January 2003 High-end Gaming PC Buyer's Guide - Page 4

Memory: Mushkin 512-MB PC3200/DDR400

Current Cost: $218
Months on list: New
Price Change: N/A

Our budget affords us one stick of 512-MB DDR, so we decided to go wild and buy a high quality module. The choice of brand is still more of an individual choice, but for a basic recommendation, it's tough to beat Mushkin's 512-MB PC3200. This is our primary memory for testing purposes, and we have yet to find a motherboard it didn't like. Performance and memory timings are excellent, and although it is a few bucks more than some other brands, we feel it's more than worth the slight premium. Overclocking is also much easier with DDR400 memory, as it can handle the higher clock speeds, as well as operating at high memory timings at sub-400 MHz speeds. With the price of PC2700 getting quite close to PC3200, going the 400 MHZ route is actually a better value and longer-term investment.

512-MB should be more than adequate for a high-end gaming system, and memory is the most easily upgraded components. Starting off with only a single DIMM makes the most sense where the Pentium 4 is concerned. Due to its dual-channel DDR architecture, the nForce2 is more problematic, but the cost of 2 x 256-MB of PC3200 is approximately the same price as a single 512-MB module.

Hard Drive:

Western Digital 200-GB Special Edition

Current Cost: $275
Months on list: New
Price Change: N/A

Due to price decreases and new model releases, we're able to snag a powerful Western Digital Special Edition 200 GB hard drive for the same price as the 180 GB model cost us last time. These Western Digital SE drives are the current cream of the IDE hard drive crop and feature a full 8-MB of cache, fast access times and a 7200 RPM speed. These units can approach SCSI performance levels and the large 200 GB of storage space will hold drive upgrades off for some time. We also recommend buying as much physical space as possible in a single drive to start, and making a potential new drive install a snap.

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

Cost: $45
Months on list: 6
Price Change: $0

Our testing of various DVD-ROM drives has shown us that the standard tray-loading mechanism is the best bet for most users. Sure, it won't impress the ladies (or gents) like a slot-loader, but with all the different-sized CD media we've encountered, it can be simpler to play it safe rather than risk incompatibilities.

One of the very best DVD drives is the Toshiba SD-M1612 16X DVD-ROM. This Toshiba unit is a standard tray-loader easily matches the features and performance specs of even the high-powered Pioneer DVD-ROMs. 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, a 85ms access time and excellent product support, this is a popular, high-performance DVD-ROM unit without the correspondingly high price tag.

CDRW: ASUS CRW-5224A CDRW

Cost: $80
Months on list: New
Price Change: N/A

Sure there are PC DVD-R/RW recorders available now, but the adoption rate on them is still quite low, and prices on drives and media have prohibited the average consumer from purchasing them en masse. Although this is an extreme guide, we're going to have to wait a bit longer before adding a DVD-R/RW to the list. We're once again switching our CDRW choice to a very powerful, fast and surprisingly inexpensive unit.

The ASUS CRW-5224A boasts 52X CD write speeds, 24X CD re-write speeds, 52X CD reading speeds, and a blazing 52X Digital Audio Extraction speeds. This drive is extremely fast and stable, and includes a 2-MB data buffer, and support for buffer under-run protection and optimal writing speed technology. The retail software and hardware bundle is one of the best we've seen, and ASUS not only includes Nero 5 burning software, but stuffs a 10-pack of 52X-compatible CDRs and two 24X CDRW disks in as well. The ASUS CRW-5224A isn't one of those drives you can only read the specs on (and wait for available media) but can be used at its top-end performance range right out of the box. The 24X CDRW disks come in mighty handy, especially since it these are incredibly hard to find at the present time.