August 2002 High-end Gaming PC Buyer's Guide - Page 4

Memory: Crucial 512-MB PC2700/DDR333

Intel:

Current Cost: $140
Months on list: New
Price Change: N/A

AMD:

Current Cost: 2 x $140 = $270
Months on list: New
Price Change: N/A

Given that prices have dropped in a few key areas, this gives us a few more dollars to play around with. It's still not enough to go whole-hog with expensive DDR400, but is more than adequate to rack our high-end systems with a 512-MB (Intel) and a full 1 GB (AMD) of Crucial PC2700. Overclocking shouldn't be adversely affected (especially with the locked Pentium 4 system) and by going the PC2700 route, we can move the Intel processor to the Pentium 4-2.4B GHz and basically double the AMD memory configuration. Then again, if taking your Athlon XP to 200 MHz+ front-side bus speeds is the order of the day, feel free to choose 512-MB of DDR400 instead.

Hard Drive:

Western Digital 120-GB Special Edition

Current Cost: $175
Months on list: New
Price Change: N/A

The Western Digital Special Edition drives are the current cream of the IDE hard drive crop. With a full 8-MB of cache, fast access times and a 7200 RPM speed, these units can approach SCSI performance levels and the 120-GB of storage space should ensure that you won't need to upgrade for a while. Even then, we recommend buying as many GB as possible in a single drive to start, thereby making the inevitable disk upgrade a far easier task. We have this drive running in a reference PC and it's lightning fast and is an incredibly good deal at current prices.

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

Cost: $45
Months on list: 4
Price Change: +4

After looking over the various DVD-ROM models, we're still fans of the standard tray-loading mechanism. With all the different-sized CD media you'll encountered, it can be simpler to just play it safe rather than impress your friends with the capabilities of a slot-loader. One of the very best DVD drives is the Toshiba SD-M1612 16X DVD-ROM. This Toshiba unit is a standard tray-loader that easily matches the features and performance specs of other high-end models. Not only does the SD-M1612 provide speedy 16X DVD and 48X CD playback, but it can also handle DVD-RAM disks as well. With a 512K buffer, an 85ms access time and excellent product support, this is a high-performance DVD-ROM unit without the correspondingly high price tag.

CDRW: TDK 48/24/48 VeloCD ReWriter

Cost: $128
Months on list: New
Price Change: N/A

With CDRW units moving up to the 48X CDR speed at the top-end, it's high time we updated our selection in this area. The TDK 48/24/48 VeloCD ReWriter is a very fast CDRW unit at a great price and comes from a well-known name in the business. The unit features 48X write, 24X rewrite (with compatible media) and 48X read speeds, along with a 2 MB buffer and buffer under-run protection technology. TDK also includes Nero Express software in their retail unit, making this a very well-rounded package. If you haven't burned a disk at 48X speeds, you owe it to yourself to give it a run. Trust us, you're not going to have a chance to nab that cold drink or catch a bit of the football game like you can with your old 12X.