Sony VAIO VGC-RA820G Digital Studio Basics

As one of the most affordable members of Sony's distinctly upscale "R" series of desktop computers, the VAIO VGC-RA820G Digital Studio PC brandishes many of the same features Sony incorporates into its pricier R models but falls short of state-of-the-art and does not include a viewing screen. Yet even though it's scaled back somewhat from Sony's top PCs in terms of processor speed, 3D graphics capabilities and hard drive capacity, the unit is nevertheless designed to efficiently handle virtually anything you can throw at it and is certainly a solid hub of a business, personal, home office or entertainment environment. It even features an innovative liquid heat pipe cooling system to squelch excess heat and minimize noise. Gamers and 3D animators may want to upgrade the system's midlevel video card, but the VAIO VGC-RA820G is otherwise ideal for those who want high-end computing without paying big bucks.

Sony VAIO VGC-RA820G Digital Studio Processor

At the heart of any computer lies the CPU (or processor), a massive collection of miniature transistors that governs the speed and power of the entire unit. The VAIO VGC-RA820G incorporates one of the fastest CPUs on the market, an Intel Pentium 4 540. New for 2004, this is an upgraded version -- nicknamed "Prescott" -- of the venerable Pentium 4 chip, featuring one full MB of Level 2 cache and a more generous data "pipeline" than prior models. Operating at a speedy 3.2 GHz and of course sporting Intel's Hyper-Threading technology (Hyper-Threading allows a single CPU system to behave at times as a dual CPU system, thus adding substantially more speed to some high-end applications), this CPU delivers more than enough power for any application or environment.

Sony VAIO VGC-RA820G Digital Studio Memory

Computers typically store information on their hard drive, but they keep frequently and recently accessed data in Random Access Memory (RAM) for faster retrieval. More RAM means more efficient computing, superior multitasking and less strain on your hard drive. For the VAIO VGC-RA820G, Sony has installed a whopping 1024 MB (1 GB) of fast PC3200 400 MHz DDR SDRAM memory. This is a generous amount of memory even for a high-end machine, and its rated speed is comparatively quick. As such, it is easily sufficient for any multitasking situation or complex application. Moreover, the system's mainboard is constructed to support RAM upgrades to a whopping 2 GB.

Sony VAIO VGC-RA820G Digital Studio Video

CPU's are usually so busy doing basic calculations that they need help translating visual output to the viewing screen. This is the duty of the graphics card (or graphics controller). A graphics controller with "dedicated" video memory is preferable to a controller that's integrated on the mainboard and "shares" the system's main memory, as it will better handle complex procedures.

The VAIO VGC-RA820G incorporates an ATI Radeon X300 LE with 128 MB of dedicated video memory. This is a very solid graphics card capable of displaying any 2D and the vast majority of 3D applications. However, super-high-end cards with double or quadruple the allotment of video memory are even better equipped for the intricate graphics found in today's top-of-the-line 3D games and animation applications. Thusly, serious gamers or 3D designers may need to upgrade this component in order to achieve buttery smooth 3D motion. The card also features such perks as a television tuner and a 16x PCI Express Giga Pocket MPEG2 Realtime Encoder/Decoder to pause, rewind and replay live TV. Furthermore, Sony will package the system with a handy cordless remote control to make TV and movie viewing even easier.

Sony VAIO VGC-RA820G Digital Studio Display

Sony has not included a display screen, thus allowing you to continue using your current monitor or select from today's many alternatives.

Sony VAIO VGC-RA820G Digital Studio Sound

The VAIO VGC-RA820G generates stereo and surround sound via an Intel High Definition Audio chipset with support for six distinct audio channels. Sony will also enclose a 2.1 speaker system with two desktop satellites for clean middle and high frequencies and a subwoofer for added bass support.

Sony VAIO VGC-RA820G Digital Studio Hard Drive

The unit's large 200 GB internal hard drive is spacious enough for a massive allotment of files and applications and a comprehensive music, video/photo and multimedia library too. Furthermore, this particular hard drive is exceptionally quick -- sporting a fast 7200-RPM speed, an 8 MB buffer, and a futuristic Serial ATA connection. These are all comparatively recent innovations, each increasing the overall speed and performance of the system.

Sony VAIO VGC-RA820G Digital Studio Optical Drive

An optical drive is essential in today's computing world. A "CD-ROM" drive allows you to install CD-based applications and play music CDs. A "CD-RW" drive adds CD "burning", so you can also backup your important files to long-lasting discs and create personalized music CDs. With a DVD-ROM drive you can enjoy all of the above plus watch the same big budget DVD movies you watch on your home entertainment system. And with a DVD-RW drive, you can also "write" home movies to durable discs and archive files to DVD (DVDs boast more than seven times the storage capacity of CDs).

This unit features two optical drives -- a DVD-ROM drive for playing music and data CDs and DVD movies, and a DVD +/- RW Double Layer Multi-Format drive through which you can not only do everything above but also take advantage of new double layer DVDs (twice the capacity of traditional DVDs). Moreover, this two-drive setup allows you to create extremely fast CD or DVD copies.

Sony VAIO VGC-RA820G Digital Studio Connectivity and Expansion

With no less than seven high-speed USB 2.0 ports, you'll have lots of room for plug and play gadgets such as digital cameras and printers. Sony has also installed two IEEE 1394 "FireWire" ports (often used for fast data transfer from digital camcorders), an S/PDIF jack for crystal clear digital audio, two S-Video inputs for lossless digital video, a DVI monitor port for the highest quality images on flat-panel monitors, and a memory card reader for reading today's most popular memory cards from devices such as digital cameras, PDAs and more. Communication options include an integrated Gigabit Ethernet LAN interface for substantially faster network and Internet access than traditional 100Mbps and 10Mbps Ethernet, and a 56K data/fax modem for low-speed dial-up connections

Sony VAIO VGC-RA820G Digital Studio Operating System and Software

The VAIO VGC-RA820G features a software package that's clearly aimed at fans of multimedia. Headed by Microsoft's Windows Media Center Edition operating system and Microsoft's Works 8.0 productivity pack, the bundle also features Adobe Premier LE video editing suite, Adobe Photoshop Elements digital imaging utility, and a half dozen of Sony's own top notch audio, video and photo tools.

Sony VAIO VGC-RA820G Digital Studio Control

Apart from the aforementioned remote control, the system includes a convenient VAIO Keyboard and a no hassle PS/2 optical mouse.