Sony desktops
Updated November 29, 2005
Sleek design and an emphasis on multimedia distinguish Sony's VAIO (Video Audio Integrated Operation) line of desktops, which run the gamut from all-in-one designs to midtower systems to a component-style PC meant for the living room. All are meant for mainstream home use, however; you won't find ultrabudget systems, high-end gaming rigs, or business PCs with the VAIO name. The systems are available direct from Sony's online store, as well as in brick-and-mortar retailers, such as Best Buy and Circuit City. VAIO desktops are not configurable, although each line usually features several, fixed-configuration models. In almost all cases, a monitor is sold separately.
Most VAIO desktops use Microsoft's Media Center OS, and all ship with a huge software bundle. While we could do without the various promos and shovelware that clutter the hard drive, much of the bundle is useful, including Sony's own apps, such as GigaPocket for recording TV and SonicStage for managing music files. The inclusion of a TV tuner, which lets you input a TV signal, is not uncommon; most VAIOs feature such a card.
Sony currently offers five distinct VAIO lines: RA, RB, RC, VA, and DLS. The VAIO RA, RB, and RC series are traditional midtower desktops, albeit ones that emphasize modern industrial design and multimedia capabilities over price and raw computing performance. Many of the same features are offered across all three lines, including dual-core Intel processors, double-layer DVD burners, and either low-end or midrange graphics cards. The series differ in terms of case design and cooling technology. The VA series is an all-in-one system, with the computer built into a 20-inch wide-screen LCD. Sony's most recent introduction, the DLS (Digital Living System), consists of a rack-style Media Center PC and a bulky 200-disc DVD changer. Intended purely for living-room setups, its main video output is
HDMI.
Sony VAIO desktop lines:
Sony VAIO RA |
Sony VAIO RB |
Sony VAIO RC |
Sony VAIO VA |
Sony VAIO DLS
Sony VAIO RA
Just two models comprise the Sony VAIO RA line currently: the RA940GN3 and the RA940GN4. We reviewed 2004's
RA820G model, and the new systems are similar in many respects, including the unique case design. The tunnel through the middle of the case--above the motherboard and below the optical drives--is an air intake, and it's part of the RA's unique cooling system, which uses liquid-cooled pipes to shuttle heat away from the processor and toward the large heat sink in the top half of the case. The resulting quiet operation is much appreciated, especially in a PC that you may be using to watch TV and DVDs.
Both VAIO RA models feature dual-core Intel processors, but the higher-end model uses the slightly faster Pentium D 830 in addition to better graphics and a larger hard drive. Both models also feature Microsoft's Media Center OS, a double-layer DVD burner, and a Giga-branded standard-def TV tuner card. The RA VAIO series offers the most powerful graphics card you'll find on a Sony PC, but it's only an older, midrange Nvidia card. Serious 3D gamers need not apply; VAIO RA systems are meant for A/V entertainment up to but not including playing the latest games. At $1,499, the VAIO RA940GN4 is more expensive than most machines in the VAIO RB series and also more than the single entry in the newer VAIO RC series.
- Price range: $1,099 to $1,499
- CPU: Intel Pentium D 820 and 830
- Chipset: Intel 915G chipset
- Memory: 1GB of 533MHz DDR, expandable to 2GB
- Graphics: Nvidia GeForce 6600 or ATI Radeon X300
- Hard drive: 160GB 7,200rpm SATA
Sony VAIO RB
The Sony VAIO RB series isn't as visually arresting as the RA or RC series. Instead, it offers more flexibility through a (relatively) large number of preconfigured systems, ranging in price from $749 for a basic single-core CPU and 512MB of RAM in the VAIO RB53 to $1,699 for a VAIO RB54 with a dual-core Pentium D 820, 1GB of RAM, and a 19-inch LCD. We reviewed the
VAIO RB44G in August 2005, which is no longer listed on Sony's site but still available from various resellers. Our review offers a good overview of the series, pointing out the lack of some of the audio jacks found on the RA and RC computers, although it boasts the same Giga TV tuner card as the other two lines. We are happy to see the dual-core Intel Pentium D in the highest-end model; it will offer better performance for a multitasking, multimedia machine than the single-core Pentium 4 600-series chips.
