Reviews of the Sony VAIO XL3
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CNET Review
The Good: Sleek, quiet home theater PC; wide variety of input and output options; smooth Blu-ray playback; well-thought-out remote control
The Bad: Questionable bang for the buck from the core hardware; single CableCard tuner means reduced PVR capability; wireless keyboard needs some refining.
The Bottom Line: If you're inclined to spend a lot for silence and slim design, Sony's new XL3 Digital Living System delivers better than any other full-size home theater PC we've seen. If you're looking for customizability and the most bang for your buck, other vendors have this system beat.
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alaTest.com
Review Summary: Experts rate this product 72/100 and users 55/100. Comparing these reviews to 58724 other Desktops reviews gives this product an overall alaScore™ 84/100 = Very Good.
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pcadvisor.co.uk
Review Summary: The Sony VAIO VGX-XL3 Digital Living System is a PC. And based on our experience with it, PCs still don't belong in the living room.
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pcworld.com
Review Summary: Which reminds me: The Digital Living System is a PC. And based on my experience with it, PCs still don't belong in the living room
- No Rating
Manufacturer: Sony
Part number: VGX-XL3
General
- Platform Technology Intel VIIV Technology
- Type Media center
- Product Form Factor Desktop
- Built-in Devices LED panel
- Width 16.9 in
- Depth 15.7 in
- Height 5.1 in
- Weight 23.1 lbs
- Color Black
- Desktop type Media center system
Processor
- Type Intel Core 2 Duo E6400 / 2.13 GHz
- Multi-Core processor technology Dual-Core
- 64-bit processor Yes
- Installed Qty 1
- Max processors supported 1
Cache Memory
- Type L2 cache
- Installed Size 2 MB
- Cache Per Processor 2 MB
Mainboard
- Chipset type Intel P965 Express
- Data bus speed 1066 MHz
RAM
- Installed Size 2 GB / 3 GB (max)
- Technology DDR2 SDRAM
- Memory speed 667 MHz
- Memory specification compliance PC2-5300
- RAM form factor DIMM 240-pin
- RAM configuration features 2 x 1 GB
Storage Controller
- Type RAID - Integrated
- Controller interface type Serial ATA-150
- RAID level RAID 0
Storage Controller (2nd)
- Type IDE
Storage
- Hard Drive 2 x 250 GB - Standard - Serial ATA-150 - 7200 rpm
- Hard Drive (2nd) None
Optical Storage
- Type BD-RE - IDE
Storage Removable
- Type None
Monitor
- Monitor Type None.
Multimedia Functionality
- TV tuner type Digital and analog TV
- Video input Video capture adapter
- Analog TV system NTSC
- Digital TV reception ATSC
- High definition TV functionality Yes
Graphics Controller
- Type PCI Express x16 - Plug-in card
- Graphics Processor / Vendor NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GTL
- Total Available Graphics Memory 527 MB
- Digital Video Standard Digital Visual Interface (DVI), High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI)
Audio Output
- Type Sound card - Integrated
- Audio output compliant standards Direct Stream Digital (DSD)
- Speaker(s) None
Input Device
- Type Keyboard
Keyboard
- Keyboard connectivity Wireless
- Keyboard features Built-in touch pad
Audio Input
- Type None
Telecom
- Modem None
Networking
- Networking Network adapter - Integrated
- Wireless LAN Supported Yes
- Data Link Protocol Ethernet, IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet
- Compliant Standards IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g
Printer
- Type None
Expansion / Connectivity
- Expansion Bays Total (Free) 2 ( 0 ) x Internal - 3.5" x 1/3H
- Expansion Slots Total (Free) 2 ( 1 ) x PCI, 1 ( 0 ) x PCI Express x16, 1 ( 1 ) x CableCARD
- Interfaces 1 x Audio - Line-in - RCA, 1 x Audio - Line-out - RCA, 1 x Microphone - Input - Mini-phone 3.5 mm ( 1 in front ), 1 x Headphones - Output - Mini-phone stereo 3.5 mm ( 1 in front ), 1 x Display / video - HDMI - 19 pin HDMI Type A, Audio - SPDIF input - TOSLINK, Audio - SPDIF output - TOSLINK, 1 x TV antenna, 1 x Display / video - S-video input ( 1 in front ), 4 x Hi-Speed USB - 4 pin USB Type A ( 2 in front ), 1 x Audio / video - Composite video/audio input - RCA ( 1 in front ), 1 x Display / video - Component video output - RCA, 1 x Network - Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX/1000Base-T - RJ-45, 2 x IEEE 1394 (FireWire) - 6 pin FireWire, 1 x IEEE 1394 (FireWire) - 4 pin FireWire ( 1 in front )
Miscellaneous
- Included Accessories Remote control
- Cables Included HDMI cable, HDMI-DVI adapter
- Features TV tuner, Cable card
- Compliant Standards ACPI
Power
- Power device type Power supply
- Voltage Required AC 120/230 V
- Power provided 297 Watt
Operating System / Software
- OS Provided Microsoft Windows Vista, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium
- Software Sony Click to DVD, Microsoft Works 8.5, Ulead BD DiscRecorder, Adobe Premiere Elements, AOL Online (90 days trial), InterVideo WinDVD BD for VAIO, Microsoft Office 2007 (Trial), Norton Internet Security 2007 (60 days subscription)
Manufacturer Warranty
- Service & Support 1 year warranty
- Service & Support Details Limited warranty - 1 year
Card Reader
- Card reader Card reader
- Supported flash memory cards Memory Stick, MultiMediaCard, SD Memory Card, SmartMedia Card, xD-Picture Card, Memory Stick Duo, Memory Stick Pro, CompactFlash Card type I, CompactFlash Card type II
Sustainability
- Greenpeace policy rating (Mar 2009) 5.5
- Greenpeace policy rating explained The Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics (greenpeace.org/electronics) ranks leading mobile and PC manufacturers on a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being the best. The scoring is based on the companies' global policies; on their practice of eliminating harmful chemicals; and on how they take responsibility for their products once discarded by consumers.





