

It is a 3x128 (1x128 on one board and 2x128 on the other board).