Sony VAIO VGC-RB53 Desktop PC (Intel Pentium 4 Processor 630 (H-T), 512 MB RAM, 200 GB Hard Drive, DVD+R Dbl Layer/DVD+/-RW Drive)

by Sony

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 17.1 x 7.1 x 15.1 inches ; 25.8 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 37.4 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B000B8NJMM
• Item model number: VGC-RB53
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 2, 2005

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

The Sony Vaio VGC-RB53 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 amazingly huge 250 GB Serial ATA hard drive. It features a hyper-threading 3 GHz Intel Pentium 4 Processor 630 as well as 512 MB of installed RAM, a multiformat memory card reader compatible with the most popular digital camera formats, Microsoft XP Home Edition, and a wide assortment of pre-loaded software titles.

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 fast, 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 2 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.) It sits very close to the top of the speed spectrum for this process (as of autumn, 2005).

  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-RB53 comes with 512 MB 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/6x rewrite speed, while for DVD+RW discs it has a 16x write/4x rewrite speed. For double-layer DVD+R, it has a 4x write speed. For CDs, it has a 40x 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 (PS/2) and a USB optical mouse.

Screen, Graphics and Sound
Video is powered by the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 900, which uses Intel Dynamic Video Memory Technology (DVMT) and provides up to 128 MB of shared video memory. It also offers PCI Express x16 support, which enables graphics to process faster.

Connectivity and Expansion Slots
For expansion, the VGC-RB53 has two 5.25-inch half-height external bays (one occupied), one external 3.5-inch bay (occupied) and four internal 3.5-inch bays (one occupied), two PCI slots (occupied), and one x16 PCI Express (occupied). It comes with 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) ports 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/Duo, 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 Ethernet connection to networks and DSL/cable modems.

Preloaded System and Software
This system comes with the Windows XP Home Edition 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: PictureGear Studio (for digital photo transfer, editing, and management), Click to DVD (DVD creation), SonicStage (digital music), Vaio Media (network file sharing), DVgate Plus (digital video), Vaio Zone with WinDVD (for watching DVD movies), and Image Converter (for PSP transfer). Other preloaded software includes Corel Word Perfect (with word processing, spreadsheet, and calendar), Quicken 2005 New User Edition, Norton Internet Security (with 90-day subscription), Roxio DigitalMedia SE, and SpySubtract.

Dimensions and Weight
This desktop measures 7.13 x 16.9 x 15.24 inches (WxHxD) and weighs approximately 25.35 pounds.

What's in the Box
This package contains the VGC-RB53 desktop PC, two stereo speakers, keyboard, USB optical mouse, remote control with IR blaster, and power cord. It is backed by a 1-year limited hardware warranty.

Product Description

Includes: VAIO(R) keyboard, PS/2 / USB mouse, speakers, power cord, Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition, Quicken 2005 New User Edition, Roxio DigitalMedia SE, Anti-VIrus & Recovery Software, & more. Sony VGC-RB53 VAIO(R) Desktop Computer - This Sony desktop is ready for your growing digital entertainment and multimedia needs right out of the box, with Sony's premiere software bundle. Organize and share digital photos with PictureGear(TM) Studio. Download and manage your tunes with SonicStage. Burn DVDs with just one click with Click to DVD, and speaking of DVDs, you'll be able to create your very own with the included Double Layer DVD Writer! But that's just the beginning of what this desktop can offer you and your family... 200GB 7200RPM Serial ATA(TM) HDD Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 900 with 128MB of shared video memory (memory is taken from the main system's RAM) Double Layer DVD Writer - (write speeds) up to 4x Double Layer DVD+R, 16x DVD+R, 16x DVD-R, 8x DVD+RW, 6x DVD-RW, 40x CD-R, & 24x CD-RW Double Layer DVD Writer - (read speeds) up to 16x DVD-ROM & 40x CD-ROM 56k v.90 Fax Modem Multimedia Card Reader - supports Memory Stick, Memory Stick(R) PRO, Memory Stick(R) Duo, Compact Flash, SmartMedia, Secure Digital (SD), MultiMediaCard, & xD Picture Card Ports - 10/100 Ethernet, 1 VGA, 2 PS/2, 1 Parallel, 1 Line-In, 6 USB 2.0 (2 front), & 2 Firewire (1 front 4-pin / 1 rear 6-pin) Slots - 1 x16 PCI Express (available), 1 x1 PCI Express (available), & 2 PCI (1 available) Bays - Two 5.25 (0 available), One External 3.5 (0 available), & 4 Internal 3.5 (3 available) Unit Weight - 25.35 lbs. Monitor is not included

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Decent PC, June 26, 2006

By 

Finoy Johnson (Lone Star) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sony VAIO VGC-RB53 Desktop PC (Intel Pentium 4 Processor 630 (H-T), 512 MB RAM, 200 GB Hard Drive, DVD+R Dbl Layer/DVD+/-RW Drive) (Personal Computers)

Pros: HD space, overall performance, memory, SD card and other card readers.

Cons: Mouse, Empty slot (put another drive or something there). Only one partition on the the 200 GB drive. Should have been two (one for root and could have just the OS). Only 4 USB connections, no serial ports.

I added another HD and will be adding memory.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great computer, March 19, 2006

By 

mtminihan (New Orleans, LA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sony VAIO VGC-RB53 Desktop PC (Intel Pentium 4 Processor 630 (H-T), 512 MB RAM, 200 GB Hard Drive, DVD+R Dbl Layer/DVD+/-RW Drive) (Personal Computers)

I'm really enjoying this new computer. I've had it up and running for about a month now, and I've had no problems. I upgraded the memory to 1GB, but that's the only enhancement that I've made. Oh, and I installed Office. It comes with Word Perfect, but I'm not a big fan of that software, and I needed the rest of the Office Suite anyway. But other than those two things, I'm really enjoying the computer. I'm using the optical mouse I had before, so I can't comment on the mouse as the previous customer did. All in all, a great buy.

6 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars crap mouse..., November 20, 2005

By 

C. Sugita "princez_leia" (Las Vegas, NV United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sony VAIO VGC-RB53 Desktop PC (Intel Pentium 4 Processor 630 (H-T), 512 MB RAM, 200 GB Hard Drive, DVD+R Dbl Layer/DVD+/-RW Drive) (Personal Computers)

Product description/in the box details state comes with optical mouse... yet it does not. Otherwise okay thus far as it's just been set up today.