October 2003 Value Gaming PC Buyer's Guide - Page 4

System Memory: 512-MB DDR

This month, we're moving away from the standard memory picks, and separating the AMD and Intel options. This is due to the difference in the CPU retail prices, and the opportunity it gives us to increase performance and give a bit more headroom to the AMD system. We go about these guides as if we're really buying a system for $1K, and in this case, using our excess budget on faster DDR makes good sense.

AMD: 512-MB PC3200 Corsair Value RAM

Current Cost: $94
Months on list: New
Price Change: N/A

Intel: 512-MB PC2700

Current Cost: $60
Months on list: 3
Price Change: -$4

The question of which type of DDR to use with our value PCs is a tough one, as both motherboards support up to PC3200/DDR400. The Intel budget naturally requires a more economical choice, so we're going with standard PC2700 (Micron, Samsung, etc.). This not only fits the 533 MHz Pentium 4 bandwidth requirements, but lets us keep the other components constant, and without sacrificing features or performance by going in search of 400 MHz DDR.

The AMD system does have more leeway, due to the lower CPU cost, and this month we're recommending Corsair PC3200 Value RAM, which is about the best memory for the money we can find. This ensures we can have the 400 MHz memory speed enabled, which could really come into play when overclocking.

Since both systems are now dual-channel capable, two sticks of 256-MB DDR gives us the best return on our investment and more than covers the bandwidth requirements of each platform. We do spend a bit more by going with dual 256-MB modules, but the performance benefit far outweighs it. By going with a full 512-MB of system memory right way, we make sure the value gaming PCs can handle demanding 3D games now, and well into the future.

Hard Drive: 80 GB Western Digital SE

Current Cost: $75
Months on list: New
Price Change: N/A

The need to balance performance with price is the key to compiling a value PC guide, and if we get the opportunity to nab a bit more juice for less money, we take it. This was the case with the Western Digital 80 GB Special Edition parallel ATA drive, which has dropped in price since out last guide, and makes a great fit this month. Like Seagate, Western Digital is a top name in IDE hard drives, and offers some of the highest performance desktop units on the market.

This Western Digital SE drive is extremely fast, and features a whopping 8-MB data cache, which puts it in par with more high-end models. It also features a 7200 RPM speed, which along with the 8-MB cache, means the Western Digital SE drives excel when transferring large files, and the 80-GB of space should be more than enough for a value gaming PC.

CD/DVD-ROM:

AMD: LITE-ON 48x24x48x16 Combo Drive

Current Cost: $55
Months on list: 3
Price Change: -$5

Each month we have a bit of play money on the AMD side, and although we did use some for the DDR400 upgrade, there's still a bit left over for another upgrade. Once again, we're picking the LITE-ON 48x24x48x16 Combo Drive as a component upgrade to our AMD value PC. This nifty drive serves multiple purposes and 48X CDR, 24X CDRW specifications, 48X CD and 16X DVD read speeds, along with Smart-Burn technology for smooth and stable data writes. This drive also features a 2-MB data cache and is an extremely cost-effective way of adding CDR/RW and DVD-read options to an entry-level PC.

Intel: LITE-ON 16X DVD ROM

Current Cost: $28
Months on list: 8
Price Change: $0

The Intel side of the equation would also benefit from the LITE-ON Combo Drive, and if you have the extra cash, it is a highly-recommended upgrade. We're still working with a $1K budget, so to stay on target, the popular LITE-ON 16X DVD ROM is more our style. This is a very popular OEM unit, and for good reason. Its quiet operation, solid playback and high flexibility make it a great choice for our Intel value gaming system.