Sony VAIO S Series Notebooks by Brandnewbattery
The Vaio S Series is one of the first notebooks to use Hitachi’s widescreen 13.3″ display that supports 1280×800 pixels. This is one of the most prominant feature of this notebook, as the display is very bright and clear. The rest of the features seem to span a wide array of options that determine the model number of the machine. Here is a sample list by country.
<table bgcolor=”black”>
<tbody>
<tr bgcolor=”yellow”>
<td colspan=”7″>United States</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor=”pink”>
<td>Model</td>
<td>CPU</td>
<td>Graphics</td>
<td>Hard Drive</td>
<td>Memory</td>
<td>Optical Drive</td>
<td>Wireless</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor=”lightyellow”>
<td>VGN-S360</td>
<td>Pentium M 735 (1.70 GHz Dothan)</td>
<td>ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 64MB</td>
<td>80GB</td>
<td>512MB</td>
<td>DVD-ROM/CD-RW</td>
<td>Wi-Fi b/g</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor=”lightyellow”>
<td>VGN-S270</td>
<td>Custom Order</td>
<td>Custom Order</td>
<td>Custom Order</td>
<td>Custom Order</td>
<td>Custom Order</td>
<td>Custom Order</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor=”lightyellow”>
<td>VGN-S260</td>
<td>Pentium M 735 (1.70 GHz Dothan)</td>
<td>ATI Mobility Radeon 9200 32MB</td>
<td>60GB</td>
<td>512MB</td>
<td>DVD-ROM/CD-RW</td>
<td>Wi-Fi b/g</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor=”lightyellow”>
<td>VGN-S170</td>
<td>Custom Order</td>
<td>ATI Mobility Radeon 9200 32MB</td>
<td>60GB</td>
<td>512MB</td>
<td>DVD-ROM/CD-RW</td>
<td>Wi-Fi b/g</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor=”lightyellow”>
<td>VGN-S150</td>
<td>Pentium M (1.60 GHz Dothan)</td>
<td>ATI Mobility Radeon 9200 32MB</td>
<td>60GB</td>
<td>512MB</td>
<td>DVD-ROM/CD-RW</td>
<td>Wi-Fi b/g</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor=”yellow”>
<td colspan=”7″>China</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor=”pink”>
<td>Model</td>
<td>CPU</td>
<td>Graphics</td>
<td>Hard Drive</td>
<td>Memory</td>
<td>Optical Drive</td>
<td>Wireless</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor=”lightyellow”>
<td>VGN-S38CP</td>
<td>Pentium M 745 (1.80 GHz Dothan)</td>
<td>ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 64MB</td>
<td>60GB</td>
<td>512MB</td>
<td>DVD-RW/CD-RW</td>
<td>Wi-Fi b/g</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor=”lightyellow”>
<td>VGN-S36C</td>
<td>Pentium M 735 (1.70 GHz Dothan)</td>
<td>ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 64MB</td>
<td>40GB</td>
<td>256MB</td>
<td>DVD-ROM/CD-RW</td>
<td>Wi-Fi b/g</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor=”lightyellow”>
<td>VGN-S27C</td>
<td>Pentium M 725 (1.60 GHz Dothan)</td>
<td>ATI Mobility Radeon 9200 32MB</td>
<td>40GB</td>
<td>256MB</td>
<td>DVD-ROM/CD-RW</td>
<td>Wi-Fi b/g</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor=”lightyellow”>
<td>VGN-S26C</td>
<td>Pentium M 715 (1.50 GHz Dothan)</td>
<td>ATI Mobility Radeon 9200 32MB</td>
<td>40GB</td>
<td>256MB</td>
<td>DVD-ROM/CD-RW</td>
<td>Wi-Fi b/g</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor=”lightyellow”>
<td>VGN-S25C</td>
<td>Pentium M (1.40 GHz) 512KB</td>
<td>ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 64MB</td>
<td>40GB</td>
<td>256MB</td>
<td>DVD-ROM/CD-RW</td>
<td>Wi-Fi b/g</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor=”lightyellow”>
<td>VGN-S18CP</td>
<td>Pentium M (1.60 GHz) 1MB</td>
<td>ATI Mobility Radeon 9200 32MB</td>
<td>60GB</td>
<td>512MB</td>
<td>DVD-RW/CD-RW</td>
<td>Wi-Fi b/g</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor=”lightyellow”>
