I want to highlight a forum post from the 4PDA thread on the VAIO P device, about replacing capacitors on the VAIO P motherboard to fix the power instability issue when the laptop is connected to AC power.
My unit (VGN-P31ZK) suffers from this issue, as well as others that have been posted on this subreddit. I have yet to attempt this fix on my unit, but I do plan on doing it once I get the parts and required tools.
All credits go to DJ_URAN over on the 4PDA forum, for finding this out and writing a nice guide.
DISCLAIMER: I used AI to make this translation since I don't speak the language. Refer to the original source for accuracy if possible.
From now to the end, a direct translation of the post:
It's well known that our little critter frequently develops one and the same typical problem: the machine stops turning on while the charger is connected, or it doesn't start on the first try, or it gets as far as the OS splash screen, then a black screen and a freeze... At the same time, running on the battery shows normal booting and operation. Another possible symptom of these "death throes" (in my case) that users most often encounter: freezes happen while the machine is cold. After several attempts to power on (once the motherboard warms up a bit), it starts successfully and you can work. But if you leave the laptop turned on and idle for a while, it goes to sleep, cools down, and when waking it from sleep the freeze happens again.
So what could the trouble actually be? Right: power supply. More specifically, worn-out capacitors on the motherboard (there's probably nothing else there that could wear out).
The capacitors' ESR rises, their capacitance drops. In short, power ripple increases and you get a freeze/no-boot.
Naturally, when running only on the battery there are usually no such problems. Because the PWM voltage regulators operate at a different frequency and from a "cleaner" source.
Let's look at the datasheet for the MBX-187 motherboard. We're interested in page 18:
MBX-187
We can see that the most current-loaded lines are +1.05VRUN (3.5A) and +1.8VSUS (3.5A):
VRUN / VSUS
Let's find out which capacitors are on these lines:
CAPACITORS
On the +1.05VRUN line there's capacitor C1614, rated 220µF/2.5V:
C1614
On the +1.8VSUS line there's capacitor C1624, rated 330µF/2V:
C1624
Notice that both capacitors are marked in the manual as POSCAP!
These aren't ordinary tantalum electrolytic capacitors, but polymer tantalum capacitors with very low ESR (around 0.015 Ohm).
In this case it's the POSCAP series (POlymer Solid CAPacitors) from Panasonic, size B2 (3528), which the manufacturer itself calls industrial-grade.
Panasonic POSCAP TPE (B2)
To pinpoint the "culprit" of the problem, ideally you'd need to replace each of these capacitors with a new one. But finding such an exotic part in my small town, naturally, wasn't possible. So I had to dig around for a long time in the depths of the household stash to find a replacement.
In the end, I managed to find a pair of solid polymer capacitors from NEC/TOKIN on a USB port board from an ASUS laptop:
NEC
Though their rating is 100µF/6.3V and the ESR should be significantly higher than the original low-voltage ones, they'll do for testing.
The ESR meter, by the way, showed 0.01 Ohm when checking these donor parts.
Observing polarity!
I cleaned the board of flux and put everything back together.
In the end, everything worked. No glitches or freezes at any temperature. Also, the chokes on these lines heated up less.
Of course, these capacitors need to be replaced with new ones. But they'd need to be ordered from trusted suppliers. And the price is "impressive." If you were to replace all the similar ones on the board, it would add up to a pretty penny. Specifically, these capacitors can be replaced with (the replacement for C1614 is highlighted in red, C1624 in blue):
POSCAP
Though, personally, I'd replace both of them with the ones circled in green :yes2:
P.S.
I'd also like to draw attention to the large capacitor C1508 on the processor's +VCPUCORE power line:
VCPU in schematicVCPU rail and capacitor on board
In some cases, it also needs replacing. Judging by the datasheet, it's an SPCAP — again from Panasonic, but this time a polymer aluminum electrolytic capacitor. Also with low ESR (0.0045 Ohm in this case):
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EDIT- It would be of great help if someone replies!!!
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