July 2005 High-end Gaming PC Buyer's Guide - Page 2

Intel CPU: Pentium 4 660 (3.6 GHz) LGA775 Retail

Current Cost: $615
Months on list: 2
Price Change: +$4

We have taken a careful look at current selection of Intel's dual core processors, but currently the 3.2 GHz maximum clock speed doesn't offer the performance we're accustomed to, especially when running in a single-threaded environment. To maintain single-threaded game performance and keep pace with AMD, there really isn't anything in the Pentium D lineup that fits the bill. As a result, we chose to stick with the Pentium 4 660 (3.6 GHz) LGA775 processor this month. Intel's comparably priced Intel Pentium D 840 (3.2 GHz) is a multi-tasking/multi-threading demon, but simply does not offer the single-threaded application performance we need. The next step up is the Intel Pentium D 840 Extreme Edition, and its $995 price tag is simply beyond the scope of this guide.

The Pentium 4 660 is a single core CPU clocked at 3.6GHz, and is only a few steps away from Intel's ultra high-end Pentium 4 EE processors. The 6xx series of CPUs is built on the same 90nm process the 5xx series of CPUs enjoy, but packs a few extra features that Intel feels justifies the higher model number. The Pentium 4 660 features a massive 2MB L2 cache, EM64T (Intel's 64-bit support), SSE3, and has Execute Disable Bit support. At 3.6GHz, the Pentium 4 660 is more than qualified to compete with the Athlon 64 competitor on the AMD side this month. Priced at $615, this is one of the most expensive CPUs we've ever included in this guide, but so far, our budget has been able to handle it.

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 4 660 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.

AMD CPU: Athlon 64 X2 4400+ (2.2GHz) 1MB L2 Cache

Current Cost: $599
Months on list: New
Price Change: N/A

Even though we could not move to a Pentium D processor this month, we have no trouble snagging a dual core Athlon 64 X2. AMD's Athlon 64 X2 4400+ (2.2 GHz) with 1MB of L2 cache offers single threaded performance exceeding a 2.2 GHz Athlon 64 FX equivalent, and it really burns the chart up with exceptional multithreaded performance. While dual core does not offer a huge boost in performance right now as far as games are concerned, traditional multithreaded applications such as video encoding enjoy a huge leap in performance thanks to multiple processing units. Currently, the Athlon 64 X2 4400+ offers the best price to performance ratio out of AMD's line of Athlon 64 X2 processors.

Each of the cores on AMD's Athlon 64 X2 4400+ share many of the same characteristics as the Athlon 64 FX, as each core has its own 1MB of L2 cache, which translates into a total of 2MB of L2 cache per processor. Clocked at 2.2GHz, the Athlon 64 X2 4400+ corresponds to the Athlon 64 FX-51 single core model, but achieves but achieves a slight performance advantage with addition of the second core. As multithreaded applications and games become more prevalent the Athlon 64 X2 will really be given a chance to show off its true power, but for now, we can still enjoy its excellent single threaded performance in today's games. The Athlon 64 X2 4400+ can be found for about $599 at various retailers online.

Pentium 4 Heatsink-Fan: Retail

Current Cost: $0
Months on list: 3
Price Change: N/A

Due to the hefty price of Intel's Pentium 4 660 CPU, we are making use of the HSF supplied with retail Intel processors. The retail heatsink that Intel bundles with the CPU is sufficient so long as you are not into hardcore overclocking, not to mention they're literally a snap to install. Saving the extra $60 affords us the opportunity to include a few higher performance components in other areas of this guide, but please feel free to snag a 3rd-party HSF if you require it.

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.

AMD Heatsink-Fan: Thermalright XP-120 w/Vantec Stealth 120mm

Current Cost: $57
Months on list: 4
Price Change: -$5

Since the retail Athlon 64 X2 4400+ processor is currently less expensive than the OEM, don't be surprised that we decided to put a few dollars towards a higher performance heatsink and fan. For the past few guide updates, we have been using the Thermalright XP-120 and there is no reason to deviate from that recommendation this month. Expanding on the design of the SLK-984U, the XP-120 dramatically increases surface area through the use of an incredible number of aluminum fins, situated on top of a solid 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, and without sacrificing one bit of cooling capability. Priced at approximately $57, which includes a 120mm Vantec Stealth fan, this hardware is expensive, but it's still a relative bargain considering its awesome cooling potential.