June 2003 High-end Gaming PC Buyer's Guide

Introduction

In each month's edition of our High End Gaming PC Buyer's Guide, we are given $2500 to spend, going to the absolute limit in search of the ultimate high-end gaming machine. However, the money is not spent frivolously, and our tech savvy and eye for a bargain play a large role in the choices we make. All of the hardware in this guide is selected only after carefully weighing the price to performance ratio of each component, then seeing if it meets our budget limit of $2500. This guide is your median between our Value Buyer's Guide with only a $1000 limit, and our Extreme Buyer's Guide with a massive $4000 budget.

The purpose behind the High-End Guide is to give a general idea of what kind of hotrod gaming PC is possible with a budget of $2500. While the individual components are top notch, we always keep an eye on the larger picture, and determine which components meld together the best to form the top performing, feature-rich gaming PC possible. We recommend configurations for both the Intel and AMD sides of the spectrum, and are not here to promote one platform over the other.

There hasn't been a whole lot of movement on the hardware scene over the past month, and this month's guide illustrates that fact. Prices have lowered across the board this month, meaning we haven't exactly revamped the hardware list all that much. Intel has released the Pentium 4-3.2 GHz, along with some new Celeron models, but other than a few price decreases, these new products haven't influenced our picks all that much. There has been much controversy lately over whether or not the NVIDIA GeForceFX 5900 really is faster than the ATI Radeon 9800 Pro, but availability and price have led us to the eventual selection.

Case: Lian Li PC-65 w/ Antec TruePower 430W PSU

Current Cost: $210
Months on list: 5
Price Change: -$1

Choosing the right case is a crucial part of the system building process and should be given considerable thought. The case will affect your upgrade path almost as much as the choice of internal components, so it is important to look at its size, weight and aesthetic appeal before making a case purchase. A good case can stay with you long after you have swapped internal parts out multiple times and as enthusiasts, and we grow to love, or hate our case based on both characteristics.

There are very few system case manufacturers that are almost always among our top picks, with Lian Li, Cooler Master, and Antec being the most consistent. We again chose to go with the Lian Li PC-65 aluminum case this month. This case is light and easy to take to LAN parties, and is aesthetically appealing to boot. The PC-65 can be had for a sum of $128, and a name brand PSU checks in at about $83.

Since most high-end cases do not come with a viable power supply, it's essential that you pick a high quality one, and reject the bargain units with outrageous output claims. Our favorites remain Antec and Enermax as both represent the cream of the crop as far as power supplies go. This month we went with the Antec 430X TruePower, just as last month, but you can't go wrong with a 400W or higher model from either manufacturer.