July 2006 High-end Gaming PC Buyer's Guide - Page 4

Memory: 2x1GB Corsair XMS2-6400 (TWIN2X2048-6400C4)

Current Cost: $248
Months on list: New
Price Change: N/A

Now that we have finally consolidated the AMD and Intel platforms under the DDR2 banner, it makes the memory selection task that much easier. After researching the various speeds and brands, then comparing those to our system and budgetary requirements, we came back with 2x1-GB of DDR2-667 as a baseline, and 2x1-GB of DDR2-800 as an optimum target. There can be large fluctuations in price at this range, and certain types of ultra high-speed DDR2-800 and -1000 can be very expensive, while low latency DDR2-667 offers a better value.

Corsair XMS2-6400C4 straddles the line between the two extremes, and offers DDR2-800 speeds, while providing low latency 4-4-4-12 memory timings at 800 MHz. This provides the best of both worlds, and when it comes to high-end system memory, Corsair is one of the top names in the business. The nForce 590 SLI supports DDR2-800 speeds automatically, but our Pentium D/nForce4 SLI platform only requires DDR2-667 by default, but the DDR2-800 ensures we'll have enough speed in reserve for potential overclocking or a future upgrade to a 1066 MHz Intel processor.

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 DDR2 module. The best value still resides in the 2x1-GB range, and the price of 2GB of high-end DDR2 continues to drop, especially with higher-speed modules entering the market with regularity. The Corsair TWIN2X2048-6400C4 dual channel kit features two 1-GB sticks of high-speed, low latency PC2-6400/DDR2-800 memory, and can be found for approximately $248 through online vendors.

Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 320GB SATA 3.0 Gb/sec.

AMD: 1 x HD Current Cost: $113
Months on list: New
Price Change: N/A

Intel: 2 x HD Current Cost: $226
Months on list: New
Price Change: N/A

The hard drive component has been upgraded again this month, switching from the 7200.9 300GB to the newer 7200.10 320GB model. Due to falling hard drive prices, this upgrade is actually less expensive than our last update, and offers a slightly higher capacity as well. The Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 drives support SATA 3.0 Gb/sec. (with NCQ), which is double the theoretical bandwidth of initial SATA 1.5 Gb/s hard drives. The 7200.10 320GB has a $113 price tag, making it a very attractive storage option compared to high-priced 400GB and 500GB drives.

The Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 320GB drive includes a 16MB data cache, 7200-RPM motor, supports both SATA 3.0 Gb/sec. and NCQ, and has an average seek time of 9 ms. This model also supports Perpendicular Recording Technology, which increases the storage density of each platter. 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.

Since we had just over $100 left in the Intel budget (due to the strange Pentium D pricing structure), and the inability to upgrade to the expensive 3.6 GHz Pentium D 960, adding an extra hard drive looked like a good plan. This fits in perfectly with our budget, and offers the ability to link the two drives in a RAID array for increased performance, or in basic use for a whopping 640 GB of total storage space. Even discounting the RAID benefit, this method is still an economical method of hitting 640GB, as Seagate 7200.10 400GB drives are priced at over $200 and the 500GB model sits at $270 or more.

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

Cost: $43
Months on list: 3
Price Change: $0

New HD-DVD format drives are starting to appear, but prices remain well out of reach, so it's only natural that a DVD+/-R/RW drive is where consumers will be looking. Prices are also at historical lows, so it's a great time to take advantage of the values. 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.