Editorial Product Review:Item Description:The ultimate in multimedia computing, the VAIO RC110G Digital Studio PC delivers screaming-fast performance in a whisper-quiet environment so you are able to run demanding A/V programs without compromising speed or quality. The design of the RC tower incorporates ingenuity that reduces cable clutter, provides easy access to frequently-used features and enables expansion to keep up with you and your digital lifestyle. The VAIO RC also brings Sony's professional audio, video and broadcast expertise to your desktop. Create, manage, edit and archive video, music and photos like a pro. Capture and edit high-definition camcorder video. Turn VHS and 8mm videos into high-quality DVDs. Watch and record TV, master audio recordings and expand your creativity. The RC gives you powerful PC abilities, creative options and multimedia access so you can do it all.
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Buyer Reviews
Average Buyer Rating:
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Beware Sony Desktops
The Sony Desktops seem to work well right out of the box, but soon problems develop. First the printer port failed, then a DVD-RW drive went out. Replacements don't fit right so you have to permanently remove the face plate of the computer--now it looks like trash. Then the software fails or starts to have problems--I mean the Sony video software. Lots of rebooting and freezes. Drive you nuts nd you are constantly losing work. You can't upgrade, you have to buy a whole new computer, and there are no software fixes. Sony support really sucks, you'll never get any help. And dron't try to find hardware upgrades, you can't find parts to fit your specific model, and no one at Sony gives two hoots. So beware. You'll be buying another computer in a few short months!
Customer Rating: 
-
Top of the line - Almost!
I'll preface this review by revealing that this is the FIRST pre-assembled, brand name computer I have EVER purchased in my life. Up until this point, I have always built my own, believing that you had more control over the quality of the end product than anything a mass manufacturer would ever do. However, when my last system died due to some kind of yet to be determined motherboard defect, I had finally had enough! I couldn't bear to think of going through the process of reinstalling a new operating system and drivers from scratch again. I decided I just wanted something that worked right out of the box and a warranty so I could just return to the store and say "fix it" if anything ever happened.
Being accustomed to high-end, "pro-sumer" level hardware however, it didn't take me long to realize that most prebuilt systems are, to borrow from a historic phrase, a kind of "electronic opiate for the masses". They really don't possess all of the features necessary to satisfactorily run the newer data intensive, 3D graphics applications and games while still functioning as a full-blown digital media center. That is until I stumbled upon the Sony VGC-RC110G.
Pros:
CPU - The Intel Pentium 4 Dual Core (Smithfield) is where it's at now days. This CPU has the power to chew through anything you can throw at it without slowing down and can multitask like there is no tomorrow. The 830 (3GHz) is one notch down from the fastest 840 P4D (3.2GHz) so you avoid the premium price of the top-of-the-line with only a small reduction in performance.
CPU Thermal Solution - Sony contracted with a well known PC Case maker to design a HUGE heat-pipe cooler that does a good job cooling this notoriously hot CPU (up to 130W at full load)! Most of the time the CPU idles at around 45C and 55C at full load compared to the 65C+ reported by users of the stock Intel cooler (the thermal limit for the P4D given by Intel is 69.8C). The large heat-sink (one of the biggest I've seen) also uses a large fan turning at low speed making the system virtually silent. Most other high performance CPU coolers use smaller, high RPM fans making it sound like a Jet Fighter sitting on your desktop!
Memory - 1GB of high speed DDR2 RAM (533MHz) provides excellent performance. Contrary to other reviews, installation of more RAM (up to 2GB) is extremely simple.
Motherboard / Chipset - The system uses an Intel built motherboard based on the 945G north-bridge chipset. This provides for stable, high-speed I/O functions, support for up to 4 SATA Hard Drives with a built in RAID controller, and a PCI express 16x video card. Again, the 945 chipset is one notch down from latest 955 and 975 chipsets so you also avoid the premium price with only a small reduction in built in functions (most notably support for up to 8GB of ECC RAM).
Hard Drive(s) - The system ships with one 250GB fast 7200rpm SATA hard drive but is expandable up to four. With today's huge hard drives, you could easily upgrade this sucker to 1 Terabyte of storage (that's 1000 GB)! In addition, because of the built in RAID controller, I transferred my Operating System to a pair of 10,000rpm SATA drives in a RAID 1 configuration (mirror set - all data is simultaneously stored on two drives) for ultimate data security and fault tolerance. In case a drive should fail you simply install a new one and the mirror set is automatically rebuilt with NO LOSS of data.
