Z1 (VPCZ1)

Non-Premium VPCZ1

Overview

The Sony VAIO Z series was Sony's top-of-the-line laptop range that was originally introduced in 2003. The VPCZ1 was released in 2010, and is the third main refresh of the Z series.

They were built very well, with carbon fiber, aluminium and plastic, and had the iconic cylinder power button design unique to VAIOs. Two different lid styles were offered. The lid on the higher-end (Premium) models have more of a carbon fiber look than the lower-end VPCZ1s (similar to glossy VAIO SVZ models, without being glossy). We do not know if the lower-end models have a carbon fiber lid, but we are sure the Premium ones do. Two color options were offered, black/gray, and silver, silver being slightly rarer today.

Premium VPCZ1

The VPCZ1s were one of the first VAIO laptops to feature 1st Gen Intel Core CPUs, which was a significant upgrade over Core 2 Duo CPUs. Its predecessor, the VGN-Z, had an NVIDIA GeForce 9300M GS GPU, and people wanted better. That's why Sony included an NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M which is a big upgrade, however it is still a mid-range card (see Daily Usage Today section for more informations). They offered lightning fast Quad-SSDs running in RAID, or a standard SATA HDD for lower-end models, which took the space of the optical drive.

One of the VPCZ1's selling points was the Dynamic Hybrid Graphics System (DHGS), which allowed you to switch from the Intel GMA, to the dedicated GPU, without needing to restart the computer. There was also an automatic system which would select the best GPU depending on your current needs.

Custom JP VPCZ1

The screens on the 1080p VPCZ1 models are excellent. They look stunning and very sharp, and have an excellent color space. The keyboard is also excellent, it has a very good feel to it, and typing on it for hours on end is a pleasing experience. They also included a webcam and an ambient light sensor for automatic brightness adjustments. Speakers are good enough for watching videos or playing games, however headphones are recommended for applications that require a high-quality sound. Battery life was good enough, with around 4h 17min of Wi-Fi surfing in Stamina mode (as tested by NotebookCheck).

A sore spot for the VPCZ1 are the speakers. They are woefully underdeveloped for what was Sony's compact flagship. The problem, however, can be easily solved with headphones, both wired and wireless

Detailed Specs

Processor: Intel Core i5-520M or i7-620M (soldered); Other markets also offers Core i5-540M and i7-640M

Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M (1GB VRAM) and Intel GMA HD Graphics

Memory: DDR3-1333 (max 8GB), 2 slots

Storage: 4x 1.8" LIF SSDs (one module is 2 SSDs, 2 modules installed), or 2.5" SATA for HDD models (uses DVD drive space, no 2.5" SATA on SSD models)

Display: 1600x900 or 1920x1080 13.1" LED backlit LCD panel

Weight: around 1.4 kg

Daily Usage Today

The VPCZ1 series of laptops are still very usable today. Office tasks, web browsing, and even light gaming is very doable on these machines. Watching videos, especially on the models with the 1080p display, is a wonderful experience, if you don't mind the terrible speakers. The GPU is a bit downclocked, but it still can play some light or older games.

The VPCZ1 is a great laptop to buy used today to get into the VAIO madness, or simply to have a good, powerful enough device with a stunning design you can carry with you every day. These devices are worth quite a lot now, you can expect to pay around +350€ for a Premium model, but sometimes, cheaper ones pop up.

Resources

This section is in WIP.

Downloads

Sony VAIO VPCZ1 Recovery Discs

You can bypass the model checks of these discs by using SVRP.

Credits

NotebookCheck, and Sony