May 2002 Value Gaming PC Buyer's Guide - Page 2

Processor

AMD: Athlon XP 1800+ (1.53 GHz) OEM

Current Cost: $106
Months on list: New
Price Change: N/A

The Athlon XP is an incredible processor value, which makes it possible to get a bit more CPU juice for our value dollar. None of the XP chips can be deemed expensive, and we can actually move right up to the Athlon XP 1800+ before feeling any price resistance. The $106 price tag is easy to swallow and we're really not that far back from the Athlon XP 2100+. The Athlon XP 1800+ runs at 1.53 GHz and can easily give even the Pentium 4-1.8A Northwood a good run for its money. Potential overclocking is also high for this particular model, whether you intend on unlocking the core or just raising the FSB.

Intel: Pentium 4-1.6A GHz (Socket 478, Retail)

Current Cost: $129
Months on list: New
Price Change: N/A

Choosing the best Pentium 4 had to be one of the toughest selections we made. The Pentium 4 Northwood is really the only way to go, but even the Pentium 4-1.8A GHz is getting a bit out of our price range. We could probably slide in a standard Pentium 4-1.7 GHz, but when the Pentium 4-1.6A GHz Northwood is less expensive and faster, why bother.

The enhanced 512K L2 cache of Northwood gives it an inherent performance advantage over previous models, along with the added benefit of a smaller and cooler-running core. This not only allows the Pentium 4-1.6A to perform higher than a standard Pentium 4-1.7 GHz, but has a great deal more overclocking headroom. With the right motherboard, jacking the FSB to 133 MHz and achieving a 2.1 GHz overclock should be a piece of cake, and is reminiscent of the old Celeron 300A at 450 MHz overclock.

So basically, even at standard speeds, the Pentium 4-1.6A is the best value, and if you decide to take the clock speed higher, then the benefits will only extend from there. Many online vendors are also offering pre-tested Pentium 4-1.6A/motherboard combos that are guaranteed to hit the 2.1 GHZ mark. Surprisingly, these don't usually carry any premium over the basic individual hardware cost.

AMD Heatsink-Fan: ThermalTake Volcano 7 and Athlon XP Shim

Current Cost: $20 + 8 = $28
Months on list: New
Price Change: N/A

The Athlon XP may run a tad cooler than the Athlon, but we still need a HSF that can bear a heavy load. There are no $5 specials in our recommendations, even for our Value Guide. Our choice is the ThermalTake Volcano 7, which combines features, performance and availability into an unbeatable package. It is quite large and includes a copper base for maximum heat exchange with the aluminum heatsink fins. This hybrid metal design is a great trade-off between price and performance, as cheaper pure aluminum HSF units can't keep up, and pure copper models tend to be a bit pricy.

But the heatsink is just the start and ThermalTake has added in an embedded temperature sensor & fan speed control. This senses the temperature of the air next to the HSF and runs at 2900 RPM (46 CFM) at 250C and 5000 RPM (53 CFM) at 350C. The unit also includes a monolithic cooling fan that creates a 7000-RPM-like CFM at a much lower sound DB rating. Simply put, the ThermalTake Volcano 7 runs slower and quieter when the case/HSF temperatures are lower but can speed up to 500 RPM when required.

Some grizzled overclockers have taken issue with the shifting fan speeds and the fact that it does not monitor exact core temperatures, but overall cooling is still exceptional for the price range. The unit also looks great and you get a nifty ThermalTake case sticker to show off to your LAN buddies.

With any Athlon XP buy, a CPU shim should be a required purchase. This is a form of insurance against inadvertent HSF installation damage and for $8 for a high-quality one, it is money well spent.

Intel Heatsink-Fan: Included Retail HSF

Current Cost: $0
Months on list: 2
Price Change: N/A

The Intel Pentium 4 retail heatsink-fan is actually one of the better cooling solutions available, and can be less expensive than buying an OEM processor and adding your own cooling solution. So we're not only getting excellent cooling, but saving a few bucks into the bargain.

Even overclockers swear by the retail cooler, and this is probably the reason why we have not see a great deal of 3rd-party Pentium 4 coolers storm onto the market. We've run these HSF units on a Pentium 4-2.4 GHz with no problem at all, so our Pentium 4-1.6 GHz will be just fine, even if overclocked to 2.1 GHz or higher.