January 2003 High-end Gaming PC Buyer's Guide - Page 7

NIC: Intel Pro/100S

Cost: $35
Months on list: 4
Price Change: -$5

LAN gaming, and DSL/Cable Internet access are all good reasons to have a quality NIC (Network Interface Card) in your gaming rig. Unless you already own a functional network card, we do not recommend going the cheap route when buying a primary NIC. Buying a brand name, quality NIC is always money well spent. Intel is a respected name in the NIC business, and their Intel Pro/100S combines excellent performance, features and price into a very attractive package.

Or...

Modem: US Robotics External v.92 Faxmodem

Cost: $45
Months on list: 6
Price Change: +$5

Although the NIC will work great for those lucky souls with DSL or cable Internet access, many gamers are still using dial-up Internet accounts. In addition, some may actually use their killer gaming systems for business-related functions, and require a standard modem for fax or data transmissions. For a fast, stable modem, we recommend the US Robotics External v.92 Faxmodem. You not only get an external model, along with standard v.90 support and a chance to try out the new v.92 pseudo-standard, but this modem comes from a company long known for their quality communications hardware.

Operating System: Windows XP Pro

Cost: $132
Months on list: 6
Price Change: $0

The choice of Windows XP Pro as our operating system is getting easier, and we feel that Windows XP Pro is far superior to the Home version. Paying a bit more for the Pro versions is well worth the extra investment, to get the enhanced networking and configuration options available in the XP Pro operating system. This is especially true for those thinking of upgrading to an Intel Hyperthreading CPU or multi-processor system, as the Pro version supports multiple logical and physical processors.

The above price is for the OEM version of Windows XP Pro and assumes you buy it alongside a new system or with one of your hardware components. If you buy a pre-built PC or plan your hardware purchases correctly (usually a hard drive is the best bet to qualify) this would qualify you for the lower-priced OEM version. If you already own a copy of a Windows operating system (limited to Win 98 or newer and Win NT 4 or newer) then you can also purchase the Windows XP Pro upgrade CD and potentially save more money.

Name Brand Floppy

Current Cost: $8

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 around 8 bucks and be done with it.

Extras:

Although a UPS isn't really part of a gaming system, anymore than a printer or scanner is, it does provide insurance against power spikes and should be considered when laying down the cash for a $2500 PC. A quality UPS will not only provide protection against voltage irregularities, but in the event of power outages it will allow a smooth shutdown and potentially save against file loss or system corruption. APC produces some excellent home UPS models, but be sure to match the voltage ratings (VA) against the actual power consumption of your PC.