January 2007 High-end Gaming PC Buyer's Guide - Page 4

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

Current Cost: $256
Consecutive Guides: 3
Price Change: -$60

Now that we have finally consolidated the AMD and Intel platforms under the DDR2 banner, the job of selecting system memory is much easier. For a high-end gaming system, 2x1-GB of DDR2-800 is still the optimum target, and thankfully, there has been some downward movement since our last guide update, with the price of most DDR2 modules and dual channel kits falling. This new pricing trend cuts across virtually all DDR2 sizes and speeds, so relative value has only gone up, and the $60 in savings has allowed us to upgrade the systems in other areas, such as the video card in particular.

Corsair XMS2-6400C4 straddles the line between low latency and a high memory clock, offering DDR2-800 speeds while providing low 4-4-4-12 memory timings at a price that won't break the bank. This gives us the best of all possible worlds, especially as Corsair is one of the top names in the high-end memory business. Both the AMD and Intel dual core processors can certainly make use of the low latency and extra bandwidth, while having DDR2-800 ensures we'll have some speed in reserve for potential overclocking.

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 purchased for approximately $256 through online vendors. A matched pair/dual channel kit is the de facto format for both our AMD and Intel platforms, and a kit like this is a guaranteed match in dual channel mode, and provides a noticeable performance boost compared to a single DDR2 module. The best value still resides in the 2x1-GB range, and this is only get better as the price of 2GB of high-end DDR2 continues to drop.

Hard Drive: 2 x Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 320GB SATA 3.0 Gb/sec.

2 x HD ($97 each)
Current Cost: $194
Consecutive Guides: 2
Price Change: -$14

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, and fully supported by our AMD and Intel motherboards. The price of the Barracuda 7200.10 320GB continues to drop, and due to this, we can easily fit a dual drive configuration into our guide. The end use is open, and these two hard drives can be configured as RAID array for increased performance, or as two standard 320 GB drives for a whopping 640 GB of total storage space. Even discounting the RAID performance flexibility, this method is still an economical method of hitting 640GB, as only the Seagate 7200.10 750GB model exceeds this, and it's still priced at over $325.

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.

DVD-/+RW: Samsung 18x DVD+RW/-RW SH-S182D

Cost: $29
Consecutive Guides: 2
Price Change: -$3

New HD-DVD and Blu-ray format drives are beginning to appear, but prices are still extremely high, so it's only natural that a DVD+/-R/RW drive is where the majority of consumers will go. Retail prices are also at historical lows, so it's a great time to take advantage of the insane values. We are sticking with the Samsung SH-S182D again this month, and this is a value-priced DVD writer that combines ultra-high write speeds for CD and DVD media. The Samsung SH-S182D offers writing speeds of 18X DVD+/-R, 8X DVD+/-R Dual-Layer media, 8X DVD+RW, 6X DVD-RW, 48X CD-R, and 32X CD-RW. The Samsung drive also has support for DVD-RAM technology, and can read and write it at 12X speeds.

Drive specifications include an EIDE interface, 2MB data cache, and 130ms DVD / 110ms CD access times. The price dropped even lower in 2007, and for approximately $29, the Samsung SH-S182D is a steal of a deal that also allows us some extra cash for other components. The Samsung SH-S182D drive is also available in either black or beige faceplate models, which allows flexibility to match with your system case.