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Sharky Extreme : Monthly Value Gaming System Buyer's Guide |
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Monthly Value Gaming System Buyer's Guide |
November 2004 Value Gaming PC Buyer's Guide - Page 4By Vince Freeman November 12, 2004
The AMD and Intel system prices continue to move closer together and this month these are at virtually equivalent levels. Even so, we're still looking at these two systems as distinct configurations, rather than using a "one size fits all" memory recommendation. Instead the two systems are evaluated separately, and the budget is allocated in the most logical way. Each platform has its own set of requirements, and we can use this to achieve the best overall DDR memory value. We believe that maximizing the $1K budget is what real-world buyers would do, which is even more important with fluctuating DDR prices.
Current Cost: $78
Current Cost: $76 DDR prices have been pretty stable over the last few months, and haven't given us a lot of upgrade opportunities or extra cash for other components. Even so, stability in DDR prices is certainly not a bad thing, and at least provides consistency in the guide. We're also keeping the DDR selection within reason, and instead of a 1-GB capacity or high-end PC4200 speeds, 512-MB of PC3200 is the best choice for both the Intel and AMD systems. The Intel platform supports dual-channel DDR, so 2x256-MB of PC3200 would be the best use of our budget, especially now that we're using an 800 MHz platform. This is a bit more expensive than a single 512-MB stick, but dual-channel DDR is a requirement for high-end Intel gaming. We've budgeted our the DDR selection for generic "house brand" PC3200 DDR, but there's enough money to ensure you can receive a mid-range name brand like standard Samsung, PDP, Apacer, Kreton or Komusa DDR.
The Socket 754 AMD motherboard design lets us use a single 512-MB stick of PC3200 without any loss in performance. The integrated DDR controller of the Athlon 64 3000+ is high-end, but uses only a single-channel memory format. This allows 512-MB of Corsair Value Select PC3200 for the same price as 2x256-MB of generic PC3200 and not only gives us slightly higher-quality DDR, but leaves two DDR sockets free for potential upgrades. We still can't go any higher on the DDR chart, as moving to 512-MB of high-end "low latency" DDR is simply too much for our budget to handle. We also recommend Corsair to ensure full compatibility and provide rock solid operation on our AMD platform.
The Intel system features dual-channel DDR capable, so 2x256-MB matched pair DDR gives us the best price-performance, and covers the bandwidth requirements of the platform. Using dual 256-MB memory modules is a bit more expensive compared to a single 512-MB stick, but the performance benefits far outweigh the slightly higher cost. On the AMD side, we make use of this cost savings to upgrade to name brand DDR, while losing nothing on the performance end. The 512-MB total memory capacity ensures that our value PCs will be able to handle current 3D games with ease, and have some headroom for upcoming ones as well.
Current Cost: $60
For the last few value guides, we've maximized our budget by splitting the Intel and AMD storage options between two 80-GB Western Digital hard drives, with different specifications and price. This month the platform costs are so close that the hard drive selection will be the same for AMD and Intel, but the good news is that prices have fallen enough so that it's high-end hardware all around. Both of our systems receive the high-end Western Digital Special Edition treatment, along with our standard 80-GB of storage space. The Western Digital Special Edition parallel ATA drive is one serious piece of hardware, and is not something you'd expect to find in a value gaming system. The WD SE models are extremely fast, and performance is accentuated by a 7200 RPM speed and a hefty 8-MB data cache. 80-GB is more than enough data capacity for an entry-level system, and since we've got a bit of extra on the AMD side, the slight premium for the extra data cache is more than worth it.
Current Cost: $35
Even a value system deserves CDR/RW write and DVD read capabilities, and there's no easier or more cost-effective method than using a combo drive. Combo drives are the hot ticket for both value and convenience, as these units can handle the gamut of CDR/RW writing, CD reading and DVD playback duties. The AOpen Combo Drive is an incredible deal, performs at 52X CDR, 32X CDRW write speeds, and 52X CD and 16X DVD read speeds, and includes data underrun technology for smooth and stable data writes. This drive also features a 2-MB data cache and at only a $35 street price, AOpen gives us a very inexpensive way of adding CDR/RW and DVD-read options to our value gaming systems.
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