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Sharky Extreme : Monthly Extreme Gaming PC Buyer's Guide |
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Monthly Extreme Gaming PC Buyer's Guide |
March 2004 Extreme Gaming PC Buyer's Guide - Page 5By Ryan "Speedy" Wissman March 26, 2004
Cost: $436 Since the release of their legendary Radeon 9700 Pro, ATI has been wearing the performance crown despite NVIDIA's best efforts to snatch it away. Each of the subsequent iterations of the original R300 core has been a success for ATI, while NVIDIA has only recently managed to right themselves after the disastrous release of the GeForce FX 5800. We're looking at top-end hardware for this guide, so the ATI Radeon 9800XT naturally remains as our choice in the ever-important 3D video card section. The Radeon 9800XT is packed with 256-MB of onboard memory, and has increased core and memory speed of 412 MHz and 730 MHz respectively. The free coupon for Half-Life 2 upon release is just the cherry on top. At least until ATI and NVIDIA announce their next generation cards next month, the Radeon 9800XT will remain the top choice in this category.
ATI's current powerhouse features the R360 core variant, and has support for all features included in the R3XX architecture, and then some, including SmartShader 2.1, and SmoothVision 2.1. The Radeon 9800XT also has a 256-bit wide memory bus, up to 256-MB of memory, along with support for manufacturer sanctioned overclocking through ATI's OverDrive feature. The card has a built in thermal diode which will assist the drivers in overclocking the core speed (up to about 440 MHz) if temperatures permit. However, it will not clock itself lower than the advertised 412 MHz at any time. The Overdrive feature is currently only available on the 9800 XT with Catalyst driver version 3.8 or later.
Cost: $604
When it comes to choosing our high-end CRT monitor, there are a few high-end manufactures we look to, and NEC/Mitsubishi continually shines as one of our top choices. We generally like to invest a good portion of our monthly allotment into our monitor because it will be a long-term investment for most. When it comes to selecting a CRT, we look to make sure we get the largest monitor with the best clarity and resolution offered. This month we decided to stick with the same monitor we used in the last guide, the Mitsubishi Diamondtron DP2070SB-BK. This 22" monitor (20" viewable area) has a maximum resolution of 2048x1536 at 85Hz refresh rate. The aperture grille (the kind with the two horizontal lines) has a dot pitch of .24mm and is touted as totally flat. Mitsubishi warranties the monitor for 3 years against defects so make sure you purchase a full retail model to get the warranty.
Cost: $197
Currently, the Audigy2 ZS Platinum Pro is Creative's top of the line product. Only a minor upgrade from the previous Audigy2, the ZS does add a few notable new features. Included are a better 108 SNR DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converter), 7.1 channel support, the latest in EAX technology, and DVD Audio support. The Platinum Pro version of the card comes with a hefty external breakout box that includes a number of input and output ports and a remote control.
The breakout box included with the Audigy2 ZS Platinum Pro attaches to the internal soundcard and offers a wealth of external connectors including optical and coaxial inputs and outputs, 2 Firewire ports, MIDI input and output, as well as connectors for headphones and a number of 1/4" stereo mini jacks. The card also comes with software programs for music enthusiasts and creators that surely are a great value considering the $197 price tag.
Cost: $279 As much as we would like to include a high-end 7.1 or 6.1 surround system there are simply too few choices for us to consider including one in this guide. Rather, we chose to stick with a set of excellent 5.1 speakers from Logitech. The Z-680 5.1 surround speaker set is currently one of the best on the market, and offers an excellent price-to-performance ratio considering it can be purchased for under $300.
The Logitech Z-680 speakers feature 500RMS watts of burst power, and an external Dolby Digital and DTS decoder. The 188W subwoofer is complimented by a 69W center channel and four 62W surround speakers (505 watts total) The Logitech Z-680 5.1 speakers are a perfect compliment to the Audigy2 Platinum sound card whether you play games, listen to music, watch movies, or all three.
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