Case - In addition to what has already been said about the extremely good-looking case, it is also one the most cleverly designed I have yet seen. The hard drives are housed in a separate compartment accessed by a separate small door providing extremely easy access without opening the entire case. This makes adding or removing hard drives almost as easy as the "hot-swapping" feature found in high-end servers.
Operating System and Software - The Windows Media Center Edition 2005 SP2 performs absolutely flawless. All of the multimedia functions are fully controllable via the remote. Two video ports on the card allow for watching TV on one monitor while simultaneously working on the desktop on another. Windows MCE allows the PC to function as a full-blown DVR just like a TiVo though you are limited only to basic, unencrypted cable channels unless you connect the PC to a cable box. I can also network to my TiVo and play recorded TV shows on the PC. Sony also has a Network Media Receiver (RoomLink VGP-MR100U) allowing the playback of any media stored on the PC (video, music, photos, etc.) on my HDTV in the living room via Ethernet! As for the rest of the installed software, enough is provided to allow just about any kind of video/media editing, transfer, etc.
Peripherals - Contrary to what others have said, I think the keyboard is fine, and it has convenient volume control keys built in. The mouse is cheap, but I already have a high-quality wireless. Plenty of optical drives (1 DVD read/write and 1 DVD ROM), 8 USB 2 ports, 1 Fire wire, an card readers to read just about any type of flash card that exists. Yes, the speakers are cheap but who buys a PC for its speakers?
Cons:
Video Card - The only real shortcoming in this system is the installed ATI Radeon X300 graphics card. While adequate for multimedia and office type applications, it performs absolutely abysmally on any type of 3D or Open GL application (Games, 3D rendering, CAD, etc.). This card scores 1299 on 3Dmark05 - pathetic! However, this is OK, as I prefer to be in control of what type of video card I want to install in my system, and no manufacturer is going to build a PC for the mass market with a high-end graphics card included anyway (due to cost). Thus, when I upgraded to a GeForce 7800GT video card I didn't feel so bad about tossing the Radeon X300 into my scrap pile (heck, I don't think you can even buy one retail if you wanted - the lowest ATI card I've seen for sale is the X800). Now I get a smokin' 8199 on 3Dmark05! So, in a way, this really isn't a con, as any serious graphics enthusiast will want to change the video card anyway.
Customer Rating: -
Failed Out of The Box
Received a "CPU Fan Abnormal" error on the first restart. The fan is working but the CPU is running to hot at idle. I called Sony they are going to repair, not replace it. I purchased it from Circuit City and they are going to replace it, thank you for standing behind the products you sell! I have had trouble with other Sony products lately, so I think this will be the last Sony product I purchase!
Customer Rating: -
Lexus of PCs - Great but Not Perfect
After buying two Dell PCs with quality problems, I was looking for a high-end PC for database-related work. After a detailed search, I hit on this PC, and I'm quite happy with it, except for some nit-picking complaints. I'd give it 4.5 stars.
Pros:
- It's a Lexus of PC, and it's such a pleasure to run a dozen different apps on a PC that barely slows down while staying virtually silent.
- The ergonomic design makes it easy to use, and the RCA-type RGB
connections (front and rear) makes it easy to plug in a VCR and transfer the existing baby videos to DVD.
- Many software are built in, and the quality of the PC is evident both inside and out. The remote control that comes with it is nicely designed and useful.
- For the price and quality, it's a much better value proposition over Dell XPS series.
- The fact that it doesn't come with a monitor is a plus. I hate the cheap monitors that Dell forces upon the buyers. I'd recommend the Samsung 930B enthusiastically.
Cons:
- The flaws are minor but cumulatively annoying. The keyboard is the cheapest (to look and feel) among all of the PCs I've owned. The speakers also match the keyboard's quality (or lack thereof).
- There is almost NO paper documentation to this PC. (Even the $50 Sony DVD player that I had bought comes with a 30-page manual.)
- In order for the remote control to register, you have to point it right at the remote sensor, and even then it often does not respond. Frustrating.
- The computer is designed to be a tower, but it'd been nice if it was designed to be narrower, so that it can reside on the desktop. It's so quiet and beautifully designed that it should stay on the desk, so that video and audio connects can be more easily made.
P.S. This PC is available at CircuitCity.