May 2005 High-end Gaming PC Buyer's Guide - Page 4

AMD Memory: 1GB (2x512) OCZ PC3200 EL Platinum Rev 2

Current Cost: $208
Months on list: 2
Price Change: -$71

AMD looks like they may skip DDR2 altogether for their desktop platforms, and DDR is still the only supported memory type with current Athlon 64 chipsets. This month we are sticking with the same OCZ PC3200 EL Platinum Rev 2 memory we used last month. The OCZ memory offers incredibly low 2-2-2-5 memory timings which provide top-end performance at 400 MHz, and works exceptionally well in our AMD test platforms. Our FSB requirements this month dictate that we use 400MHz DDR memory (PC3200) so that we can take full advantage of our Athlon 64 4000+ CPU.

A matched pair DDR/DDR2 kit remains the standard choice for both our Intel and AMD systems, as this type of dual-channel memory configuration offers a performance boost over memory running in single channel mode. As a result, it is entirely logical for us to use two sticks of 512MB memory rather than a single 1-GB module for this very reason. The OCZ PC3200 EL Platinum Rev 2 dual channel kit package features two 512MB sticks of ultra-low latency (2-2-2-5 1T) DDR memory.

Intel Memory: 1GB (2x512) Corsair XMS2 TWIN2X1024 4300C3

Current Cost: $199
Months on list: New
Price Change: N/A

This month we are moving away from Crucial Ballistics DDR2 in favor of some higher performing memory from Corsair. While we're still a bit skeptical about the real-world benefits of DDR2 memory, Intel's 925XE chipset require high performance DDR2 memory. The main benefit of DDR2 comes in its support for higher clock speeds compared to DDR, and as Intel begins to push 1066MHz FSB speeds on future processors this will become more of a factor than it is now. In our never-ending quest to squeeze every last ounce of performance out of our machine we decided to go with 1GB (2x512) of Corsair TWIN2X1024-4300C3 memory.

Corsair is among the leaders in high performance memory, meaning that the $199 we spend on the Corsair TWIN2X1024-4300C3 memory is a worthwhile investment. The Corsair memory offers low 3-3-3-8 memory timings, which gives it a slight edge over standard DDR2-533 memory, or even 4-4-4-10 DDR2-667 models. Corsair remains a top choice when it comes to overclockability and the XMS2 memory certainly does not disappoint. Considering that the i925X platform supports dual-channel memory it's only natural that we use two sticks of RAM to take full advantage of all the chipset has to offer.

Hard Drive: Maxtor DiamondMax 10 250GB 7200RPM (6B250S0) OEM

Current Cost: $159
Months on list: 2
Price Change: +$11

Since our AMD and Intel motherboards include support for Native Command Queuing (or NCQ), it's only fitting that we take advantage of this technology. NCQ enabled drives use smart algorithms to speed up hard drive access times, and increase overall data throughput. Many new SATA drives support this technology, and since this is a High-end Guide, we're loading the NCQ-enabled i925XE and nForce 4 motherboards for bear. Rather than use two smaller hard drives in a RAID this month, we went with a single high capacity NCQ capable hard drive as a substitute. The Maxtor DiamondMax 10 250GB is our top choice as far as NCQ-enabled drives are concerned, and at $148 it won't break the bank either.

To say that the Maxtor DiamondMax 10 250GB is an extremely fast hard drive would be somewhat of an understatement, as not only does this model sport a 7200 RPM and NCQ support, but a whopping 16-MB data cache as well. Load times are extremely fast with the Maxtor DiamondMax 10 line, and on our NCQ-compatible platforms, it can even rival a 10K WD Raptor drive for pure performance. This Maxtor drive is no slouch in terms of acoustics and quality, and features fluid dynamic bearings, Quiet Drive Technology, and a full 3-year warranty. Naturally, we're going with the SATA model, but Maxtor also produces these behemoths in upgrade-friendly PATA formats as well.

DVD-/+RW: Pioneer 16x DVD+RW/-RW DVR-109 OEM

Cost: $54
Months on list: New
Price Change: N/A

With the imminent release of both Blu-ray and HD-DVD drives, prices on standard DVD+/-R/RW models have fallen to rock bottom levels. This month we are moving to the Pioneer 16x DVD+RW/-RW DVR-109 model which is also featured in our Extreme Buyer's Guide. It offers a small performance boost over the NEC drive we featured last month, and the Pioneer drive is capable of writing at 6X DVD+/-R for Dual-Layer media, 16X for DVD+/-R, 8X for DVD+RW, 6X for DVD-RW, 40X for CD-R, and 24X for CD-RW media. Priced at an ultra low $54, it's a no-brainer to include it, and invest the additional money in our CPU this month.