December Extreme Gaming PC Buyer's Guide - Page 2

Intel CPU: Pentium 4-3.06 GHz with Hyper Threading Retail

Current Cost: $675
Months on List: New
Price Change: N/A

With an Extreme Gaming System, it's only natural to outfit this kind of powerhouse with the fastest CPU possible. We've decided to make the jump to Intel's latest flagship processor, the Intel Pentium4-3.06 GHz with Hyper-Threading. Aside from the speed upgrade from last month's 2.8 GHz processor, there is an added improvement on top of the expected raw processor core frequency upgrade. That major innovation is Hyper Threading, in a nutshell; Hyper Threading in the proper operating system environment essentially allows for multi-processor functionality in a single CPU. The biggest advantage of HT is the ability to multi task much more smoothly than previous CPU's that lacked this feature. Unfortunately only Windows XP Professional, Windows XP Home Edition, and Linux currently support Hyper Threading, so pick your operating system carefully.

AS with Intel's previous flagship Pentium 4's, the Pentium 4-3.06 GHz is operating on the 533 MHz front side bus, providing the fastest possible performance on the Pentium 4 platform. We're recommending the retail version of the CPU because the Northwood core runs quite cool, and the retail coolers shipped with Intel Pentium 4's are nothing to be ashamed off. They're quite large, yet are coupled with a virtually noise free fan, allowing for quiet, yet cool operation of the CPU. Intel retail CPUs also come with a 3-year warranty, which is always a plus.

AMD CPU: Athlon XP 2700+ OEM

Current Cost: $330
Months on List: 2
Price Change: -$18

With the hefty price attached to Intel's top-of-the-line offering, AMD's top dog has once again taken its spot as the high performance, though still more value-minded alternative. With this in mind, the AMD system will be a high-end one, with a slightly more balanced selection of hardware. Clocked at 2.17 GHz with a model rating of 2700+, and a FSB speed of 333 MHz, this new AMD processor is definitely not a slouch in the performance arena. The AMD Athlon XP line is quite attractive due to the presence of SSE support and Data Prefetch, which helps the XP line to compete against Intel's offerings. This high end Athlon XP 2700+ model from AMD is produced on the newer Thoroughbred core, which is quite similar to the older Palomino core. However the T-bred has had a die shrink from the 0.18-micron on the Palomino core, to a more attractive, and heat efficient 0.13-micron die process. Despite the die shrink, AMD Athlon XP's are best served with a high-end cooler, and if you plan on overclocking, it's best to get a hefty third party heatsink-fan!

Intel Cooling: included Retail HSF

Current Cost: N/A

Considering how expensive the Pentium 4-3.06 GHz is, and how the stock HSF can more than handle the heat, there really is no need to shell out more money for a better cooler. There are some excellent third party socket 478 coolers on the market now, but the included Intel retail HSF unit does the job, and is very quiet to boot. The Intel HSF is also quite easy to install, and if you have problems with installing it, then try a little bit more patience; attaching an Intel retail cooler is an exercise in simplicity. If you insist on having a third party cooler, or are unable to purchase a retail version of the Pentium 4-3.06 GHz, then a Thermalright AX-478 + a Quiet 80mm (3000rpm or less) fan for about $40 will suffice.

AMD Cooling: Swiftech MCX462 80mm heatsink, Thermaltake 80mm Smartfan

Current Cost of Swiftech MCX462 Heatsink: $45
Current Cost of Thermaltake 80mm Smartfan: $13
Months on List: 3
Price Change: $0

Cooling for the Athlon XP 2700+ is quite a different story from the Intel Pentium 4-3.06 GHz. Then again, you do have to balance good cooling, without harming your ears from those ridiculously loud fans that so many AMD users utilize. The solution is to get a big heatsink to start, and very few are larger than the Swiftech MCX462.

Combining the Swiftech MCX462 with the Thermaltake 80mm "Smartfan" will provide you with a cool running CPU, and at a very acceptable decibel level. The "Smartfan" has a thermal sensor attached to it that controls how fast the fan spins. When the temperature around the fan is high, the fan will spin faster to compensate, and vice versa.

If you are looking for more "Extreme" cooling, then simply swap the fan out for a much faster and louder model. The choice of sacrificing low noise for a 7200 RPM rocket is yours to make. We believe an extreme gaming machine should perform at a high level, but not be able to double as a jet engine in its spare time.