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Sharky Extreme : Monthly High-end Gaming System Buyer's Guide |
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Monthly High-end Gaming System Buyer's Guide |
March High-end Gaming PC Buyer's Guide - Page 2By Ryan "Speedy" Wissman, Vince Freeman March 25, 2005
Current Cost: $419 Intel has been hard at work releasing new processors, including a hot 3.73 GHz Pentium 4 Extreme Edition, as well as a new line of Pentium 4 6xx series models. These feature both an upgraded 2-MB L2 cache and 64-bit support, but after working the budget numbers, our best bet is still the Pentium 4 560. This 3.6 GHz processor is a real value compared to some other Intel CPUs, and at just a bit more than $400, we're pretty close to the Intel top-end performers, some of which are pushing $1K. We moved away from Socket 478 last time out, and with the i925X chipset powering our Intel system, we not only get access to the top-end Pentium 4 models, but also the latest technologies like PCI Express and DDR2. The 3.6 GHz Pentium 4 560 is a stone's throw away Intel's highest clocked Pentium 4 570J (3.8 GHz) processor, but checks in at almost half the price. The Pentium 4 560 is built on the cooler running 90nm process and maintains many of the same features of the previous Prescott-based processors, such as an increased 1MB L2 cache, and support for SSE3. The Pentium 4 560 is more than capable of keeping up with the AMD Athlon 64 line, especially when it comes to media encoding and decoding performance, but has a bit more difficulty with games. Priced at $419, the processor is still expensive, but compared to the Pentium 4 570J or even the Pentium 4 660 (3.6 GHz) - both well above $600 - it is a serious value.
We prefer to use retail processors when possible as they come with a free heatsink and fan as well as a much beefier warranty. Such is the case with the retail Pentium 4 560 3.6 GHz. The retail version of this processor ships with a relatively good HSF (although we sometimes prefer to use our own, budget permitting), and a much better 3-year warranty, making it worth the few extra dollars in our book.
Current Cost: $375 AMD has enjoyed great success with their Athlon 64 line, and continues to push the Socket 939 design against the Intel LGA775 in a head-on battle. Along with a new pin count, the new Socket 939 interface is designed to support both Athlon 64 and Athlon 64 FX processors with a common interface and core-logic chipset. Now, Athlon 64 processors riding on the new interface feature a dual-channel memory controller, and a decreased 512KB L2 cache, half of what was previously used on the early 754-pin models. AMD has also been hard at work cutting prices to their top-end models, and we're proud to announce that the Athlon 64 3800+ has been added to our AMD configuration. The Athlon 64 3800+ takes over from the 3500+ as the best overall deal for AMD buyers, and will really give the Pentium 4-3.6 GHz fits in terms of overall performance. The Athlon 64 3800+ used to sport a premium price, but now that AMD has sliced a few hundred off the top, we have no problem fitting it into our budget. Currently priced at $375, the Athlon 64 3800+ is not only a great high-end value, but its 2.4 GHz clock speed and 512K L2 cache places it right near the top of the AMD performance chart. We always prefer to use retail versions whenever possible as they come with a beefier 3-year manufacturer's warranty and a decent heatsink/fan combo, especially in this case where the retail model is priced equivalent to the OEM. Although we are going with a third-party HSF this month, the included retail unit can come in handy for those on a tighter budget.
Although AMD continues to take an axe to their CPU prices, it may still be a long while before we upgrade the Athlon 64 3800+. The Athlon 64 4000+ (2.4 GHz, 1-MB L2), not a compelling option by itself, is still priced at well over $500, while the natural upgrade of the 2.6 GHz Athlon 64 FX-55 is pushing $900. Perhaps the upcoming release of dual core CPUs will force prices down, and slide one of the above processors into the all-important $400-$500 range.
Current Cost: $0 This month we are sticking with the retail heatsink-fan combo that is packaged with the retail Pentium 4 560. Due to the increased cost on the Intel side of the fence, we are unable to afford a more expensive third-party cooler, but this is tempered by allowing 3.6 GHz of Pentium 4 power. The retail heatsink that Intel bundles are sufficient so long as you are not into hardcore overclocking, not to mention they're a snap to install.
For Intel fans feeling a bit jealous of the AMD heatsink-fan selection, Thermalright offers a $5 LGA775 RM bracket that allows the Thermalright XP-120 and XP-90 heatsinks to be installed on LGA 775 platforms. It installs similar to current Socket 939 HSF brackets, and could be the answer to some Intel enthusiast cooling requirements.
Current Cost: $65 The lower cost of our AMD system afforded us with extra cash needed to buy a higher-end heatsink-fan, and is an improvement over what comes in the retail bundle. The Thermalright XP-120 is the latest and greatest in a long line of high quality heatsinks from Thermalright, and will be more than enough to cool our Athlon 64 3800+ at 2.4 GHz and beyond. The XP-120 expands on the design of the SLK-984U by dramatically increasing raw surface area, through an incredible number of aluminum fins on top of a nickel plated copper base.
The end result is an ultra high quality, easy to install behemoth of a CPU cooler. However, don't let the XP-120's huge size fool you, as the all-aluminum fin design makes the heatsink significantly lighter than its all copper counterparts without sacrificing one bit of cooling capability. Priced at approximately $65, including a 120mm Vantec Stealth fan, this hardware is expensive, but it's still a relative bargain considering its raw cooling potential.
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