June Extreme Gaming PC Buyer's Guide

Introduction

This month, our lofty $4,000 budget affords us the opportunity to make the move to a number of newer technologies that were just out of reach in the last edition of this guide. This time out, we're looking at new technologies such as NVIDIAs AMD and Intel SLI chipsets, high-end DDR2 memory, 300GB NCQ hard drives, and dual-GPU video as the additions to this guide. While this month does not see a complete overhaul of the two system configurations, a few solid upgrades push this guide ahead of our last guide update, especially on the Intel side.

Even with a $4000 budget, there are still some very real limitations that we need to keep in mind. You won't find any ridiculously expensive plasma or LCD TV/monitors, nor will we be able to include an extravagant home theater-level sound system. Rather, the computer hardware is balanced effectively, so that we can feature top-end components for virtually every category of the system. Overall, we are very confident in our choices from month-to-month; each component is put to the litmus test, as $4000 is simply too much cash to slap down without working through the overall configuration with a fine-toothed comb.

Extreme PC Budget: $4000

Case: Cooler Master TAC-T01-E1C WaveMaster w/Antec 480W NeoPower Power Supply

Current Cost of Case and PSU: $239
Months on List: 4
Price Change: +$1

Unlike many components in this guide, the case and power supply remain relatively consistent from month to month. This is a bit surprising, as we spare no expense when it comes to choosing a high end case and power supply. A case should not only be aesthetically pleasing, but also have a spacious interior and feature rich construction. While every case manufacturer has their positives and negatives, a few stand above the rest. Among our current favorites are Cooler Master, Lian Li, and Antec to name a few that should be on your short list when in the market for a new enthusiast-level case.

This month we are sticking with the Cooler Master TAC-T01-E1C as our top choice, and this model is as close to perfection as a high-end case can come. With a brushed aluminum alloy housing, removable motherboard tray, spacious interior, and ultra convenient front ports, you'd be hard pressed to find a better enthusiast case. The WaveMaster features 4 x 5.25", 1 x 3.5" (External), and 4 x 3.5" (Internal) expansion slots, room for 7 expansion slots making this one of the most spacious tower cases we have ever worked with. The Cooler Master TAC-T01-E1C WaveMaster is available at various online retailers for just under $129.

New technologies such as SATA, PCI Express and the latest Intel and AMD motherboards (24-pin) all require unique power connectors, so it was only natural that we chose to go with a power supply that can handle these, right out of the box. The Antec NeoPower 480W has full compliance for the ATX 2.0 standard, dual +12V rails, extremely quiet operation, dedicated fan-only wiring, as well as all the special connectors you can dream of. However, the most attractive feature of this PSU is the detachable modular cables. These include not only the standard peripheral cables, but also SATA and 20/24-pin motherboard cables as well. The modular design allows you to use only the connectors you require, this preserving precious space, and achieving better airflow. It also allows easy upgrades in the future, and can support new technologies and specifications through add-in connectors.

Even considering the amount of juice our Extreme Gaming Systems require, a name brand 480W PSU is more than enough to drive everything, with power to spare. The NeoPower 480W is rather pricey at $110, but considering its high-end features and limited impact to our budget, this is our PSU of choice.

If you choose to go an alternative route when selecting the power supply, please make sure to stick with name brand units (Antec, Enermax, ThermalTake, etc.) and avoid any bargain bin units with lofty output claims.