<td>VGN-S17C</td>
<td>Pentium M (1.60 GHz) 1MB</td>
<td>ATI Mobility Radeon 9200 32MB</td>
<td>40GB</td>
<td>256MB</td>
<td>DVD-ROM/CD-RW</td>
<td>Wi-Fi b/g</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor=”lightyellow”>
<td>VGN-S16C</td>
<td>Pentium M (1.50 GHz) 1MB</td>
<td>ATI Mobility Radeon 9200 32MB</td>
<td>40GB</td>
<td>256MB</td>
<td>DVD-ROM/CD-RW</td>
<td>Wi-Fi b/g</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor=”yellow”>
<td colspan=”7″>Taiwan</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor=”pink”>
<td>Model</td>
<td>CPU</td>
<td>Graphics</td>
<td>Hard Drive</td>
<td>Memory</td>
<td>Optical Drive</td>
<td>Wireless</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor=”lightyellow”>
<td>VGN-S28TP</td>
<td>Pentium M 725 (1.60 GHz Dothan) 2MB</td>
<td>ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 64MB</td>
<td>60GB</td>
<td>512MB</td>
<td>DVD-RW/CD-RW</td>
<td>Wi-Fi b/g</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor=”lightyellow”>
<td>VGN-S26TP</td>
<td>Pentium M 715 (1.50 GHz Dothan) 2MB</td>
<td>ATI Mobility Radeon 9200 32MB</td>
<td>40GB</td>
<td>256MB</td>
<td>DVD-ROM/CD-RW</td>
<td>Wi-Fi b/g</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor=”lightyellow”>
<td>VGN-S18TP</td>
<td>Pentium M (1.60 GHz) 1MB</td>
<td>ATI Mobility Radeon 9200 32MB</td>
<td>60GB</td>
<td>512MB</td>
<td>DVD-RW/CD-RW</td>
<td>Wi-Fi b/g</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor=”lightyellow”>
<td>VGN-S16TP</td>
<td>Pentium M (1.50 GHz) 1MB</td>
<td>ATI Mobility Radeon 9200 32MB</td>
<td>40GB</td>
<td>256MB</td>
<td>DVD-ROM/CD-RW</td>
<td>Wi-Fi b/g</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor=”yellow”>
<td colspan=”7″>United Kingdom</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor=”pink”>
<td>Model</td>
<td>CPU</td>
<td>Graphics</td>
<td>Hard Drive</td>
<td>Memory</td>
<td>Optical Drive</td>
<td>Wireless</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor=”lightyellow”>
<td>VGN-S2VP</td>
<td>Pentium M 755(1.90 GHz Dothan)</td>
<td>ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 64MB</td>
<td>80GB</td>
<td>1GB</td>
<td>DVD-RW/CD-RW</td>
<td>Wi-Fi b/g + Bluetooth</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor=”lightyellow”>
<td>VGN-S2XP</td>
<td>Pentium M 745(1.80 GHz Dothan)</td>
<td>ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 64MB</td>
<td>80GB</td>
<td>512MB</td>
<td>DVD-RW/CD-RW</td>
<td>Wi-Fi b/g + Bluetooth</td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor=”lightyellow”>
<td>VGN-S2HP</td>
<td>Pentium M 725(1.60 GHz Dothan)</td>
<td>ATI Mobility Radeon 9200 32MB</td>
<td>40GB</td>
<td>512MB</td>
<td>DVD-RW/CD-RW</td>
<td>Wi-Fi b/g + Bluetooth</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
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<hr />
<h3>Software</h3>
The drivers that come with the S series is a few notches lower than the latest versions. You should upgrade the LAN, Wi-Fi, and 855PM chipset software by visiting http://www.intel.com/
To use the latest graphical drivers from ATI, download the drivers from http://www.ati.com and search for Dhmodtool to modify the drivers so that they can install onto notebook computers. After running the program, the drivers should install fine.
If you are into overclocking, you can search for a software called AtiTool, which can overclock the software GPU and memory speed. The default stock machine has the GPU at 390MHz and memory at 210MHz. Overclocking to 525MHz GPU and 240MHz memory were possible with the Mobility Radeon 9700 with 64MB. Your results may vary and you are doing this at your own risk.
