CNET editors' review
- Reviewed on: 11/19/2002
- Updated on: 11/07/2009
The Sony VAIO PCV-RZ16G is the video enthusiast's best friend, with powerful basic hardware and a veritable truckload of video-connection options. Its blazing performance will suffice for most tasks, and Sony includes a bundle of software that rivals that of Windows XP Media Center Edition. You'll get personal video recording (PVR), direct-to-DVD recording, and the ability to stream a TV signal to other systems on your network. Our only complaint: you can't upgrade the weak sound card without disabling the PVR software. But if you have other audio options, this PC could function easily as your new home-entertainment system--Sony even throws in a remote. If you're looking for an alternative to a Media Center PC, look no further.There's only one word to describe the Sony VAIO PCV-RZ16G, and that's slick. Let's start with the blue, power-on LED. Simply put, blue LEDs are cool. From there, the case--a sharp, gray-and-black number--is as easy on the eyes as it is to open; its tool-free side panel pops right off. The front panel features flip-down optical-drive-tray doors for smooth DVD-ejecting action. In addition, dual USB 2.0 slots, a full composite-video and audio-input array, and a FireWire port are distributed around the box (instead of lying clumped together in one area on the box) to minimize tangling. That's significant, considering the potential web of wires you can plug into the back--more on that in a moment. The VAIO's Memory Stick slot is handily situated next to the floppy drive.
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| Thumbs-up to front-panel slots and flip-down drive-tray doors. | |
On the back, in addition to the standard array of network, modem, serial, and parallel ports, the PCV-RZ16G crams in four more USB 2.0 ports, another FireWire port, an S/PDIF digital audio out, S-Video with audio-in and audio-out, a UHF/VHF input, and VGA and DVI video connectors on the video card (see the Features tab for more on those connection types). What with all the attachments and cables, you could end up with a real knot on your hands. One quirky feature: the power supply has a DC adapter port for the speakers' power cable. That's good, because it means that your PC will take up one less wall outlet, though no decent speaker system would be able to draw enough power that way. However, the VAIO includes a weak speaker system, so this setup works fine.
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| Plenty of ports, and audio/video nirvana in the back. | |
On the inside, tidy cabling creates easy access to all of the VAIO's components. The secondary IDE and power cables are particularly well placed, aimed directly at the business end of where you would install a secondary hard drive. The 5.25-inch and 3.25-inch bays pull out sans screwdriver, although the latch mechanism for the larger bays is fairly sticky, our one innards-oriented complaint.
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 Need to install a second hard drive? No problem. |
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If you're a home video editor, the Sony VAIO PCV-RZ16G is the system for you. With all its connections, you should have no problem inputting and manipulating your video media of choice. You can plug in the S-Video and composite-video cables found on DVD players, some VCRs, game consoles, and some video cameras. The system also comes with adapter plugs for coaxial cable to get a cable TV or VCR signal, and an S-Video-to-composite adapter for maximum versatility. The VAIO includes a Sony Advanced Encoder Board, which is a built-in MPEG-2 encoder/decoder that includes a TV tuner and allows for analog video editing. And to top it all off, a USB infrared receiver and remote control (batteries included) give you control of your PC from a distance.
But the VAIO is more than just a box full of fancy hardware with more fancy hardware hanging off of it. Sony's VAIO Media software delivers a comprehensive suite of media management tools. Among the most impressive is Sony's proprietary Click-to-DVD software, which allows you to download and burn digital video-camera footage directly to the DVD-RW drive, where you can then use Click-to-DVD to edit it however you'd like. We also love the included PicoPocket software. If you set up the PCV-RZ16G as a server, PicoPocket lets you stream a television signal over your network to another PC (with the same software installed), regardless of whether the client has a TV tuner.
 All the multimedia you need and an included remote. |
 Plenty of high-end components but no advanced audio. |
As for the VAIO's guts, you'll find most of the standard high-end parts here: a 2.66GHz Pentium 4, a 120GB 7,200rpm hard drive, and 1GB of PC2100 DDR memory. Our test machine included a 64MB GeForce MX 440 card, on the value end of Nvidia's GeForce4 line, though you can upgrade to a full-fledged 128MB GeForce Ti 4600 card, one of many upgrade options available on Sony's Web-based configurator.
The VAIO doesn't feature any advanced audio capabilities, sadly--no Creative Sound Blaster or other audio card. That's due to the included, proprietary Giga Pocket PVR software, which lets you use your VAIO to record, pause, and fast-forward live television. Personal video recording is a great feature, but for some reason, Giga Pocket won't support an audio card. The VAIO also ships with crackly, bass-free speakers that further degrade the system's audio capabilities. Perhaps Sony assumes that you will connect this system to your home stereo equipment, but we'd prefer a better solution. The VAIO may have a fast processor and an obscene amount of memory, but without a decent sound card and a more capable video card, this otherwise powerhouse PC can't qualify as a high-end gaming box or a stereo substitute.
