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

AMD Memory: OCZ EL DDR PC-4800 Dual Channel Platinum Elite Edition (2x512MB)

Current Cost: $220
Months on list: 2
Price Change: -$37

DDR remains the only supported memory for Athlon 64 processors, as AMD has not yet jumped on the DDR2 bandwagon. This month we are sticking with 1GB of the impressive OCZ EL DDR PC-4800 Dual Channel Platinum Elite Edition memory. While we have begun to feel the itch to upgrade to 2GB of memory, it has not quite become feasible yet from a budgetary or performance standpoint. The OCZ EL DDR PC-4800 Dual Channel Platinum Elite Edition memory is some of the fastest memory we have ever used, and can go considerably higher than traditional PC3200 memory. At the standard 400 MHz, this memory sports ultra low timings of 2-2-2-5, and at 600 MHz, it jumps to only 2.5-4-4-10, so this memory gives us all the headroom we could possibly need in any foreseeable overclocking, while not losing anything in terms of memory timings.

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, going with two sticks of 512MB memory rather than a single 1-GB module is the logical move. The OCZ EL DDR PC-4800 Platinum Elite Edition dual channel kit package features two 512MB sticks of ultra-low latency high-speed DDR memory, and can be purchased for approximately $220 through various online retailers.

Intel Memory: Corsair XMS2 TWIN2X1024 4300C3

Current Cost: $177
Months on list: 4
Price Change: -$2

On the Intel side of the fence, we are sticking with same Corsair XMS2 TWIN2X1024 4300C3 matched pair DDR2 kit that we have recommended the past couple of months. While the real world benefits of DDR2 have not yet become apparent, all of Intel's high-end LGA775 platforms require it. DDR2's main benefit comes in the form of higher supported clock speeds, and as we see Intel begin to push their new 1066MHz FSB this advantage will become more apparent.

A longtime favorite among enthusiasts, Corsair continually makes our short list of favorite memory manufacturers each month. Their commitment to the enthusiast market has been one of Corsair's greatest strengths, and the $177 we spent on the TWIN2X1024-4300C3 is well worth it. Corsair's XMS DDR2 memory offers considerably faster timings (3-3-3-8) than we are used to seeing in regular DDR2-533 memory. As far as overclockability is concerned, Corsair is a top choice, and in this regard, their XMS2 memory certainly does not disappoint. As our Intel nForce4 SLI platform supports dual channel memory, we are going with two 512MB sticks, to full advantage of the chipset's capabilities.

Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda 7200.8 300GB SATA

Current Cost: $139
Months on list: New
Price Change: N/A

As far as hard drive technology is concerned, Native Command Queuing (NCQ) has been all the rage as of late, and it just so happens that both of our motherboards have support for this technology. NCQ enabled drives use various intelligent algorithms to speed up hard drive access times, and increase overall data throughput. The vast majority of today's newest hard drives support this technology, so we felt that we should consider this when making our hard drive choice. Due to budget constrains this month, we were unable to include two hard drives in a RAID configuration, but choosing a fast NCQ enabled hard drive was the next best thing. The Seagate Barracuda 7200.8 300GB 7200RPM, is our favorite SATA drive, and the price of $139 lets us spend more money in other sections of this guide.

The Seagate Barracuda 7200.8 SATA has an 8-MB data cache, 7200-RPM motor, supports NCQ, and has an average seek time of 8ms. Overall speed with the Barracuda line has always been excellent, and Seagate is well known for producing some of the quietest and longest lasting hard drives in the world. With its SoftSonic motor and enhanced G-Force protection Seagate feels confident enough back this drive with a whopping 5-year warranty, the best in the industry. Of course, we are going with the SATA model, but Seagate also produces these drives in an upgrade-friendly PATA formats as well.

DVD-/+RW: Pioneer 16x DVD+RW/-RW DVR-110D OEM

Cost: $43
Months on list: New
Price Change: N/A

With Blue-ray and HD-DVD technologies just around the corner, prices on DVD+/-R/RW drives have fallen to unbelievably low prices. This month we are upgrading to the Pioneer 16x DVD+RW/-RW DVR-110D. The Pioneer DVR-110D features writing speeds of 8X DVD+/-R for Dual-Layer media, 16X for DVD+/-R, 8X for DVD+RW, 6X for DVD-RW, 40X for CD-R, and 32X for CD-RW. At a measly $43, it is unlikely the cost of this drive will break the bank, which gives us a high quality performance DVD/CD writer, and leaves us with extra money to put toward other areas of this guide.

The Pioneer DVR-110D is also available with either a black or beige faceplate, which allows you to mix and match according to personal preference.