January 2003 High-end Gaming PC Buyer's Guide - Page 2

Intel CPU: Intel Pentium 4 2.66 GHz (533 MHz)

Current Cost: $290
Months on list: New
Price Change: N/A

In some ways, buying as high on the CPU scale as possible can be a very wise investment. As such, we're adding a bit more cash to the processor area, as well as making use of some recent price cuts to the high-end of the Intel Pentium 4 line. The Pentium 4-2.66 GHz is a perfect match; it's a top performer, supports the 533 MHz FSB, and is priced much lower than the 3.06 or 2.8 GHz models. The 533 MHz bus jacks performance just by virtue of faster overall system throughput, not to mention making the best use of higher-end memory technologies. With Intel moving over the 3.0 GHz limit, overclocking is also a real option, especially that the high Pentium 4 multipliers yield high overclock speeds with only minimal increases to the FSB.

AMD CPU: AMD Athlon XP 2600+ (333 MHz) OEM

Current Cost: $276
Months on list: New
Price Change: N/A

Since we upped the Pentium 4 budget, it's only natural to do the same for the Athlon XP. It's even more important on the AMD side, as there is a wide gulf between the Athlon XP 2400+ and our selection of the Athlon XP 2600+ (333 MHz). We still end up saving a few bucks over the Intel processor, but the 2700+ is a wee bit out of our league. It is important to remember that AMD produces the Athlon XP 2600+ at both the 266 and 333 MHz bus speeds, and naturally, the higher FSB is the optimum choice. This not only speeds up overall system throughput, but gives DDR333 and DDR400 platforms a real boost in memory speed and performance. We're also going the OEM route with the Athlon XP, as it saves money and gives us more freedom in selecting a cooling solution. With the Athlon XP die shrink, the physical core is also smaller and makes the heatsink/fan combo a very important choice, especially if overclocking is in your future.

Pentium 4 Heatsink-Fan: Alpha PAL8942

Current Cost: $35
Months on list: 3
Price Change: $0

The choice of the Retail or OEM Pentium 4-2.66 GHz is a coin toss, as the retail HSF is more than adequate for cooling, while the OEM model is a bit less expensive. For those going the OEM route, or for the rabid overclockers out there, the Alpha PAL8942 is an excellent combination of value and cooling performance and places quite well even when compared to the ultra-expensive Swiftech models. This popular Alpha heatsink features a copper base for additional heat dissipation, as well as letting buyers choose a custom fan component. Our price includes the heatsink and a name brand cooling fan, but hardcore users can certainly spend more and upgrade to a higher-level fan. Either way, the Alpha is a powerful Pentium 4 cooling option and a good insurance policy if you intend to overclock above 2.66 GHz.

AMD Heatsink-Fan: Thermalright SLK-800, Panaflow fan

Current Cost: $38 + $11 = $49
Months on list: New
Price Change: N/A

Due to the sheer number of options, buying an Athlon XP heatsink-fan can be a daunting task, but it remains an important one. Thermalright has produced more than a few high-quality models (including the AX-7) and their SLK-800 is an excellent upgrade to that overall Socket A design. The Thermalright SLK-800 is a beast of a copper cooler, featuring a stable three-prong socket attachment, and is still quite affordable. The fan option is a custom one, and in this case, we're recommending one of the Panaflow low-noise fans as the cooling base, along with an Athlon XP shim for added insurance. Heavy-duty overclockers may want to move a bit higher on the fan speed scale, with the commensurate increase in ambient noise.