May High-end Gaming PC Buyer's Guide - Page 4

Memory: 2 X 256-MB Corsair XMS DDR400/PC3200 DDR

Current Cost: $160
Months on list: 4
Price Change: $0

Unlike last month, memory prices remain stagnant this time around, so we're not going to saving any cash in this area. We once recommend Corsair's excellent line of XMS series DDR, as it has proven to be some of the most compatible and reliable memory on the market. It is important that you pick up DDR400/PC3200 modules for full support of this month's 200MHz FSB CPUs, as both the Athlon XP 3200+ and Pentium 4 3.0C really stretch their legs with dual-channel DDR400 enabled. Overall value and performance with the PC3200 modules remains impeccable, and a CAS latency of 2-2-2-6-T1 is top notch. If you want to go even faster you may want to pick up Corsair's PC3500 modules as they have timings equal to 2-3-3-7-T1 at up to 434MH.

We chose to go with two 256MB modules for each system. Both our Intel and AMD systems now support dual-channel memory, so it's best to use two modules in unison on these boards for best performance. At $80 per module the prices are a bit steep for a 256MB stick, but the extra performance comes in handy, and extra overclocking headroom is always welcome.

Hard Drive: Western Digital 200-GB Special Edition 8MB Cache

Current Cost: $206
Months on list: 5
Price Change: -$9

This could quite possibly be the last month we recommend a standard Parallel ATA hard drive for this guide. We've been seeing Serial ATA drives become more widely available, and prices are starting to become comparable to that of IDE drives. However, in addition to speed, ultra high capacity is important to us, and we were unable to find a viable Serial ATA drive to replace the excellent 200-GB Western Digital drive we have been using.

A large cache and solid performance numbers are key elements to high-end IDE performance, and the Western Digital certainly delivers. The drive's 7200RPM spindle rate and 8MB cache keeps data transfers speedy, and a 200-GB capacity is spacious enough to handle just about anything you can throw at it. And at a price just over $200, the Western Digital 200-GB Special Edition is quite a steal.

CD/DVD-ROM: Pioneer 16X DVD-120S/2

Cost: $47
Months on list: 1
Price Change: $0

The Pioneer 16X DVD-120S/2 features a slot load mechanism (similar to that which you would find in your car), and is able to retrieve CDs without the use of a traditional tray mechanism. Pioneer has recently updated their 106S model to the newer, although technically similar, 120S drive proving no change in price.

Pioneer has long been one of the top innovators in the field of optical media, and their 16X DVD-ROM drive is one of the best. A 256K buffer, 95ms seek time on DVDs, 80ms seek on CDs, and vertical and horizontal mounting capabilities make the Pioneer 16X DVD-120S one of our favorite DVD drives.

For those who deal with different-sized CD media, a standard tray-loading Pioneer model (DVD-117) is also available, and can be had for a few dollars less than this model. The drive can also be found with either beige or black face plates. However, due to the demand of the black model expect to pay a few dollars extra compared with the standard beige drive.

CDRW: Lite-On 52x24x52 CD-RW LTR-52246

Cost: $47
Months on list: 4
Price Change: $0

CD-RW drive speeds and prices continue to stagnate while we watch DVD-R/RW (or the "+" variants) drive speeds increase and prices decrease. We would love to wait until the format war has been won to include a drive, but we may not need to wait as long. A few drives (manly Lite-On and Sony) have support for both formats and prices continue to approach the reasonable mark. We certainly look forward to including a DVD burner in the near future. However, until then, we will stick with our trusty old CD-RW.

Lite-On is one of the largest manufacturers of optical drives, and the company is so large that many retail level suppliers will actually re-badge Lite-On drivers and sell them at a slightly higher price as their own. Lite-On remains as one of the best, CD-RW manufacturers currently available, and their 52X model is not only a high-performer, but is quite inexpensive to boot.

Lite-On's fastest CD-RW, the LTR-52246 sports speeds of up to 52X, CD Re-Writeable speeds up to 24X, and CD Reading speeds at a slick 52X. The drive comes with a 2-MB buffer, and has a seek time of 80ms. The excellent Ahead Nero Burning Rom software is included with the drive, and is worth more than the drive itself. Overall Lite-On put together an excellent CD-RW package, and it's well worth the $47 purchase price.