Z1 (VPCZ1): Difference between revisions
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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. | 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. | ||
These machines were built very well, with carbon fiber, aluminum and plastic, and had the iconic cylinder power button design unique to VAIOs. Two color options were offered, black/gray, and silver, silver being slightly rarer today. Two different lid styles were also offered. The lid on higher-end (Premium) models have more of a carbon fiber look than lower-end ones (similar to glossy [[Z (SVZ)|SVZ]] models, without being glossy). | |||
[[File:VAIO VPCZ1 Premium.jpg|thumb|Premium VPCZ1]] | |||
The VPCZ1 was one of the first VAIO laptops to feature 1st Gen Intel Core CPUs, which was a significant upgrade over Core 2 Duo CPUs. It also received a GPU upgrade, as its predecessor, the VGN-Z, had an NVIDIA GeForce 9300M GS GPU, | The VPCZ1 was one of the first VAIO laptops to feature 1st Gen Intel Core CPUs, which was a significant upgrade over Core 2 Duo CPUs. It also received a GPU upgrade, as its predecessor, the [[VGN-Z]], had an NVIDIA GeForce 9300M GS GPU, which was highly criticized for its mediocre performance. With the VPCZ1, Sony included an NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M, which is a big upgrade, but remains a mid-range card (see Daily Usage Today section for more information). For storage, 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 | One of the VPCZ1's selling points was the Dynamic Hybrid Graphics System (DHGS), which allowed switching 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. | ||
[[File:VPCZ1 JP.jpg|thumb|Custom JP VPCZ1]] | [[File:VPCZ1 JP.jpg|thumb|Custom JP VPCZ1]] | ||
The screens on the 1080p VPCZ1 models are excellent. They look stunning and very sharp, and have a good color space. The backlit keyboard is | The screens on the 1080p VPCZ1 models are excellent. They look stunning and very sharp, and have a good color space. The 900p panels, while being nothing exceptional, were also reasonably good. The backlit keyboard is excellent, it has a very good feel, 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 for both the backlit keyboard and the display. Battery life was good, with around 4h 17min of Wi-Fi surfing in Stamina mode (as tested by NotebookCheck). | ||
A sore spot for the VPCZ1 are | A sore spot for the VPCZ1 are its 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, since the Z1 included Bluetooth. | ||
== Detailed Specs == | == Detailed Specs == | ||
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== Daily Usage Today == | == 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 | 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 can still play some light, 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 | 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 machines are worth quite a lot now, you can expect to pay around +300€ for a Premium model, but lower-end ones generally go for much cheaper. | ||
== Resources == | == Resources == | ||
Revision as of 23:46, 28 July 2024
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.
These machines were built very well, with carbon fiber, aluminum and plastic, and had the iconic cylinder power button design unique to VAIOs. Two color options were offered, black/gray, and silver, silver being slightly rarer today. Two different lid styles were also offered. The lid on higher-end (Premium) models have more of a carbon fiber look than lower-end ones (similar to glossy SVZ models, without being glossy).
The VPCZ1 was one of the first VAIO laptops to feature 1st Gen Intel Core CPUs, which was a significant upgrade over Core 2 Duo CPUs. It also received a GPU upgrade, as its predecessor, the VGN-Z, had an NVIDIA GeForce 9300M GS GPU, which was highly criticized for its mediocre performance. With the VPCZ1, Sony included an NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M, which is a big upgrade, but remains a mid-range card (see Daily Usage Today section for more information). For storage, 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 switching 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.
The screens on the 1080p VPCZ1 models are excellent. They look stunning and very sharp, and have a good color space. The 900p panels, while being nothing exceptional, were also reasonably good. The backlit keyboard is excellent, it has a very good feel, 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 for both the backlit keyboard and the display. Battery life was good, with around 4h 17min of Wi-Fi surfing in Stamina mode (as tested by NotebookCheck).
A sore spot for the VPCZ1 are its 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, since the Z1 included Bluetooth.
Detailed Specs
Processor: Intel Core i5-520M or i7-620M (soldered), other markets also offer i5-540M and i7-640M
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M (1GB VRAM, core downclocked to 475MHz) 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 optical 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 can still play some light, 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 machines are worth quite a lot now, you can expect to pay around +300€ for a Premium model, but lower-end ones generally go for much cheaper.
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