January 2007 High-end Gaming PC Buyer's Guide - Page 7

NIC: Onboard

Cost: $0
Consecutive Guides: 20
Price Change: N/A

As our AMD and Intel motherboards both feature onboard Gigabit LAN, there is no reason to purchase a separate PCI LAN controller. The money we save by going the integrated route, can be much better spent on other components. However, it is understandable that some may prefer to use a non-integrated card; in that case, the Intel PRO/1000MT Gigabit adaptor is a fully featured NIC from one of the best names in networking.

Although the NIC will work perfectly for those with standard DSL or cable Internet access, many gamers are still using dial-up Internet accounts. For this, we recommend the US Robotics USB 2.0 USR5633 Faxmodem, a USB 2.0 modem running at 56K v.92 speeds.

Operating System: Windows XP Professional SP2 with Vista Upgrade Coupon

Cost: $139
Consecutive Guides: New
Price Change: N/A

The choice of operating system was a very tough decision this month, as Windows Vista was formally released on January 30, 2007. We all love to play with the newest toys, but also realize that any new software (especially from Microsoft) has some definite growing pains. Windows XP started out this way, but has since evolved into a rock-solid operating system that is the most crash-resistant Windows OS we've ever seen. Giving that up is a tough call, especially as Vista application and game incompatibilities may sneak in and cause further strife.

The easiest answer is to buy Windows XP Pro SP2, and snag one of those "Vista Upgrade Coupon" deals, where you have until March 2007 to redeem the coupon and upgrade to Vista for free. This is the best of both worlds, and the retail price is on par with a standard Windows XP Pro CD. Of course, those who want to make the jump directly to Windows Vista, please feel free to do so. This is only a recommendation, and we'd prefer to cover all our bases before succumbing to an operating system that is only a few days old.

The $139 price quoted for Windows XP Pro is for an OEM CD, as opposed to the full retail version. We assume that this will be purchased this alongside hardware, thereby qualifying for the lower OEM price. We also recommend picking up a version with SP2 integrated, as it will save you the time and effort of downloading and installing the update.

Name Brand Floppy

Current Cost: $5

We have not used floppies in years, but some people still feel a need for them. Any name brand floppy drive will do for those emergency BIOS updates and data recovery, and anything more would be just a waste of money.

Power Bar or UPS

While not part of our budget for a standard high-end gaming system, we still recommend you buy adequate surge protection for your new PC, or better yet, spend a bit extra (or wait for a sale) and nab a UPS for the added security and peace of mind.