Application performance
We tested a Sony VAIO PCV-RZ16G equipped with a 2.66GHz P4 processor, 1GB of 266MHz DDR SDRAM, a 7,200rpm 120GB hard drive, and an Nvidia GeForce4 MX 440-based graphics card. With specs like these, you'd expect excellent application performance. The Sony didn't disappoint and even gave us a pleasant surprise: the PCV-RZ16G's application performance actually matched that of the Dell Dimension 4550, which uses faster 333MHz DDR SDRAM. The PCV-RZ16G is a speedy system that will make short work of your applications and should be more than adequate for video editing.
Application performance (Longer bars indicate better performance)
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To measure application performance, CNET Labs uses BAPCo's SysMark2002, an industry-standard benchmark. SysMark measures a desktop's performance using off-the-shelf office-productivity applications (such as Microsoft Office and McAfee VirusScan) and Internet-content-creation applications (such as Adobe Photoshop and Macromedia Dreamweaver).
3D Graphics and gaming performance
Unless you're a hard-core gamer, you probably don't need the fastest 3D graphics engine on the market. Thus, the VAIO's Nvidia GeForce4 MX 440-based graphics card is a solid choice for a consumer-level desktop. It doesn't deliver the outrageously fast performance of a high-end graphics card, such as the GeForce4 Ti 4600, nor does it come with the premium sticker price of a high-end card. The PCV-RZ16G supports strong--but not outstanding--3D graphics acceleration that should be more than powerful enough for most of today's games and educational titles.
3D graphics performance (Longer bars indicate better performance)
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To measure 3D graphics performance, CNET Labs uses MadOnion.com's 3DMark 2001 Pro. We use 3DMark to measure a desktop's performance with the DirectX 8 (DX8) interface at both 16- and 32-bit color settings at a resolution of 1,024x768. A system that does not have DX8 hardware support will typically generate a lower score than one that has DX8 hardware support.
3D gaming performance in FPS (Longer bars indicate better performance)
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To measure 3D gaming performance, CNET Labs uses Quake III Arena. Although Quake III is an older game, it is still widely used as an industry-standard tool. Quake III does not require DX8 hardware support--as 3DMark2001 does--and is therefore an excellent means of comparing the performance of low- to high-end graphics subsystems. Quake III performance is reported in frames per second (fps).
Find out more about how we test desktop systems.
System configurations:
Atlas Micro GS9800
Windows XP Home; 2.53GHz Intel P4; 512MB DDR SDRAM 333MHz; Nvidia GeForce4 Ti 4200 128MB; two Maxtor 6L040J2 40GB 7,200rpm; Acard AEC-6880 PCI ATA-133 IDE RAID controller
Dell Dimension 4550
Windows XP Home; 2.66GHz Intel P4; 512MB DDR SDRAM 333MHz; Nvidia GeForce4 Ti 4200 64MB; Western Digital WD120JB-75CRA0 120GB 7,200rpm
HP Media Center PC
Windows XP Media Center Edition; 2.66GHz Intel P4; 512MB DDR SDRAM 266MHz; Nvidia GeForce4 MX 420 64MB; Seagate ST3120023A 120GB 7,200rpm
IBM NetVista A30
Windows XP Home; 2.8GHz Intel P4; 512MB DDR SDRAM 266MHz; Nvidia GeForce4 Ti 4200 128MB; IBM IC35L120AVVA07 120GB 7,200rpm
Sony VAIO PCV-RZ16G
Windows XP Home; 2.666GHz Intel P4; 1,024MB DDR SDRAM 266MHz; Nvidia GeForce4 MX 440 64MB; IBM IC35L120AVVA07 120GB 7,200rpm
You'd better know what you're doing if you decide to buy this VAIO: Sony really stumbles in the support department. Despite the cornucopia of connection options, which offers potential for almost infinite conflicts and questions, the box comes with essentially no hard documentation. Although you'll find useful electronic help files for the system and its apps, electronic docs can't help you when your system crashes. The VAIO ships with system and application restore CDs, so if you have a total software meltdown, at least you can get back to where you started.
Sony backs the PCV-RZ16G with a dismal 90-day parts-and-labor warranty, by default. In order to upgrade to a yearlong warranty, itself a stingy length, you have to register your VAIO with Sony (it's free, but you have to fill out an online form and send Sony your contact information). You can get toll-free hardware telephone support from 8 a.m. to 12 a.m. ET, seven days a week for one year and free software and operating system support for 90 days after purchase. Upgrade options vary widely, and Sony doesn't offer any solid or reliable information about extended warranties or extra support.
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