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

Intel CPU: Pentium 4-3.0 GHz (800 MHz) OEM

Current Cost: $399
Months on list: 2
Price Change: -$40

This is the first month in sometime that we have not upgraded the processor. The Pentium 4-3.0C GHz (800MHz FSB) is one of Intel's top processor models right now, and taking into consideration the ultra-high pricing of the 3.2 GHz CPU, there isn't much that it could be upgraded to. The unit price has dropped considerably this month, bringing it in even lower than the Athlon XP 3200+. This is great news considering the Pentium 4-3.0C GHz performs comparatively with the Athlon XP 3200+, even besting the more expensive Athlon XP in many tests.

AMD CPU: Athlon XP 3200+ (2.25 GHz Barton) OEM

Current Cost: $442
Months on list: 2
Price Change: -$7
Unlike the Intel Pentium 4-3.0C GHz, AMD's flagship processor did not see a sizeable price reduction this month. However the chip does perform comparatively with the Pentium 4 3.0GHz and fills the performance gap until the eventual release of the Athlon64. The Athlon XP 3200+ has a core clock of 2.25GHz and utilizes a 400MHz (200MHz double-pumped) FSB in addition to its 512K of L2 cache memory. A price of $442 makes it considerably more expensive than the Athlon XP 3000+, but its performance is more competitive with Intel's 3.0C GHz model.

Pentium 4 Heatsink-Fan: Alpha PAL8942, Panaflo fan

Current Cost: $33 + $5 = $38
Months on list: 8
Price Change: $0

While nearly any Pentium 4-certified heatsink/fan combination should be good enough, it's our recommendation that you spend the extra money on a more powerful heatsink/fan. For the past eight months we have recommended the excellent Alpha PAL8942, and will continue to do so again this month. You can toss in a high CFM Delta (if you're not interested in saving your ears) though we recommend a much quieter (though less effective) Panaflo for a few extra dollars.

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

Current Cost: $34 + $5 = $39
Months on list: 5
Price Change: $0

With the removal of the four heatsink mounting holes from AMD's motherboard specifications, the greater number of nForce2 boards come sans mounting holes (with the exception of the one included in this guide), which is unfortunate as many hardcore heatsinks require the extra mounts to properly hold them in place due to their larger surface area and weight. To ensure the maximum compatibility (in case you want to swap out our MB choice) we have decided to go with a standard cooler that did not require the mounting holes and the Thermalright SLK-800 certainly fits the bill.

This cooler offers a very large copper surface area, and stepping fins capable of holding 60mm, 70mm or 80mm fans. We prefer to use an 80mm fan to cut back on noise, but still achieve a respectable CFM rate. For an extra $5 we like to use a Panaflo fan for quiet, efficient cooling.