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Sharky Extreme : Monthly Extreme Gaming PC Buyer's Guide |
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Monthly Extreme Gaming PC Buyer's Guide |
April Extreme Gaming PC Buyer's Guide - Page 5By Ryan "Speedy" Wissman April 1, 2005
Cost: $488
Cost: $748 PCI Express is now the name of the game when it comes to high-end video cards and both our Intel and AMD machines feature support for PCIe video cards. This month we will be making two separate recommendations for our Intel and AMD system so that we can take full advantage of both platforms, just as real-world buyers would. As a result, we chose to go with a single eVGA GeForce 6800 Ultra for our Intel system, and two XFX GeForce 6800GT cards for our AMD configuration. While the latter choice may seem peculiar, remember that our AMD system this month has support for dual PCI Express video cards, while the Intel system does not. Due to the price difference in our AMD and Intel CPUs this month, spending the extra money on a second video card in our AMD system seemed like the natural choice.
In our Intel system, the ultra high-end eVGA GeForce 6800 Ultra is a solid option, as it is arguably the fastest gaming video card currently available. On the AMD side, we went with two XFX GeForce 6800GT video cards, to maximize both performance and our budget. The GeForce 6800GT is a slightly less expensive (and lower clocked) version of the GeForce 6 series GPU, but maintains all the bells and whistles found on its higher-end Ultra brother. The GeForce 6800 Ultra has a clock speed of 400 MHz core and 1100 MHz memory, while the GeForce 6800GT checks in at 350 MHz core and 1000 MHz memory. A single eVGA GeForce 6800 Ultra PCI Express is available online for about $488, while a single XFX GeForce 6800GT PCI Express weighs in at about $374, or $748 for two.
NVIDIA's latest generation of cards based on the NV40 core is head and shoulders ahead of the company's GeForce FX-based line-up. Completely redesigned from the ground up, the GeForce 6800 Ultra features sixteen pixel processors with six vertex units, or more than double what NVIDIA's last-generation technology was capable of. This chip also has a number of advanced features, including 64-Bit texture filtering and blending, Ultra Shadow II technology, CineFX 3.0, and Intellisample 3.0 technology, which are featured across all of the GeForce 6800-based cards.
Cost: $525
When it comes to selecting our high-end CRT or LCD monitor, there are a few manufacturers that always make our short list; ViewSonic, NEC/Mitsubishi, and Samsung are among the world's best in terms of high-end gaming monitors. Generally, we like to invest a significant portion of our monthly budget on a good LCD or CRT monitor because it will likely be a long-term investment. This month we are moving to a high-end LCD monitor as our main recommendation. Quality CRT monitors are rapidly being phased out, and even top models are becoming increasingly hard to find. Our top gaming LCD monitor is the ViewSonic VP912B 19", and it includes both the screen real estate and features necessary for this class. This 19" LCD monitor is priced at $525, and certainly won't break the bank, but also has the top-end specifications we need. These include a 450:1 contrast ratio, 400 cd/m2 brightness, and an ultra fast 12ms response time, and make the VP912B one of the best 19" LCD monitors currently available. For gamers who can't stand the thought of using an LCD, the Mitsubishi Diamondtron 22" DP2070SB-BK is an excellent CRT-based alternative. This flat aperture grill (the kind with two horizontal wires) monitor has a 20" viewable area, a maximum resolution of 2048x1536 at 85Hz refresh rate, and a .24mm dot pitch. Mitsubishi warranties the monitor for three years against defects, so it is important that you pick up the retail model for the full protection. As we stated above, these are becoming increasingly difficult to find, but at about $600, it makes an excellent alternative to our main selection.
Cost: $164
For over a year the Creative Audigy2 ZS Platinum has dominated the high-end gaming audio scene. While this model is only a minor upgrade to the Audigy2, the ZS does add a few notable new features, including a better 108 SNR DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converter), 7.1 channel support, the latest in EAX technology, and DVD Audio support. We are using the Audigy2 ZS Platinum edition again this month as the lower price affords us some extra budget to use in other areas.
The Audigy2 ZS Platinum includes a remote control and an internal drive bay that has a number of important audio connectors. On the gaming software side the Platinum includes Soldier of Fortune II, and Hitman: Silent Assassin. For audio production there are Native Instruments - Traktor DJ Creative Edition, Ulead VideoStudio 5.0 SE DV, and Steinberg - Cubasis VST 4.0 Creative Edition + Wavelab Lite 2.0. The Audigy2 ZS Platinum can be found online for about $164.
Cost: $259 While we don't foresee the need for a full-blown 7.1 speaker audio solution anytime soon, there are still excellent 5.1 solutions from the likes of Creative, Logitech, and Klipsch. This month we are moving to Logitech's Z-5500 5.1 Digital system as it offers a significant upgrade in sound quality over the Logitech Z-680 system we used in the previous guide. For about $259, the Logitech Z-5500 series speakers produce some of the most crystal clear sound we have heard from a 5.1 system, all at a price that won't break the bank.
Logitech's THX-certified Z-5500 speakers feature a total RMS burst power rating of 505 watts, and include an external DTS and Dolby Digital decoder. The system sports four 62W surround speakers, a 69W center channel, and an 188W subwoofer (505 watts total), along with a hip Digital SoundTouch Control Center with LCD display and other settings and inputs. These speakers are a perfect companion to the Audigy 2 Platinum, and the Logitech Z-5500 5.1 Digital is one of the best sounding and most feature-rich PC speaker sets we've ever used.
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