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Sharky Extreme : Monthly Value Gaming System Buyer's Guide |
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Monthly Value Gaming System Buyer's Guide |
March Value Gaming PC Buyer's Guide - Page 2By Vince Freeman March 28, 2003ProcessorsAMD CPU: Athlon XP 2200+ (1.8 GHz) OEM
Current Cost: $91 On the AMD side, there is a lot of value to be found within our budget, and due to some price cuts, we've been able to upgrade to the Athlon XP 2200+ model. This processor supplies 1.8 GHz of power and represents the top-end selection for value systems, as the next-highest Athlon XP 2400+ and 2600+ jump up quite noticeably in price. Still, this is a whole lot of power for our value gaming system, and we are inching up towards the mid-range of the AMD scale. Overclocking is also a viable option with this processor, and while it may not quite equal the Pentium 4 Northwood for upward mobility, the newer AMD cores do have some spring in their step. We're also recommending the OEM version so that we can slap our own heatsink-fan on it, and save a few bucks while gaining what we can in terms of lower ambient noise and added cooling. No matter which way you slice it, the Athlon XP 2200+ is an excellent buy for a value gaming system, and one of the main reasons you might want to go AMD with a $1K budget.
Current Cost: $125
Even though the Pentium 4-1.8A has been in the value guide since 2002, the current Intel price structure means we'll be standing pat for another month. The Intel Pentium 4 offers a huge bang for the buck at the mid-range level, especially in the $160-$200 price range. Unfortunately, this is a bit out of our league, and the increased demand for the Pentium 4-1.6A, 1.8A and 2.0A Northwood versions have kept prices higher than usual. Still, the Pentium 4-1.8A is a great buy, as it not only features the upgraded 512K cache and nice performance at 1.8 GHz, but is one very overclockable chip to boot.
Even at the basic clock speed, the Pentium 4-1.8A is the best Intel bet in our price range, and for those who want to test the overclocking waters, then a whole new world of performance could be yours. In terms of the Retail vs. OEM argument, we're going with the Retail version, as not only do you get a free heatsink-fan and whopping 3-year Intel warranty, but this also translates into receiving a sealed, totally untested CPU. Another option to explore is rooting around for an online vendor offering pre-tested Pentium 4-1.8A at 2.4 GHz combos, where you're guaranteed to get a processor capable of 2.4 GHz or higher.
Current Cost: $10
The Athlon XP 2200+ is a nice mid-range performance option and we want a cooling solution that offers qualified support for this speed range, and doesn't blow off the case doors with a loud, obnoxious fan. The ThermalTake Volcano 7 is a tried-and-true solution, and it is rated up to the Athlon XP 2800+ and can offer more than enough cooling power for additional overclocking speeds. The ThermalTake Volcano 7 features a monstrous heatsink that is comprised of a pure cooper core, along with an aluminum outer housing for the main heatsink. This hybrid design allows for maximum heat exchange between the CPU and the copper core, while making use of the excellent heat dissipation properties of aluminum. It's also a great trade-off between price and performance, as lower-cost aluminum HSF units don't offer the same cooling performance, and pure copper models can be a lot more expensive. The ThermalTake cooling fan also includes an embedded temperature sensor & fan speed control. This sensor monitors the temperature of the air next to the HSF and runs at 2900 RPM (46 CFM) at 25 degrees C and 5000 RPM (53 CFM) at 35 degrees C. The cooling fan also matches the heatsink in size and features a fan shroud the keep airflow high, but noise low. Some grizzled overclockers have taken issue with the shifting fan speeds and the fact that the sensor does not monitor exact core temperatures, but we're pretty satisfied with the overall cooling, especially at this price range. The deep-blue Volcano 7 also looks great and the boxed package has a ThermalTake case sticker inside the box to help add that final touch to your new gaming PC. At a higher price, ThermalTake also offers the Volcano 9 cooler, which features an upgraded SmartFan II (with adjustable manual fan speeds), and a rating up to the Athlon XP 2800+. This model is just slightly beyond our budget, but it is a more refined version of the same technology and could be worth it for the hardcore overclocker.
Current Cost: $0 One of the best retail deals continues to be the free heatsink-fan included with a retail-boxed Pentium 4 CPU. As such, for our Intel Pentium 4 1.8A, we're sticking with the bundled, retail cooler and saving some cash into the bargain. At this speed, or even overclocked to 2.4 GHz, the Northwood core doesn't put a huge strain on the CPU cooling system, and the exact same retail heatsink-fan unit is actually hefty enough to handle even their higher-end 2.8 GHz models. This translates into stable operation at standard clock speeds, and safe overclocking to higher core speed levels. Overall value is another great reason to spend a bit more for the retail processor, as it nets you a stock cooler and the package price is usually lower than buying an OEM processor and purchasing a retail heatsink-fan. A nice side-benefit to the Intel retail cooler is its incredibly quiet operation, and inside a sealed case, the ambient noise levels of the Intel cooling fan can be close to unnoticeable.
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