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Sony VAIO VGC-RB38G Desktop PC (Intel Pentium 4 Processor 550, 1 GB RAM, 250 GB Hard Drive, Dual Layer DVD+/-RW, DVD-ROM Drives)

Sony VAIO VGC-RB38G Desktop PC (Intel Pentium 4 Processor 550, 1 GB RAM, 250 GB Hard Drive, Dual Layer DVD+/-RW, DVD-ROM Drives)

List Price: $1,099.99
Your Price: $1,449.99
Product Info Reviews

Description:

The Sony Vaio VGC-RB38G desktop entertainment PC comes loaded with the all tools you need to easily create, manage, share and enjoy your digital photos, home videos, movies and music. Convert your VHS or 8mm home videos to DVD discs to share with the whole family via the dual-layer, multiformat DVD burner. Store hundreds of hours of your music collection on the extra-large 250 GB Serial ATA hard drive. You can also watch and record your favorite TV programs (via the built-in TV tuner) using the Giga Pocket personal video recorder (PVR). This multimedia PC also features 1 GB of installed RAM, a fast hyper-threaded 3.4 GHz Pentium 4 processor, multiformat memory card reader compatible with the most popular digital camera formats, and stereo speakers.

The Basics

  • Hard Drive: This entertainment-centric desktop is loaded with a 250 GB Serial ATA (SATA) hard drive, which offers higher speed transfer of data--akin to Firewire and USB 2.0--than typical ATA hard drives.
  • Processor: The super-fast, hyper-threaded 3.4 GHz Intel Pentium 4 processor allows a single CPU system to behave in some aspects like a dual-CPU system, helping to deliver faster transistors and increased performance. It also features a 1 MB L2 cache and a blazingly fast 800 MHz front-side bus speed, which measures how fast a processor and the main memory communicate, and a 1 MB L2 cache. (An L2, or secondary, cache temporarily stores data; and a larger L2 cache can help speed up your system's performance.)

    A Hyper-Threading processor helps a PC to run multiple demanding applications at the same time. This technology enables the processor to execute two threads (a part of a program) in parallel, boosting performance during key high-drain procedures. This results in more efficient software performance (such as faster reaction times in gaming applications) and enhanced multitasking.

  • Memory: The VGC-RB34G comes with 1 GB of installed PC-3200 DDR RAM (400 MHz). This is a very good start, but you'll want to max out the 2 GB capacity (which is a bit small for such a multimedia powerhouse) for your 3D gaming and video-editing needs.
  • CD/DVD Drive: Offering the latest in DVD writing technology, the multiformat DVD/CD drive is compatible with both DVD+ and DVD- disc formats as well as dual-layer DVD+R discs, which can store up to 8.5 GB of data. For DVD-RW discs, it has a 8x write/4x rewrite speed, while for DVD+RW discs it has a 16x write/4x rewrite speed (DVDs are read at 8x). For double-layer DVD+R, it has a 2.4x write speed. For CDs, it has a 32x write/24x rewrite speed. It also has a separate DVD-ROM drive with 16x DVD read speed and 40x CD read speed.
  • Keyboard & Mouse: It comes with a standard Vaio keyboard and optical mouse, both of which connect via the PS/2 ports on the back.
Graphics and Sound
The ATI Radeon X300 SE is a high-end video card, powerful enough to run one large virtual screen across two displays. It features 128 MB of dedicated video RAM, S-Video and the higher-fidelity DVI connections out, and PCI Express x16 support, which enables graphics to process faster.

Connectivity and Expansion Slots
For expansion, the VGC-RB38G has two 5.25-inch half-height external bays (occupied), one external 3.5-inch bay (occupied) and four internal 3.5-inch bay (one occupied), two PCI slots (occupied), and one x16 PCI Express (occupied). It comes with a built-in floppy drive and the following external connectors:

  • 6 USB 2.0 ports for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players
  • 2 FireWire (also known as IEEE 1394 or i.Link) port for connecting digital video camcorders and other peripherals (1 6-pin in front, 1 4-pin in rear)
  • 1 parallel port for connecting older printers and scanners
  • 2 PS/2 ports for connecting keyboards and mice
  • 1 VGA/DVI-D monitor port
  • 2 S-Video inputs (front and rear)
  • Composite video/audio inputs (front and rear)
  • Coaxial video input (VHF/UHF)
  • 1 microphone, 1 headphone, 1 line-in
  • Multiformat memory card reader on the front, compatible with CompactFlash (Type I and II), MicroDrive, SmartMedia, Memory Stick/Memory Stick Pro, MultiMedia Card, Secure Digital, and XD Picture Card
It also has an integrated 56K modem (V.90) and an RJ-45 LAN network port (for a 10/100/1000 Fast Ethernet connection to networks and DSL/cable modems).

Preloaded System and Software
The pre-installed Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 is essentially Windows XP Professional Edition with a variety of tools to help you to create, organize, and enjoy digital media ranging from music to home movies to photo slide shows. Record and watch your TV programs with the Personal Video Recorder (PVR) powered by Giga Pocket Engine. It also comes loaded with a bevy of Sony multimedia software: Click to DVD (DVD creation) PictureGear Studio (digital photo), SonicStage (digital music), Vaio Media (network file sharing), and DVgate Plus (digital video). Other preloaded software includes Microsoft Works 8.0, Quicken 2005 New User Edition, Intervideo WinDVD, Sonic RecordNow, Norton Internet Security (with 90-day subscription) and SpySubtract.

Dimensions and Weight
This multimedia desktop measure 7.13 x 16.9 x 15.24 inches (W x H x D) and weighs approximately 25.35 pounds.

What's in the Box
This package contains the VGC-RB38G desktop PC, two stereo speakers, keyboard, mouse, IR blaster, and power cord. It is backed by a one-year limited hardware warranty.

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