Sony VAIO VGC-RA834G Desktop PC (Intel Pentium 4 Processor 560J, 1 GB RAM, 2x200 GB Hard Drives, Dual Layer DVD+/-RW, DVD-ROM Drives)

by Sony

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 15.6 x 15.3 x 7.4 inches ; 26.5 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 65 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B00079F7PM
• Item model number: VGC-RA834G
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: February 6, 2005

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Flex your multimedia muscles with the sleek, black Sony Vaio VGC-RA830G Digital Studio PC. Edit high-definition camcorder video, master your own music recordings, and turn your home movies into high-quality DVDs for the whole family. With Windows XP Media Center, you'll be able to watch and record your favorite TV programs. It boasts cutting-edge technology that will last for years, including an outrageous 400 GB Serial ATA hard drive, which offers faster data transfer, and a dual-layer, multiformat DVD/CD burner. Plus, there's room to expand with capacity for multiple drives. Other features include Sony's innovative liquid-cooling system and advanced noise-reduction technology, a hyper -threaded 3.6 GHz Pentium 4 processor, 1 GB of installed RAM, multiple video format inputs and outputs, 5.1-channel audio capability and supplied surround sound speakers.

The Basics

• Hard Drive: This entertainment-centric desktop is loaded with a 400 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. You'll be able to store hundreds of hours of recorded TV programming as well as a library of your digital video projects.
• Processor: The hyper-threaded 3.6 GHz Intel Pentium 4 processor--one of the fastest available as of January, 2004--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-RA834G comes with 1 GB of installed PC-3200 DDR RAM (400 MHz). This is a 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: This desktop comes with a wireless keyboard and optical mouse, as well as an IR remote control.

Graphics and Sound
The multimedia engine is powered by the supercharged, top-of-the-line Nvidia GeForce 6600 graphics/video card. It features support for Microsoft DirectX 9.0, a high-definition video processor, and ultra-realistic effects for today's most demanding immersive 3D games. It has a 256 MB dedicated video memory, and output to S-Video, VGA, and DVI (for a 1280 x 1024 pixel output at 60 MHz). It also features the integrated Intel High Definition audio chip (Azalia), featuring THX certification and 8 channels for full Dolby 5.1/6.1/7.2 surround sound with Dolby Pro Logic IIx.

Connectivity and Expansion Slots
For expansion, the VGC-RA834G has two 5.25-inch half-height external bays (one available), one external 3.5-inch bay (occupied) and three internal 3.5-inch bay (two occupied), two PCI slots (one available), and one PCI Express (occupied). It comes with a built-in floppy drive and the following external connectors:

• 7 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
• 1 S/PDIF out
• 2 PS/2 ports for connecting keyboards and mice
• 1 VGA/DVI 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), SonicStage Mastering Studio (audio mastering/remastering), Vaio Media (network file sharing), and DVgate Plus (digital video). Other preloaded software includes Adobe Premiere, Adobe Photoshop Album, Adobe Photoshop Elements, 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
It measures 7.4 x 15.6 x 15.3 inches (WxHxD) and weighs approximately 34 pounds.

What's in the Box
This package includes the VGS-RA834G Digital Studio desktop PC, surround sound speakers, IR remote control, IR blaster, wireless keyboard, wireless mouse, and power cord. It is backed by a one-year limited hardware warranty.

Product Description

Includes: wireless keyboard, wireless mouse, Logitech X530 5.1 channel speakers, & Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 Sony VAIO(R) VGC-RA834G Desktop PC - This desktop computer features Sony's Giga Pocket. The Giga Pocket let's you watch and record TV on your computer, as well as capture video. Coupled with the included DVD writer, you can capture old VHS tapes to make your own DVD movie! And with the 3.6GHz Intel processor, 1GB of PC3200 DDR SDRAM, and two 200GB hard drives, you have plenty of power and room for capturing video and much more! 2 RAM Slots (1 available) 400GB (2 x 200GB) 7200RPM SATA HDD in a RAID 0 configuration Double Layer DVD Writer - supports Double Layer DVD+R, DVD+R/RW, DVD-R/RW, & CD-R/RW media DVD-ROM Drive nVIDIA GeForce 6600 graphics card with 256MB of RAM Giga Pocket MPEG2 Encoder/Decoder board with TV Tuner and Motion Reality Technology Multimedia Card Reader Unit Dimensions - 7.4 (w) x 15.6 (h) x 15.3 (d) Unit Weight - 34.172 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's a lot of money...but you get a lot of machine, July 13, 2005

By 

chris7833 (Columbus, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sony VAIO VGC-RA834G Desktop PC (Intel Pentium 4 Processor 560J, 1 GB RAM, 2x200 GB Hard Drives, Dual Layer DVD+/-RW, DVD-ROM Drives) (Personal Computers)

This Sony computer is simply the best piece of equipment I have ever owned. I did my homework-- I read dozens of reviews, visited websites, and talked to a wide range of people before I decided on this one. Don't listen to anyone else, Sony makes the best computers. I used to sell computers for a living and Sony machines were never returned. This machine can do everything from burning DVDs to editing video to playing ANY PC game with ease. It comes with six speakers which sound great. I paired the PC with a 19" Sony LCD top of the line monitor and now I almost hate leaving it for even a moment. The 7 USB ports come in handy. The hard drives are huge and come setup as one giant drive. I have had it a few months and it has never even frozen up one time. Look around at everything else if you will, but if you have the means, I recommend this machine.