Hardware

Sony Vaio X teardown

By · April 26, 2011, 11:46 AM PST · billdetwiler

Image 1 of 89

  • Sony Vaio X teardown

    The Sony Vaio X series is the company's response to Apple MacBook Air. This ultraportable notebook has an Intel Atom CPU, SanDisk SSD, and integrated Verizon Wireless Mobile Broadband support. "Its portability and weight (or lack thereof) are its greatest assets, and it’s a solid machine for email, Web, and basic business apps," wrote TechRepublic's Jason Hiner.

    Follow along as we take a peak at the hardware inside Sony Vaio X (VPCX131KX/B).

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Front

    The Sony Vaio X (VPCX131KX/B) featured in this gallery retailed for $1,165.99 (US). The machine has a 2 GHz Intel Atom Processor Z550, 2GB, 64GB SanDisk SSD, 802.11 b/g/n3 support, built-in Verizon Wireless Mobile Broadband, a front-facing camera, and an LED back-lit display with a maximum resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels.

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Top

    The Sony Vaio X (VPCX131KX/B) weighs 1.6 lbs. (approx.) and measures 10.96" wide x 7.29" deep x 0.55" high.

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Keyboard and screen

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Power connector, USB ports, and headphone jack

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Ethernet and external display ports

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: SD card and Sony Memory Stick slots

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Bottom

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Heat-related inury warning

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Battery removed

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Standard Battery

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Extended battery

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Extended battery installed - Back

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Extended battery installed - Side

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Removing the touch-pad cover screws

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Removing the bottom cover screws

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Hidden cover screw

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: No screws hidding under this sticker

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Removing the hidden cover screw

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Popping loose the bottom cover

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Releasing the bottom cover tabs

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Removing the bottom cover

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Bottom cover removed

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Bottom cover

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: First look inside

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Removing the plastic PCB protector

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: PCBs revealed

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Disconnecting the SSD ribbon cable

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Detaching the system battery cable

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Removing the SSD bracket screw

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Removing the SSD

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: SSD removed

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: SSD and bracket - Top

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: SSD and bracket - Bottom

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: SanDisk 64GB SSD - Top

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: SanDisk 64GB SSD - Bottom

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Disconnecting the Gobi2000 antenna wires

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Removing the Gobi2000 screws

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Removing the Gobi2000 card

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Gobi2000 card - Front

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Gobi2000 card - Back

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Gobi2000 card - Front chips

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Gobi2000 card - Back chips

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Removing the Ethernet Pord PCB screw

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Removing the Ethernet port PCB

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Ethernet port PCB removed

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Ethernet port PCB

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Disconnecting the Atheros AR5B95 Wireless Network Adapter antennas

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Removing the Atheros AR5B95 Wireless Network Adapter screw

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Removing the Atheros AR5B95 Wireless Network Adapter

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Atheros AR5B95 Wireless Network Adapter - Front

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Atheros AR5B95 Wireless Network Adapter - Back

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Atheros AR5B95 Wireless Network Adapter - Chips

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Removing the motherboard screws

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Disconnecting a Bluetooth antenna wire

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Lift the motherboard away from the case

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Motherboard and Ethernet PCB connector cable

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Motherboard still connected to case

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Case without motherboard

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Removing the SD Card and Memory Stick slot cover

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: SD Card and Memory Stick slots cover removed

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: SD Card and Memory Stick slots

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Near empty case

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Motherboard with cooling fan

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown:Power connector removed

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Bluetooth board removed

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Bluetooth board (BCM-UGPZ9) - Top

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Bluetooth board (BCM-UGPZ9) - Bottom

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Removing the cooling fan assembly screws

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Cooling fan assembly - Top

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Cooling fan assembly - Bottom

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Removing the pad covering the DRAM chips

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Removing the Intel Atom Processor Z550 and System Controller Hub thermal pads

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Motherboard - Top

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Motherboard - Bottom

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Eight Nanya DDR2 533MHz DRAM chips

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Nanya DDR2 533MHz DRAM chip

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: 2.0 GHz Intel Atom Processor Z550

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: System Controller Hub

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Maxim MAX17017 Quad-Output Voltage Controller

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Realtek ALC262 4-Channel High Definition Audio Codec

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: SST 8Mbit SST25VF080B CMOS Serial Flash Memory module

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: ICS UMS9610CL

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Chrontel CH7317 Display Controller

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Maxim 8765E

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: F2112LP

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Fairchild DA28AC

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: D6590 0K50

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

  • Sony Vaio X teardown: Completely Disassembled

    The Sony Vaio X wasn't too difficult to crack open, although there were times when I worried about breaking the bottom cover. Overall, the Sony Vaio X is a nice machine, but it's a bit under powered compared to the MacBook Air.

    Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
    Caption by: Bill Detwiler

Sony Vaio X teardown

The Sony Vaio X series is the company's response to Apple MacBook Air. This ultraportable notebook has an Intel Atom CPU, SanDisk SSD, and integrated Verizon Wireless Mobile Broadband support. "Its portability and weight (or lack thereof) are its greatest assets, and it’s a solid machine for email, Web, and basic business apps," wrote TechRepublic's Jason Hiner.

Follow along as we take a peak at the hardware inside Sony Vaio X (VPCX131KX/B).

Photo by: Bill Detwiler / TechRepublic
Caption by: Bill Detwiler

Related Topics:
Hardware Innovation Mobility Networking Storage Data Centers Smart Persons Guides

By Bill Detwiler

Bill Detwiler is Editor in Chief of TechRepublic and the host of Cracking Open, CNET and TechRepublic's popular online show. Prior to joining TechRepublic in 2000, Bill was an IT manager, database administrator, and desktop support specialist in the ...

Show Comments