 |
Sharky Extreme : Monthly High-end Gaming System Buyer's Guide |
|
 |
 - Most Active Threads - Technical Support - CPUs & Overclocking  RSS feed Sitemap |
 |
Monthly High-end Gaming System Buyer's Guide |
March High-end Gaming PC Buyer's Guide - Page 5By Vince Freeman, Ryan "Speedy" Wissman March 25, 2005
Current Cost: $394 PCI Express platforms are finally available for both Intel and AMD systems, so last month we shifted our motherboard and video card selections over to the new interface. There is very little difference in speed between the new PCI Express x16 interface and AGP, but scalability and bandwidth are the name of the game, and future upgradeability will certainly be better with PCI Express. In addition, our AMD system includes support for SLI which means that we can run two GeForce 6X00 PCI Express cards simultaneously for nearly twice the performance. If NVIDIA continues to implement this technology in future generations of cards, and motherboard chipsets keep up, this will become a very exciting and expensive upgrade possibility. NVIDIA has also announced an Intel revision of the nForce4 SLI chipset, so that is also a consideration for upcoming guides. The GeForce 6800 GT 256-MB models currently offer the best bang for the buck in terms of high-end PCIe video cards. The PCI Express versions of these GeForce 6800-based cards continue to be priced higher than their AGP counterparts, so it is virtually impossible to move to the GeForce 6800 Ultra at this time. The PCI Express version of the GeForce 6800 GT is nearly identical to the AGP version, and while obvious differences include the new PCIe interface, the potential SLI support is also important. We decided to go with the XFX version of the GeForce 6800 GT 256-MB PCI Express. While XFX adheres to the reference design and does not offer anything special, it was actually one of the most reasonably price boards on the market. At $394, this card still has a hefty price tag, but as the GPU is a critical component to any gaming machine, and this is one area where spending a bit more can really pay off.
Despite the somewhat disappointing performance of NVIDIA's previous generation of cards, the NV40 core is light-years ahead of what they had at this time last year. The GeForce 6800 GT/Ultra core has been completely redesigned from the ground up to feature sixteen pixel processors with six vertex units, or more than double what NVIDIA's previous generation was capable of. The card also has a number of advanced features including 64-Bit texture filtering and blending, Ultra Shadow II technology, CineFX 3.0, and Intellisample 3.0 technology which are featured across all of the GeForce 6800 cards. The XFX GeForce 6800 GT is clocked at the standard 350 MHz core and 1 GHz DDR3 memory, which means no surprises when it comes to comparable performance.
Cost: $340
As the mid-level CRT market has almost completely dried up, the industry has focused on high-end LCD displays to replace aging 17" and 19" CRT monitors. Last month we retired our CRT monitor and replaced it with a sharp new LCD. As technology continues to improve, LCD prices have fallen drastically over the past few months and response times have dropped off the table. Currently, our favorite LCD monitor for under $400 is the ViewSonic VP171B-2 17" LCD. The model has a native resolution of 1280x1024, 8ms response time, 500:1 contrast ratio, 300 cd/m2 brightness, and supports both analog and DVI input. This is one of the best LCD monitors on the market, and the 8ms response time means virtually zero ghosting and absolutely incredible DVD playback. This is our main recommendation, but as this is a 17" monitor, there may be a need for additional real estate. In terms of 19" gaming LCD value, it's tough to beat the BenQ FP937s. This display is priced a bit higher than the ViewSonic VP171B-2 (approximately $390) but features a 12ms response time and dual analog/DVI inputs, so if you want a fast 19" gaming LCD without breaking the bank, this is a very nice choice.
For those who refuse to join the LCD revolution, we recommend the NEC/Mitsubishi DP930SB-BK 19" CRT monitor. This monitor features a 0.24mm grille pitch, totally flat aperture grille CRT, 1920 x 1440 at 73 Hz maximum resolution, and three year warranty. This monitor can be found online for just under $300, slightly less than our main LCD recommendation.
Please keep in mind that when buying any type or brand of monitor, there is always the chance of receiving a defective unit, so be certain to purchase only from a vendor that offers liberal return and replacement options, especially in their "dead pixel replacement policy" for new LCDs.
Cost: $79
The Creative Audigy 2 ZS may only offer a slight improvement over the original Audigy 2, but it still includes a number of enhancements that make it a worthwhile purchase for our High-end Guide. The Audigy 2 ZS card has a slightly-improved 108 signal-to-noise ratio, full 7.1 channel surround sound, DTS ES and Dolby Digital decoding, and updated EAX 4.0 support. For the audiophiles out there, the Audigy 2 ZS features 24-bit, 192 kHz audio support, just like the Audigy 2 before it. The retail edition of the Audigy 2 ZS includes Rainbow Six 3 and Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness games, both of which naturally do an excellent job to show off EAX technology.
With a high end soundcard, a good set of surround sound speakers is a great way to immerse yourself in games, movies and music. Choosing the right speakers is an important investment, as they will likely stay with you as long as your case or monitor.
Cost: $82
As gamers flock to high-end speakers from Logitech and Klipsch, Creative has gone to great lengths improving its own speaker line. Creative speakers cannot compete with higher-priced Logitech or Klipsch models at the hardcore enthusiast level, but at a significantly lower price point these become an excellent value. The $82 Creative Inspire T7700 7.1 set simply cannot be beat, as they offer the best value for the money. Delivering a total of 92 watts RMS power and 125 watts of total system power, the T7700 7.1 set is a bit more powerful than the Creative 6.1 models, and other similarly-priced systems.
|
Comment and Contribute
