January 2003 High-end Gaming PC Buyer's Guide

Introduction

After a bit of a hiatus, we're back with another installment of our popular High End Gaming PC Buyer's Guide. Since our last edition, some new AMD and Intel processors have crept to the fore, along with a few upgrades in the motherboard, storage and audio departments. It's still a bit early to be loading up on Pentium 4-3.06 GHz HT processors or large LCD screens, but the overall system mix is still excellent and extremely high-performance. On average, we have a bit of the old and new in this High End Gaming PC Buyer's Guide, but the eventual AMD and Intel configurations are top notch in terms of quality, 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. Using this target, 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: 4
Price Change: $0

The choice of a system case is one of the most personal and subjective in the entire guide. The case is 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 do have more than enough cash to nab some pretty functional and attractive cases, but as always, our recommendations are pretty general, and leave it wide open to pick the case that fits your own requirements. 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 our standard budget of $175-$190 for the case and a $60-$70 for the power supply is still adequate to assemble a killer system case. Be sure to buy a power supply along with it, as these high-end, custom cases do not usually ship with a power supply. For the PSU, we're sticking with the Antec True Power 400W power supply since it's a trusted, brand name PSU that is compatible for both Pentium 4 and Athlon XP systems and has the necessary juice to handle the load of a high-end 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: Sky Hawk ALP4350, Super Flower 201-S, Thermaltake Xaser II A5000, 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. There's plenty of selection in both areas, and there should be no problem in finding one for each gamer's individual tastes.