Sony VAIO VGC-RB31P Desktop PC (Intel Pentium 4 HT Processor 530J, 512 MB RAM, 200 GB Hard Drive, Dbl Layer DVD+/-RW/CD-RW Drive)

by Sony

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 16.9 x 15.2 x 7.1 inches ; 25.4 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 37 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0007IQWO8
• Item model number: VGC-RB31P
• Date first available at Amazon.com: January 13, 2005

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

The Sony Vaio VGC-RB31P 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 200 GB Serial ATA hard drive. This multimedia PC also features 512 MB of installed RAM, a fast hyper-threaded 3.0 GHz Pentium 4 processor, multiformat memory card reader compatible with the most popular digital camera formats, and stereo speakers. For a step up in price, the Vaio VGC-RB3rG offers a 3.2 GHz Pentium 4 processor and TV tuner with personal video recorder (PVR) functionality.

The Basics

• Hard Drive: This entertainment-centric desktop is loaded with a 200 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 hyper-threaded 3.0 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-RB31P comes with 512 MB 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 CD-ROM drive with 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 VGC-RB31P features an integrated video/graphics card in the Intel 915GM chipset, which features up to 224 MB of dynamic video RAM (shared with the main RAM). The 15.4-inch LCD has a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels. Sony's Smart Display Sensor feature instantly adjusts resolution when you connect to a display or projector. It also has an integrated audio card.

Connectivity and Expansion Slots
For expansion, the VGC-RB31P 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), and two PCI slots. 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 monitor port
• 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
This system comes with the Microsoft Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 2 operating system with Advanced Security Technologies, which helps to reduce unwanted downloads and pop-ups while surfing the Web. It also comes loaded with a bevy of Sony multimedia software: Vaio Zone with WinDVD (for watching DVD movies), 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 Quicken 2005 New User Edition, Corel WordPerfect and Quattro Pro, Norton Internet Security (with 90-day subscription), Sonic RecordNow, 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-RB31P desktop PC, two stereo speakers, keyboard, mouse, and power cord. It is backed by a one-year limited hardware warranty.

Product Description

Includes: Windows XP Professional w/ Service Pack 2, Works 8.0, Office 2003 60-day trial, Quicken 2005 New User Edition, RecordNow 7, WinDVD, Norton Internet Security (90-day subscription), & more Sony VGC-RB31P VAIO(R) Desktop Computer - This desktop computer has some great entertainment and multimedia features the whole family can enjoy. For example, you can capture digital video from your camcorder via Firewire, edit it with the included software, then burn your own DVD movie on the Double Layer DVD writer! You can do this and more in a snap, because of it's super-fast Intel Pentium 4 Processor 530J (3 GHz) and 512MB of PC3200 DDR SDRAM! 2 RAM Slots (occupied) 200GB 7200RPM SATA HDD Intel 915G Integrated Graphics with 224MB of shared memory (memory is taken from the main system) Double Layer DVD Writer - (write speeds) up to 2.4x DL DVD+R, 16x DVD+R, 8x DVD-R, 4x DVD+RW, 4x DVD-RW Double Layer DVD Writer - (read speeds) up to 32x CD-R & 24x CD-RW CD-ROM - up to 40x 56k Fax Modem Multimedia Card Reader - supports Memory Stick, Memory Stick(R) PRO/Duo, Compact Flash Type I/II, Secure Digital (SD), MultiMedia Card (MMC), Smart Media, & xD Picture Card Ports - 1 VGA Out, 10/100 Ethernet, 6 USB 2.0 (2 front), 2 PS/2, 1 Parallel, 2 FireWire (6-pin rear / 4-pin front), 1 Line-In, 1 Headphone, & 1 Microphone Slots - x1 PCI Express (open), x16 PCI Express (open), & 2 PCI (1 open) Bays - two 5.25 (occupied), one external 3.5 (occupied), four internal 3.5 (3 open)