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Sharky Extreme : Monthly High-end Gaming System Buyer's Guide |
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Monthly High-end Gaming System Buyer's Guide |
March High-end Gaming PC Buyer's Guide - Page 4By Vince Freeman March 31, 2006
Current Cost: $225 AMD has not jumped on the DDR2 bandwagon, so DDR is our only choice for system memory on the Athlon 64 X2 system. This month we're moving to very low-latency PC3200 DDR memory. OCZ EL PC3200 Titanium offers very nice 2-3-2-5 memory timings, and these are extremely high quality modules with stability to spare. We're also making use of the recent price cuts and upgrading to 2GB of system memory by choosing the 2x1-GB OCZ EL PC3200 Titanium kit. This may hamper serious overclocking, but we've noticed that the higher-end PC4800 to PC5000 DDR is becoming increasingly difficult to find, as manufacturers are ramping up for the eventual DDR2 takeover. The OCZ PC4800 EL we selected last time out was a superb solution, but one that is virtually impossible to find right now. The matched pair/dual channel kit is the de facto format for both our AMD and Intel systems, especially as this offers both a guaranteed match in dual channel mode, and a noticeable performance boost compared to a single module. The best value is in the 2-1-GB capacity range, and the price of 2GB of high-end DDR is about what 1GB was in 2005. The OCZ EL PC3200 Titanium dual channel kit features two 1-GB sticks of high-speed, ultra-low latency PC3200 DDR memory, and can be found for approximately $225 through online vendors.
Current Cost: $232 Since DDR2 speeds continue to rise as prices fall, we're going in the opposite direction we took with DDR, and ramping up the clock speed. There are some very serious DDR2 modules making their way to market, and with Intel supporting faster memory speeds with their new chipsets, it's time to move to DDR2-667 or higher. This is especially true now that the LGA775 1066 MHz bus speeds have been introduced, making DDR2-667 a virtual baseline these days. We're also following the DDR trend and upgrading to 2-GB of system memory, and current prices make the move a real no-brainer.
This month we're switching to the 2x1-GB Kingston HyperX DDR2-750 matched pair kit, which literally kills two birds with one stone. The price is right for 2-GB of system memory, and with a DDR2-750 rating, there will be more than enough reserve speed to support even an upgrade to our Pentium D 940. The dual channel format is a given, as the memory performance impact can be substantial compared to a single stick of DDR2. Overclocking is assured with such high-speed DDR2, and memory timings are very nice, as the Kingston HyperX DDR2 supports (4-4-4-12) CL4 timings at 750 MHz.
Current Cost: $130 The hard drive component has been upgraded this month, but it's a small move, from the Seagate 7200.8 300GB to the newer 7200.9 300GB model. This upgrade not only does not cost us a cent, but it offers some noticeable improvements as well. The Seagate Barracuda 7200.9 drives include SATA 3.0 Gb/sec. (with NCQ) support, which is double the theoretical bandwidth of initial SATA hard drives. While this may not come into effect with current hard drive technology, the new Seagate line offers another more tangible benefit. The Seagate Barracuda 7200.9 300GB has 16MB of internal cache, or double that of the 7200.8 drive we used in our last guide. This price is also very attractive, and at only $130, this is actually less expensive than the older models.
In terms of overall specs, the Seagate Barracuda 7200.9 300GB drive has a 16MB data cache, 7200-RPM motor, supports both SATA 3.0 Gb/sec. and NCQ, and has an average seek time of 8.5 ms. The Barracuda line is renowned for speed and quality, and Seagate is the top choice for the quietest and longest lasting hard drives money can buy. Seagate is also confident enough to back their products with an excellent 5-year warranty, and our own luck with their products has been exceptional.
Cost: $43
New HD-DVD formats are looming, so it's only natural that current DVD+/-R/RW drive prices have dropped to unheard of levels. Then again, it's a great time to take advantage of the values, and we've been able to snag the impressive Pioneer 16x DVD+RW/-RW DVR-110D for a bargain basement $43 price tag. The Pioneer DVR-110D offers 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. This is definitely a gift horse we're not going to look in the mouth, and any cost savings have already gone straight into performance hardware upgrades.
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.
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