Z1 (VPCZ1)

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, and had the iconic cylinder power button unique to VAIOs. They were built out of carbon fiber, and there waas 2 different lids. The lid on the higher-end models have more of a carbon fiber look than the lower-end VPCZ1s. We do not know if the lower-end models have a carbon fiber lid, but we are sure the others do.

The VPCZ1 was one of the first VAIO laptop to feature 1st Gen Intel Core CPUs. Its predecessor, the VGN-Z, had a NVIDIA GeForce 9300M GS GPU, and people wanted better. That's why Sony included an NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M which is a significant upgrade, however it is still a mid-range card. 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. This switch is a pain to configure on a clean install, however recovery media is available, and we also have a clean install guide (see the Downloads section of the page).

WIP