November 2001 High-end Gaming PC Buyer's Guide - Page 2

CPU

Intel CPU: Retail Intel Pentium 4 1.9GHz (microPGA 478)

Current Cost: $276
Months on list: New
Price Change: N/A

With the recent Pentium 4 price cuts, we're now able to move a bit further up the power scale to the 1.9 GHz model. We were looking closely at the Pentium 4-2.0 GHz, but its high price would entail just a bit too many hardware compromises to hit our $2,500 budget. With a high-end system, potential upgrade options should be a paramount concern, so we are once again recommending spending a few bucks more and getting a Pentium 4-1.9 GHz featuring the microPGA 478 CPU format. While it is a bit more expensive than an older FC-PGA 423 processor, you will hopefully be able to migrate to the Northwood core a bit later on, and the price differential between 478 and 423-pin versions is actually shrinking as time goes by. The only problem seems to be on the supply side, as you will probably find more FC-PGA 423 processors for sale; but Intel does seem to have been ramping up their 478-pin production over the last few weeks. As for the retail vs. OEM choice, we're sticking with the retail again this month. Even at 1.9 GHz, the supplied (and very large) retail HSF will do the trick, and save us a few bucks along the way.

AMD CPU: OEM AMD Athlon XP 1900+ (1.6 GHz - 266)

Current Cost: $261
Months on list: New>
Price Change: N/A

Since the Pentium 4 system gets a speed boost to 1.9 GHz, it is appropriate that we are now able to afford the Athlon XP 1900+ for our AMD box. This transition is once again due to price decreases over the past month, as AMD has steadily decreased the cost of their flagship Athlon XP processor. This is also one very fast processor, potentially the fastest available for a wide range of games and applications, and checks in at a very affordable price. Plus, the addition of SSE to the Athlon XP line not only means better game support and potential performance improvements, but that the popular Quake 3 will no longer be the sole domain of the Pentium 4. The only negative to the Athlon XP is the recent "pit scoring" that AMD is doing to ensure that users just can't perform a simple "pencil trick" and overclock it. Lately, AMD seems to be going a step further and covering the bridges with ceramic to further ensure that bridge tape or other options are not even made available.

Intel Heatsink-Fan: Included Retail HSF

Current Cost: N/A
Months on list: 3
Price Change: N/A

For our most basic recommendation, we're looking to move a bit higher on the Pentium 4 chart by making use of the included retail HSF (heatsink-fan). While some may scoff, our HSF unit handled the Pentium 4-1.8 and 2.0 GHz processors quite nicely and held up well even under overclock testing. Unless you intend to take the Pentium 4-1.9 GHz to the clock speed rack, then there is little reason to switch. Another important factor is the change between the FC-PGA and mPGA formats and the need for a slightly different HSF format. By going retail, you don't have to worry about bringing home the wrong HSF unit. In terms of available Pentium 4 mPGA 478 coolers, we do find the Global Win WBW76 interesting, in that it features a very easy to use clip attachment and is geared a bit more towards the serious overclocker.

AMD Heatsink-Fan: ThermalRight SK6 w/ Delta Black Label fan

Current Cost: $41
Months on list: 1
Price Change: N/A

As many readers have pointed out, the old ThermoEngine is getting a bit long in the tooth, so it's time for a change. Our HSF choice is now upgraded to the full copper ThermalRight SK6, which should provide more than adequate cooling for our new Athlon XP. We're not big fans of the Orb line (and neither is AMD) as they are a bit more dangerous to install and can be deadly to an Athlon when used incorrectly. For the fan option, we're sticking with the awesome 7K RPM Delta Black Label unit, which also produces an exceptional 38 CFM of airflow. Please keep in mind that any fan at this speed will create a higher level of ambient noise and have a higher power requirement on the motherboard fan header. If you want to be absolutely safe and potentially save a motherboard short, then hook the Delta Black Label fan to one of the four-prong PSU power cords.