January 2003 High-end Gaming PC Buyer's Guide - Page 8

Price Roundup

Intel Pentium 4 System

Case: Aluminum PC Case w/ 350W or higher PSU - $250
Processor: Pentium 4-2.66 GHz (533 MHz) - $290
Cooling: Alpha PAL8942 - $35
Motherboard: ASUS P4PE/L - $120
Memory: 512-MB Mushkin PC3200 - $218
Hard Drive: Western Digital 200 GB SE - $275
Video Card: ATI Radeon 9700 Pro- $330
Monitor: Samsung 900NF - $315
Sound Card: SoundBlaster Audigy 2 - $108
Speakers: Altec Lansing 641 or Logitech Z560 - $135
CD/DVD-ROM: Toshiba SD-M1612 16X DVD-ROM - $45
CDRW: ASUS CRW-5224A CDRW - $80
Communications: Intel Pro/1000 T or US Robotics External v.92 - $45
Mouse: Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer Optical 3.0 - $35
Keyboard: Microsoft Natural Multimedia Keyboard - $46
Operating System: Windows XP Pro - $132
Floppy: Generic - $10

Total: $2,469

AMD Athlon XP System

Case: Aluminum PC Case w/ 350W or higher PSU - $250
Processor: Athlon XP 2600+ (333 MHz) - $276
Cooling: Thermalright SLK-800, Panaflow fan - $49
Motherboard: ASUS A7N8X - $119
Memory: 512-MB Mushkin PC3200 - $218
Hard Drive: Western Digital 200 GB SE - $275
Video Card: ATI Radeon 9700 Pro- $330
Monitor: Samsung 900NF - $315
Sound Card: SoundBlaster Audigy 2 - $108
Speakers: Altec Lansing 641 or Logitech Z560 - $135
CD/DVD-ROM: Toshiba SD-M1612 16X DVD-ROM - $45
CDRW: ASUS CRW-5224A CDRW - $80
Communications: Intel Pro/1000 T or US Robotics External v.92 - $45
Mouse: Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer Optical 3.0 - $35
Keyboard: Microsoft Natural Multimedia Keyboard - $46
Operating System: Windows XP Pro - $132
Floppy: Generic - $10

Total: $2,468

Closing Remarks

Once again, we've assembled a couple of hot-rod PC gaming systems that even surprised us with their high-end components. The processors were the big jump this month, and both the Pentium 4-2.66 GHz and Athlon XP 2600+ are just a few steps from the very top of the processor food chain, and definitely great buys. We also upgraded a few hardware choices, along with moving to other options in many areas, but always not for performance reasons. Some were just great deals (like the ASUS CDRW or WD 120GB hard drive) that either got us more for the money, or allowed some additional expenditure in some other areas. We didn't cut corners, but were still able to assemble two very powerful $2500 gaming systems that even the most discriminating gamer would be satisfied with.

For next month, we'll be keeping a close eye on Intel and AMD processor prices, and hoping to get a deal or two, along with our standard work in determining any new additions to our hardware list. Either way, you can be sure that next month we'll be back with our checkbook in hand, busily working out the numbers for the best high-end gaming in town. As we like to say here at Sharky Extreme, pure 3D gaming speed certainly doesn't come cheap, but each month it becomes a bit more affordable.

Please note that the prices in our guide do not include shipping costs or taxes. The final system price also reflects a "best case" scenario of finding an online vendor that stocks the majority of internal components, or having access to a number of local computer retailers for system quotes and comparison shopping. Also, throughout the compilation of this guide, we have made every attempt to ensure availability and realistic street pricing of the included components.