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<h2>Hardware</h2>
This notebook is quite popular, and luckily many of the important parts are upgradeable. A lot of people have never seen the internals of this Sony Vaio S series notebook, but eventually you will when you decide to upgrade it. Below is the actual motherboard (situated on the rightside) of this Sony Vaio S28GP (Hong Kong version) notebook:
Although the picture is for the Hong Kong bought Sony Vaio S28GP model number, this motherboard is actually the same or very similar to the S series in the rest of the world. As can be seen in the picture, it has the MBX-109 motherboard, which may be the same or similar motherboard found in the desktop Sony VAIO W series. The picture above was taken with the DVD RW drive and the harddrive removed. you will notice that the ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 with 64MB and the Pentium M 1.6 GHz (Dothan) are the only chips to have the heatsink and fan over them to cool them. The upper left is the graphics chip, while the CPU is on the right. Below them is the open air cooled blueish Intel 855PM chip (RG82055PM) which contains functionality support for memory, ICH4 hub (USB ports, etc), external graphics chip, and the CPU. Other noteworthy chips on this motherboard are the three bigger chips near the bottom of the picture. The left one is a Hitachi H8S processor. It is likely the H8S/2160B to control the keyboard, but I am not sure. The middle one is the Phoenix BIOS chip (M50FW080). The right one is the Texas Instruments Ultramedia PCI7420 chip, which provides functionality for PC Card, Memory Stick, 1394 Firewire, and interfacing with the PCI bus provided by the 855PM chip above it. Another fairly big chip is the one hidden in the upper left corner just below the blue wires. That one is the Intel DA82562E, which provides LAN (wired) support. The Conexant modem chip is not visible in this picture. It is actually underneath the bluetooth module towards the left side of the notebook.
<h3>Adding internal bluetooth to the Vaio S Series notebook.</h3>
Note for this notebook, there was actually no internal bluetooth factory installed, which is standard option in some countries like the United Kingdom. The bluetooth parts had to be manually purchased and installed from Sony. For those interested, here are the part numbers:
- 1-805-554-11 : Bluetooth Module
- A-1072-474-A : Complete PWB IFX-311 (S)
- 4-683-211-01 : Screw, +B EG Grip
- 4-672-493-01 : Cover Led
- 1-829-369-11 : Cover (SC) <- Get two of these
- 4-672-834-51 : Cable, Coaxial (With U.F.L. Con
The above are all available for order at:
http://servicesales.sel.sony.com/web/index.jsp
If you wish to know how to take apart your Sony VAIO S series notebook, view the video below which details the steps involved in putting back a notebook from scratch. Just reverse the process for taking it apart.
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<h3>Hard drive upgrade</h3>
The biggest and fastest notebook hard drive is 120GB from many manufacturers. Upgrading is fairly easy, just open the case and replace the drive.
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<h3>2GB memory upgrade</h3>
The Sony websites that describe the S series always state that it supports a maximum of 1GB memory. However, the Intel 855PM chipset actually supports a maximum of 2GB of memory. At the time the S series were produced, 512MB memory modules were the largest available for the 172-pin microDIMM memory slots, and the notebook supported only 2 slots, so that is how the 1GB maximum memory came to be. That is until Swissbit released the 1GB memory module to fill both slots. Just remove the two screws holding the bottom panel of your notebook and pop them in.
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<h3>CPU upgrade</h3>
As of this writing, the fastest CPU available is the Pentium M 2.1 GHz Dothan. Because this notebook supports socketed CPU support, all you need to upgrade to a faster CPU is to simply remove the three screws holding down the heatsink above the CPU and then turn the socket lock counter-clockwise to pop out the CPU. Once the new CPU is in place, turn the socket clockwise and screw back in the heatsink. Pentium M CPU’s can be found in many outlets.
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<h3>Wi-Fi upgrade</h3>
The Wi-Fi module is located at the bottom of the machine near the memory modules. Simply replace it with that Wi-Fi a/b/g module. You may have to search for this part.
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<h3>Adding internal RF module to the S series notebook</h3>
It seems this notebook has two empty sockets that were not utilized. Perhaps someone can look at the A series and see which one is similar to their RF module socket. Leave a feedback for me so I can update this page.
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<h3>Upgrading graphics chip</h3>
The ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 64MB on this machine is actually soldered onto the motherboard, and unfortunately almost impossible to upgrade. The video above shows how to remove (or put together) the fan to view the ATI chip.
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<h3>Sony VAIO notebook discussion group</h3>
For those that have questions or need help with the upgrade options, visit the forums at Games Depot.
<h1>SONY Vaio VGN-S Battery</h1>
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