November High-end Gaming PC Buyer's Guide

Introduction

Armed with new hardware and lower prices, we're ready to take another shot at the High End Gaming PC Buyer's Guide. We've kept a close eye on the new processors from Intel and AMD, not to mention working the numbers for some excellent upgrades on our video card and hard drive selections. The Pentium 4-2.8 GHz might be a bit out of our price range, but you might be very surprised at what kind of processor we can slide in. As usual, we'll have a bit of the old and new in this High End Gaming PC Buyer's Guide, but the eventual configuration even surprised us with its power and features.

With a $2500 budget, we need to find that perfect balance between price and performance, while weighing the potential gains of saving money in certain areas. These are the kinds of questions that we have to ask when compiling our High End Gaming PC Buyers Guide. Given the tempting list of performance hardware, it would be quite easy just to write a blank check and then go on a spending spree. Unfortunately, this isn't how most gamers allocate their budgets, and even our High End Gaming PC Buyer's Guide has a limit of $2500 in cold, hard cash. With these resources we try and assemble the fastest, most fully featured gaming PC possible.

Our high-end picks will provide all of the gaming power you have come to expect from Sharky Extreme, while still carefully weighing the price-performance of the various components. Those looking for recommendations that are not quite so limited by a strict budget should refer to our Extreme Gaming PC Buyer's Guide, which has a $4000 limit, while those seeking a more affordable system should check out the Value Gaming PC Buyer's Guide, which still packs a lot of punch into a $1000 budget.

Another point worth addressing is the scope and purpose of the SE High End Gaming PC Buyer's Guide. This guide is not intended as a strict mandate as to which specific PC to buy, but more to which combination of PC components offer the best bang for the buck in each of the popular high-end gaming platforms. This translates into recommended configurations for both the Intel and AMD gaming platforms. We're not here to promote one over the other, as only you know your own specific requirements and can determine which platform is the best fit.

Case: Aluminum Case w/ Antec True Power 400W PSU

Current Cost: $250
Months on list: 3
Price Change: $0

In terms of system components we can't think of a more personal and subjective choice than that of a PC case. The case will be the enclosure for your new PC, and will the first thing you see when starting up, and the last one you view when shutting down. We've got the available budget to hit some pretty attractive case designs, but as always, take our recommendations as just that, and pick the case that fits your own requirements the best. At a base minimum, we are recommending an aluminum case with an Antec True Power 400W power supply.

We've priced out several popular configurations, including a few popular cases from Lian Li, Thermal Take, Cooler Master and Enermax, and found that a budget of $175-$190 for the case and a $60-$70 for the power supply should be more than adequate. Be sure to nab a power supply, as these high-end, custom cases do not usually ship with a power supply. We're picking the Antec True Power 400W power supply because it is a trusted, brand name PSU that is both Pentium 4 and Athlon XP compatible and has the juice for a fully decked-out gaming system. For those looking for a bit lower-cost option, vendors such as ChiefTec offer some nifty-looking cases and there are less expensive 400W PSUs available.

To get your engine revving, here are pics of a few popular cases that we found listed at many of the major online vendors:

(clockwise from the top-left: Thermaltake Xaser II A6000 A Plus, Chieftec Server Green and Cooler Master ATC-710)

The actual case size and design is a very important consideration. If you expect to have a system loaded for bear, then the internal real estate, expansion options and cooling are of the utmost importance and a full tower might be warranted. But if your gaming leans more towards LAN parties, or desk space is extremely limited, then a smaller mid-tower will be the best bet.