Sony VAIO PCV-RS520 Digital Studio Desktop PC (Pentium 4 3E GHz (Hyper-Threading), 512 MB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, DVD+RW/CD-RW Combo Drive)

by Sony

Product Details

Product Manual [1.08mb PDF]

• Shipping Weight: 27 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0001BEZ3Q
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: January 15, 2004

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

The Sony VAIO PCV-RS520 offers everything you need to wrangle your multimedia collection, as well as tremendous power for high-end multimedia software and PC games. Featuring a fast Hyper-Threaded 3.0 GHz Pentium 4 processor, the PCV-RS520 also offers a built-in DVD+/-RW writer, 512 MB installed RAM, a very generous 160 GB hard drive, and a wealth of digital audio, photo, and video software. With Click to DVD, you can import your camcorder's digital video and burn directly to DVD. For a step up in price, the Sony Vaio PCV-RS530G offers a PVR function that you can hook up to your TV to record programs.

The Basics

• Hard Drive: Though it's not the largest on the market, the large 160 GB Ultra ATA/100 hard drive (7200 RPM) offers a wealth of storage for all your media storage--from digital audio to TV programs.
• Processor: The 3.0 GHz Pentium 4 processor with Hyper-Threading technology (which allows a single CPU system to behave in some aspects like a dual-CPU system--see more in Tech Talk section below) is one of the fastest processors currently available on the market. It also has a 1 MB L2 cache
• Memory: The installed 512 MB of RAM (400 MHz DDR SDRAM) is sufficient for starting out, but you'll want to add more memory power to take full advantage of the PCV-RS520's multimedia capabilities (it's expandable to 2.0 GB). It also has an FSB (front-side bus) speed of 800 MHz.
• CD/DVD Drive: It is equipped with a combo DVD+/-RW and CD-RW drive. For DVD-RW discs, it has a 4x write/2x rewrite/2x read speed, while for DVD+RW discs it has a 4x write/2.4x rewrite/2.4x read speed. For CDs, it has a 16x write/10x rewrite/32x read speed.
• Keyboard & Mouse: It comes with a Sony Vaio keyboard and mouse (with PS/2 connector).

Sound and Graphics
Featuring the ATI Radeon 9200 graphics card (with 128 MB of shared video RAM), the PCV-RS520 delivers a dazzling visual experience optimized to support the most compelling next-generation 3-D gaming environments of today and tomorrow. The PCV-RS520 features an integrated AC'97 (Audio Codec '97) that is built into the computer's main board.

Connectivity and Expansion Slots
You get a wide range of connectivity options with the PCV-RS520 (including a floppy disk drive), such as three PCI expansion slots (one available), one 8x AGP (accelerated graphics port, occupied) slot and the following external ports:

• 8 USB 2.0 ports (4 in front, 4 in rear) for connecting a wide range of peripherals--from digital cameras to MP3 players
• 2 FireWire (also known as IEEE 1394 or i.Link; 1 4-pin in front and 1 6-pin in back) ports for connecting digital video camcorders and other peripherals
• 1 parallel port for connecting older printers and scanners
• 2 PS/2 ports for connecting keyboards and mice
• 1 RGB monitor port
• 1 headphone jack and 1 microphone jack

Preloaded System and Software
The PCV-RS520 comes with the Windows XP Home Edition operating system, and it also features Microsoft Works (for working with word processing and spreadsheet documents) as well as a 60-day trial for Microsoft Office 2003. Preloaded Sony software includes Click to DVD (DVD creation), PictureGear Studio (digital photo), DVgate Plus (digital video), SonicStage (digital music), and VAIO Media (Network file sharing). Other preloaded software includes InterVideo WinDVD, MoodLogic 2.5 Trial, Intuit Quicken 2004 New User Edition, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Apple QuickTime, RealNetworks RealOne Player, Norton Internet Security (90-day trial).

Dimensions and Weight
It measures 7.2 x 15.6 x 14.9 (W x H x D) and weighs 26.5 pounds.

What's in the Box
This package contains the Sony Vaio PCV-RS520 Digital Studio PC, keyboard, mouse, and set of two speakers.

Tech Talk
Hyper-Threading: 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.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Some comments on Sony RS520, May 30, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Sony VAIO PCV-RS520 Digital Studio Desktop PC (Pentium 4 3E GHz (Hyper-Threading), 512 MB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, DVD+RW/CD-RW Combo Drive) (Personal Computers)

I purchased this computer one week ago. It works well so far. I have the following supplemental comments to previous reviews:
1. There is indeed NO recovery CD coming with the computer. However, SONY allocates a diagnostic partition on the hard drive for the backup. You can easily use the included recovery software to reinstall the whole system or create you own recovery disks (9 CDs or 1 DVDs+1 CDs). I am quite happy with this feature since it is more convenient and gives you more options.
2. There is NO DVD decoder in the pre-installed system. So you have to buy one.
3. Most pre-installed softwares are trash.
4. It is FAST and QUIET.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I love mine, March 22, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Sony VAIO PCV-RS520 Digital Studio Desktop PC (Pentium 4 3E GHz (Hyper-Threading), 512 MB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, DVD+RW/CD-RW Combo Drive) (Personal Computers)

I ordered this exact system and I've had it about 3 weeks. No problems, easy setup, and man it screams. All the things I wanted to add to my old system are on this one. With Hyper-threading I can suft the web while I burn cds. No matter what system you buy, make certain it has hyper-threading!!!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great pc for the money, February 23, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Sony VAIO PCV-RS520 Digital Studio Desktop PC (Pentium 4 3E GHz (Hyper-Threading), 512 MB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, DVD+RW/CD-RW Combo Drive) (Personal Computers)

I just bought the Sony PCV-RS 520, and I love it, it's fast and does everything I want it to do, before that I mainly bought HP computers, they were a good value for the money, but the last one I bought had one too many problems,let me just say that after two weeks it needed a new hard drive, and it only got worse from there, my advice is get the Sony, it cost's a little more, but the quality is well worth it.