- Price range: $749 to over $1,699
- CPU: Pentium 4 640 and Pentium D 830 and 840
- Chipset: Intel 915G
- Memory: DDR memory available, expandable to 2GB
- Graphics: integrated Intel graphics or ATI Radeon X300
- Hard drive: 7,200rpm Serial ATA drives from 200GB to 320GB
Sony VAIO RC
Newcomer VAIO RC shares more of a design heritage with the RA series than the more mundane RB computers. It takes the BTX-inspired hole in the middle of the RA's case and expands it to push the airflow more efficiently and quietly around the processor and the hard drive. The system is not only easy on the eyes, but also easy on the ears with its sublimely quiet operation.
The VAIO RC110G, the first (and currently only) system in the RC series, has specs that reflect its capability as an entertainment-oriented system, with a dual-core Pentium D 830 CPU, 1GB of 533MHZ DDR2 memory, and front-panel S-Video and composite-in ports.
The RC offers the same no-frills standard-def TV tuner card as the RA and RB lines. There's only 250GB of hard drive space, but that can be expanded to 1TB with the three free 3.5-inch expansion bays. Likewise, you can upgrade the system's budget ATI Radeon X300 by using the x16 PCI Express slot. We wish you could make these upgrades prior to purchase, but alas, it's a fixed configuration like the rest of the VAIO lineup.
- Price: $1,299
- CPU: Intel Pentium D 830
- Chipset: Intel 945P
- Memory: 1GB of DDR2 memory available, expandable to 2GB
- Graphics: ATI Radeon X300
- Hard drive: 50GB 7,200rpm Serial ATA
Sony VAIO VA
Replacing the older
VAIO V-series of all-in-one machines, the VA line packs a Media Center PC right behind a beautiful, 20-inch wide-screen LCD. The design is most flattering dead-on; from the side or the back, you can see that the system is not as slim as it looks at first glance. It's not as sleek and thoughtfully designed as the iMac G5, but the VAIO VA includes a TV tuner, a feature not found on Apple's iMac. In general, all-in-one systems are a gamble. Upgrades are next to impossible, and if you want a bigger monitor, you're out of luck. Or you have to throw out a perfectly good monitor when the PC begins its slow decline into oblivion.
For the space-constrained--small apartments or crowded houses--all-in-one PCs can make sense. The VAIO VA line features solid mainstream specs, including 64-bit-capable Intel Pentium 4 600-series CPUs and a 256MB ATI Mobility Radeon X700 graphics card. On either side of the display sit built-in stereo speakers, and a subwoofer is cleverly hidden in the base. Choosing the VA11G over the VA10G gives you a slightly faster processor and more hard drive space.
- Price range: $1,999 to $2,199
- CPU: Intel Pentium 4 630 or 640
- Chipset: ATI RC410M
- Memory: 1GB of DDR2
- Graphics: ATI Mobility Radeon X700
- Hard drive: 250GB or 320GB 7,200rpm SATA drive
Sony VAIO XL1 Digital Living System
Just as Microsoft rolled out support for multidisc changers in its
Media Center Edition OS, Sony unveiled a new Media Center system with a 200-disc DVD changer. The first entry in the Digital Living System line is the black-and-silver Sony VAIO XL1, which is composed of two separate components, a sleek, rack-style, Media Center PC and a separate multidisc changer. The system is meant to be integrated into your home theater and connected to an HDTV. It's the first PC we've seen with an
HDMI connection.
The standard 512MB of RAM seems a little low for such a high-end line, and the 200GB hard drive probably isn't big enough for hard-core media addicts who will want to rip hundreds of CDs and record many hours of TV programming. Both of these specs are upgradable after-market, but the lone available system is not configurable at the time of purchase. The dual-core CPU is almost a necessity for Media Center systems these days, allowing for better multitasking, for example, playing music files while recording a TV signal.
The included TV tuner is the same Giga single-tuner standard-def card seen in other VAIO desktops. High-end connections may leave novices running to Radio Shack for cables and adapters. There's no 1/8-inch audio output or VGA and DVI ports (although a DVI adapter is included).
- Price: $2,299
- CPU: Intel Pentium D Processor 820
- Chipset: Intel 945P
- Memory: 512MB of DDR2 RAM
- Graphics: 64MB Nvidia GeForce 6200
- Hard drive: 200GB 7,200rpm Serial ATA drives
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