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

Intel CPU: Pentium 4 670 (3.8 GHz) LGA775 Retail

Current Cost: $625
Months on list: New
Price Change: N/A

After examining Intel's dual core offerings, we came to the conclusion that a maximum 3.2GHz clock speed doesn't cut it, especially since the majority of our target applications and games are designed for a single-threaded environment. Outside of the pricey Extreme Edition, there really isn't much in the Pentium dual core line that can keep pace with AMD. Consequently, we decided to make the move to the Pentium 4 670 (3.8 GHz) LGA775 processor. This processor offers the fastest single-threaded performance outside of the very Pentium 4-3.73 GHz Extreme Edition, and keeps the system well within budget. While Intel's Pentium 4 D 840 (3.2 GHz) is a multi-tasking and multi-threading workhorse, it simply does not offer top-end performance in games and other single-threaded applications. The Pentium 840 Extreme Edition offers HT support and is a bit faster, but its $1,000 price tag is pushes it beyond the budget for this guide.

The Pentium 4 670 is a single core processor running at 3.8GHz, making it Intel's highest clocked processor to date. 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 4 670 features a whopping 2MB L2 cache, full EM64T (Intel's 64-bit support), SSE3, and has Execute Disable Bit support. The 3.8 GHz Pentium 4 670 is more the capable of keeping up with our choice on the AMD side this month, and at about $625, this CPU is by no means cheap, but our $2,500 our budget is able to accommodate 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 4 670 3.8 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: $526
Months on list: 2
Price Change: -$73

Even though the Intel dual core processors don't make an appearance in the guide, that doesn't mean we have to ignore dual core technology for our AMD system. The Athlon 64 X2 4400+ (2.2 GHz) with its 1MB of L2 cache offers single-threaded performance exceeding a 2.2 GHz Athlon 64 FX equivalent, and offers exceptional multithreaded performance. Dual core does not offer much of a boost as far as games are concerned right now, though traditional multithreaded applications experience a huge overall performance jump with the addition of a second Athlon 64 core. As with last month, the Athlon 64 X2 4400+ offers the best price to performance ratio out of AMD's line of Athlon 64 X2 processors.

Both of the cores on AMD's Athlon 64 X2 4400+ are very similar to the Athlon 64 FX. Both cores include a 1MB L2 cache that translates into a total of 2MB of L2 cache per processor. The Athlon 64 X2 4400+ is clocked at 2.2GHz which correlates closely to the Athlon 64 FX-51, but the addition of a second core translates into a rather significant performance advantage for multithreaded applications. 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. Currently, the Athlon 64 X2 4400+ is available for about $526 online.

Pentium 4 Heatsink-Fan: Retail

Current Cost: $0
Months on list: 4
Price Change: N/A

Because the Pentium 4 670 processor eats up a significant portion of our budget, and is more expensive than the AMD selection, we are again making use of the included HSF found in the Intel retail packages. We find that the HSF units Intel bundles with their processors are satisfactory provided you're not into any hardcore overclocking. The extra savings affords us the opportunity to include a few higher performance components in other areas of this guide, but of course, a high quality third-party HSF is definitely an option if you're pushing your hardware beyond stock speeds.

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: $55
Months on list: 5
Price Change: -$2

Since the retail Athlon 64 X2 4400+ processor is currently less expensive than the OEM model, 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 by using an incredible number of aluminum fins, situated on top of a solid copper base.

The end result of this combination 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 $55, which includes a 120mm Vantec Stealth fan, this hardware is expensive, but it's still a relative bargain considering its awesome cooling potential compared to AMD's included HSF.