September High-end Gaming PC Buyer's Guide - Page 5

Video Accelerator: PNY GeForce 7950GT 512MB

Current Cost: $300
Months on list: New
Price Change: N/A

The GeForce 7 Series recently welcomed a new member to the club, in the form of the GeForce 7950 GT 512MB. This card is designed to fit right in between the GeForce 7900 GT 256MB and GeForce 7900 GTX 512MB, and give ATI some real headaches at that price level. This is great news for our guide, as the retail price of the GeForce 7950GT 512MB currently hovers around the $300 mark, making it a perfect fit for our budget. The game performance is also a nice upgrade compared to our previous GeForce 7900 GT 256MB selection, and the 512MB of memory ensures top performance with more demanding games. Our pick this month is the PNY GeForce 7950GT 512MB, which not only supplies all the features and performance we expect, but does so at an attractive price.

The GeForce 7950 GT shares the same basic architecture of the high-end GeForce 7900-based cards, with 24 pixel pipelines/shaders, 24 texturing units, and 8 vertex pipelines. The PNY GeForce 7950GT 512MB runs at a core speed of 550 MHz and a memory speed of 1.4 GHz, both of which are upgrades from the standard GeForce 7900 GT. The PNY board features 512MB of GDDR3, another upgrade compared to the 256MB of GeForce 7900 GT cards. Other features such as NVIDIA SLI, CineFX 4.0, Intellisample 4.0, HDR Rendering, Ultra Shadow II, and NVDIA PureVideo are standard on the GeForce 7950 GT.

In our last guide, we found it difficult to find a comparable ATI video card, but that has changed since the Radeon X1900 XT and XTX 512MB cards have dropped in price, and ATI introduced the 256MB version of the Radeon X1900 XT. In fact, there are almost too many ATI cards at the $300+ range, but we chose the Radeon X1900 XT 512MB as the top bet. It is priced similar to the GeForce 7950 GT 512MB, matches up well in terms of overall performance and features, and offers the best ATI price-performance at this range.

LCD Display: Samsung 204B 20" LCD

Cost: $350
Months on list: 2
Price Change: $0

LCD monitors have quickly become the standard for any mainstream or high-end desktop, and CRTs have really died out for all but the entry-level market. Finding a high-end 19-21" CRT display is virtually impossible these days, as manufacturers lower production and shift it towards LCD displays. Overall LCD technology is also continuing to improve, and both image reproduction and pixel response times are getting better. Our top LCD selection remains the same this month, and we are sticking with the 20" Samsung 204B LCD.

With the 204B, Samsung offers a performance gaming 20" model with a native resolution of 1600x1200, 300 cd/m2 brightness, 800:1 contrast ratio, 5ms response time, and both analog and DVI inputs (although Samsung does not include a DVI cable). The ultra-low 5ms response time virtually guarantees that there will be no ghosting in games or video, and its incredible $350 price tag is a nice bonus. This LCD is also available in either silver or black, lending it even greater flexibility.

For those on a tighter budget, or just might want a bit of wide-screen gaming, then the BenQ FP202W is another very nice option. This 20.1 widescreen LCD is priced at under $300, and offers some impressive specs like an 8ms response time, a 600:1 contrast, and 300 cd/m2 brightness. The native resolution is 1680x1050, but as many gaming aficionados will say, once you go widescreen, you won't go back.

The number of buyers who want to avoid an LCD screens might be dropping, but we continue to recommend a CRT monitor as an alternative. The NEC/Mitsubishi DP930SB-BK 19" monitor offers a 0.24mm grille pitch, totally flat aperture grille CRT, a 1920 x 1440 at 73 Hz maximum resolution, and a three-year warranty. This model, as well as other high-end CRTs, is only getting tougher to find, but does sell for slightly less than our LCD monitor, if available. Keep in mind that CRT monitors are constantly being discontinued and can go "out of stock" at any time.

* On that note, we have had extreme difficulty locating high-end gaming CRTs and the time is fast approaching where we will not include one in our guide.

Please keep in mind that when buying any type or brand of monitor, there is always the chance of receiving a defective unit, so be certain to purchase only from a vendor that offers liberal return and replacement options, especially in their "dead pixel replacement policy" for new LCDs.

Sound Card: Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeMusic

Cost: $117
Months on list: 5
Price Change: +$2

Creative's X-Fi line of soundcards updates the line in a verifiable way, and is definitely not an "upgrade" in name only. Creative packages this X-Fi sound chip in four different variants (XtremeMusic, Platinum, Fatal1ty and Elite), but to keep our budget in line, we're sticking with the entry-level X-Fi XtremeMusic edition. The X-Fi XtremeMusic offers several improvements such as a 109dB signal-to-noise ratio, 7.1-channel surround sound, DTS ES and Dolby Digital decoding, 24-bit, 192 kHz audio support, EAX 5.0 support, as well as the new 24-bit Crystalizer engine, which up samples and enhances all sound to 24-bit. In addition, the X-Fi provides for gaming, audio creation, and entertainment modes that can be switched on the fly. The price is the real key, as the X-Fi XtremeMusic accommodates all of our audio requirements while remaining within budget, something the other three Sound Blaster X-Fi cards cannot do.

Of course, if the extra budget is available, then the X-Fi Fatal1ty FPS might be a worthwhile upgrade. This is more of a pure gamer-oriented card, and it includes all the base features of the X-Fi XtremeMusic, but also includes 64MB of built-in memory and a front connector port. This onboard X-RAM is a neat idea and serves as a sound/FX buffer, and if it is implemented, may well increase game performance. Some limited support exists in a few games, but nothing even approaches an industry standard like EAX. At around $250, this is still a very expensive card, and with our budget, remains an unattainable luxury.

Speakers:

With a high-end gaming soundcard, a good set of surround sound speakers is a great way to fully immerse yourself in games, movies and music. Choosing the right set of speakers is an important long-term investment, as these will likely stay with you a very long time.

System Speakers: Logitech THX Z-5300e 5.1 Speakers

Cost: $134
Months on list: 7
Price Change: -$6

Logitech's THX Z-5300e 5.1 speakers are a true value when it comes to multimedia computer audio, and you would be hard pressed to find this kind of performance, features and quality at the same price. Logitech is the name in mainstream gaming speakers, and although some companies excel at the enthusiast level, the THX Z-5300e 5.1 speakers own this market. The Logitech THX Z-5300e 5.1 speakers offer an exceptional price-performance ratio, and with a total of 280 watts RMS power, these redefine the meaning of "bang for your buck". The overall audio quality is certainly not lacking, and the THX Z-5300e 5.1 speaker set offers considerably better output than other speakers sets in its class.