February Extreme Gaming PC Buyer's Guide - Page 4

System Memory

Intel: Four 256MB PC800 RIMMs

Current Cost: $79 x 4 = $316
Months on list: 2
Price Change: -$12

Since the i850 requires dual-RDRAM modules to be installed, and 1 GB of system memory should hold out for a long while, we're recommending going with 4x256-MB. Since the ABIT i850 board features 4 true RIMM sockets, there's really no reason to go for dual 512-MB sticks, and a hefty price premium to pay if you do. Even though we're filling all four RIMM sockets up right off the bat, you can rest easy knowing that opening your case to add more memory won't be required for a while.

AMD: Two 512MB DDR PC2700 DIMM

Current Cost: $220 x 2 = $440

Months on list: New
Price Change: N/A

The AMD decision is both easier and more difficult at the same time. On one hand, DDR prices are way out of control, but the technology itself allow single modules to be installed. We've also got only 3 standard DDR sockets on the ABIT board, so buying dual 512-MB DDR modules would seem to be the best ticket. Price differences between PC2100 and PC2700 are negligible (especially with brand name parts) so spend the extra bucks for PC2700. This not only affords greater overclocking, but will get you excellent memory timings at lower clock speeds. Plus, this may come in handy when upgrading motherboards at a future date. Buying PC2700 is also highly recommended for performance boards like the KR7A-133R, and many PC2700 DDR listings mention compatibility for this board by name.

* Please note that although Win 98SE does support large physical quantities of system memory, certain system configurations with more than 512-MB of system memory may experience some issues. Here is the official Microsoft link < http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q253/9/12.ASP> to the various solutions should your particular system configuration experience problems. We've run both 1 GB and 768-MB systems under Windows 98SE with no problems, but the above link is provided just in case.

Hard Drive: Western Digital 120 GB Special Edition

Current Cost: $250
Months on list: New
Price Change: N/A

We've revamped the hard drive category of our Extreme Guide to better reflect some of the performance and capacity enhancements that have been made. With their Caviar Special Edition models, Western Digital is at the forefront of jaw-dropping IDE hard drives. These Special Edition drives feature a full 8-MB cache, 8.9 ms access and a 7200 RPM rotation speed. With 120 GB of storage space, you'll have to load quite a few games before you start feeling the space crunch. The only possible negative is the drive's ATA100 interface. For single-drive configurations this should not have any real performance effect, but with an 8-MB cache and enhanced burst mode (especially in RAID configurations) it would certainly be a nice feature to have.

DVD/CD-ROM: Toshiba SD-M1612 16X DVD-ROM

Cost: $57
Months on list: New
Price Change: N/A

The choice of including a DVD-ROM unit is a tough one for some of our guides, but there is no reason to buy a CD-ROM when you have a system with this much multimedia power. Think about it, a 21" Sony monitor, monster Klipsch 5.1 speakers and a killer SB Live! Platinum soundcard wouldn't you at least like to rent one or two DVD movies to try it out? Then again, it may adversely impact your gaming productivity once you see how utterly cool it is.

For our money, tray-loaders still rule the roost as their long-term viability is higher and these can easily handle the multitude of non-standard sized CD media (business card CDRs anyone?) we've been seeing lately. One of the very best in its class is the Toshiba SD-M1612 16X DVD-ROM. This Toshiba unit is a standard tray-loader with all the features and performance you would expect from a high-end DVD-ROM. Not only does the SD-M1612 provide lightning-fast 16X DVD and 48X CD playback, but it can also handle DVD-RAM disks as well. The SD-M1612 also includes a 512K buffer, an 85ms access time, and excellent product support from industry-leader Toshiba.

CDRW: TDK 32/10/40 veloCD ReWriter

Cost: $199
Months on list: New
Price Change: N/A

For an Extreme Gaming PC we want the very fastest components we can possibly afford, and the TDK 32/10/40 veloCD ReWriter hits on all cylinders. It burns CDs at 32X, CDRWs at 10X and even functions as a 40X CD player (though we recommend using the Toshiba DVD for basic CD-ROM functions). The new TDK veloCD also rips at an incredible 40X DAE (digital audio extraction) rate and features an expansive 4 MB cache along with Buffer Underrun hardware protection. And yes, it also sports the CD Re-Writable High Sped logo that certifies it for use with newer, faster CDRW media. TDK CDRW drives are incredibly popular with enthusiasts due to their excellent performance and super value, and their new 32/10/40 veloCD ReWriter looks to be another great deal.

Floppy: Panasonic, TEAC, etc.

Cost: about $10

Although the floppy drive is rapidly approaching obsolescence, you still need something to boot with and flash your system BIOS safely. Just buy a basic name brand (Panasonic, Sony, TEAC, etc.) for a 10-spot and be done with it.