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Sharky Extreme : Monthly Extreme Gaming PC Buyer's Guide |
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Monthly Extreme Gaming PC Buyer's Guide |
August Extreme Gaming PC Buyer's Guide - Page 5By Ryan "Speedy" Wissman August 22, 2005
Cost: $499 PCI Express has all but replaced AGP, and newer cards are PCIe-only designs, so any high-end system configuration should support this technology. NVIDIA has recently introduced their next generation part dubbed the GeForce 7800 GTX, which is a powerhouse offering performance similar to that of dual GeForce 6800 Ultra boards in SLI mode. NVIDIA has taken a considerable lead on ATI of late, especially with the delay of ATI's R520-based cards. The GeForce 7800 GTX has a number of new features and performance enhancements that put it considerably ahead of last year's GeForce 6800 line. At around $499, these new cards certainly don't come cheap, but considering a single GeForce 7800 GTX can match the performance of dual GeForce 6800 Ultras, it's actually a better value.
NVIDIA's latest generation card, the GeForce 7800 GTX, isn't quite the same leap in performance and features that the GeForce 6800 was over the FX line, but the card can certainly hold its own against anything else on the market. The GeForce 7800 GTX features support for SLI, CineFX 4.0, Intellisample 4.0, MPEG-2 and WMV hardware acceleration, Ultra Shadow II, and PC Express to name a few. Most GeForce 7800 GTX cards come clocked at 430MHz for the core and 1200MHz for memory, and come with 256MB of onboard DDR3 memory. For those of you who prefer to use ATI-based cards we recommend the ATI Radeon X850XTPE. The Radeon X850XT Platinum Edition is ATI's highest performing hard right now, and will likely remain so until cards based on the R520 core surface. The X850XTPE cannot quite compete outright with the newly released NVIDIA GeForce 7800 GTX, but ATI's solid commitment to quality and excellent driver support make it a worthy alternative nonetheless.
Cost: $524 As we continue to phase CRT monitors out of our buyer's guides, LCD monitors have become increasingly attractive, especially for our High End and Extreme Buyer's Guides. ViewSonic NEC/Mitsubishi, Samsung, and Dell are among the world's best in terms of high-end gaming monitors, especially in terms of high-end and widescreen displays. We prefer to invest a sizeable chunk of our monthly allotment into a high quality monitor, as a nice LCD or CRT display will be a long-term investment that may well outlast your computer itself.
As the industry continues to move away from bulky CRT monitors, we have shifted to an LCD as our main selection. As widescreen LCD monitors have become increasingly popular, it seemed to be the right time to finally include one in this guide. The Dell UltraSharp 2005FPW 20.1-inch (wide) LCD is the best performing, and most economically feasible, 20" widescreen LCD monitor currently available. The UltraSharp 2005FPW features the same LG panel as the more expensive Apple 20" Cinema display, but at about half the price. This monitor features a resolution of 1680x1050, has a 600:1 contrast ratio, 300 cd/m2 brightness, and includes DVI and VGA outputs. The monitor currently retails for approximately $524, which makes it only a tad bit more expensive than the 19" LCD we included before. For gamers who cannot 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. Keep in mind that high-end 19" monitors like this are becoming increasingly difficult to find, but at about $600, it makes an excellent alternative to our main selection, especially if LCDs aren't your thing.
Cost: $153
As Creative readies the their new X-Fi line of cards for release at the end of this month, this will likely be the last time we include a soundcard from the Audigy line in this guide. But until then, the SoundBlaster Audigy2 ZS Platinum is our favorite among the high end gaming audio solutions. The Audigy2 ZS Platinum includes a smooth 108 SNR DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converter), 7.1 channel support, the latest in EAX technology, and DVD Audio support.
The Audigy2 ZS Platinum includes a remote control and an internal drive bay that has a number of important audio connectors. In terms of gaming software, the Platinum retail box 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 is available online for about $153.
Cost: $275 As 5.1 systems continue to dominate the PC gaming arena, we see very little use in a full-blown 7.1 speaker system. Many of today's high end 5.1 multimedia systems are an excellent value, and can often rival the quality found in many home theater systems. This month we are sticking with the Logitech's Z-5500 5.1 Digital system, as it offers best in class audio quality without pushing out budget to the limit. The Z-5500 set is priced at around $275, making them a bit on the expensive side, but well worth it for the home theater-like sound quality and killer feature set.
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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