Z1 (VPCZ1): Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 11:44, 15 November 2024

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.

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).

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, 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 when the following conditions are met:

The AC adapter is plugged or unplugged. (SPEED when plugged in)
An external device is connected to or disconnected from the HDMI output port on your computer or the DVI-D port on the optional port replicator.
Your computer is attached to or disconnected from the optional port replicator. (SPEED when attached)

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 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, total 256GB), 2x microSATA SSDs (total 128GB) 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. You will need the original Sony drivers to preserve the GPU switching functionality, as the VPCZ1 uses a proprietary switching method.

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

@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 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.
+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 when the following conditions are met:
+* The AC adapter is plugged or unplugged. (SPEED when plugged in)
+* An external device is connected to or disconnected from the HDMI output port on your computer or the DVI-D port on the optional port replicator.
+* Your computer is attached to or disconnected from the optional port replicator. (SPEED when attached)
 [[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 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).
@@ Line 21: / Line 26: @@
 '''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)
+'''Storage:''' 4x 1.8" LIF SSDs (one module is 2 SSDs, 2 modules installed, total 256GB), 2x microSATA SSDs (total 128GB) 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
@@ Line 28: / Line 33: @@
 == 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 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. You will need the original Sony drivers to preserve the GPU switching functionality, as the VPCZ1 uses a proprietary switching method.
 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.