March Value Gaming PC Buyer's Guide - Page 5

Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce 6600 GT 128-MB

AMD: GeForce 6600 GT 128-MB - AGP

Current Cost: $188
Months on list: 2
Price Change: -$18

Intel: GeForce 6600 GT 128-MB - PCI Express

Current Cost: $170
Months on list: 2
Price Change: -$9

Last month we worked hard to pare down the budget, and took our reward by nabbing a GeForce 6600 GT 128-MB video card for each of our systems. The news even gets a little better this month, as prices are dropping on both the AGP and PCIe models. The GeForce 6600 GT is the perfect mainstream gaming card on the market, and finding a place for it in our Value Gaming PC Buyer's Guide has been a key goal since the card was first announced. Now that we've unlocked the PCI Express version as the key to the Intel side, we're able to offer very compelling video performance for both systems. We went with AGP for the AMD system and PCIe for the Intel side, matching up the respective platforms, and ensuring that the budgets remain intact.

The GeForce 6600 GT 128-MB is a surprisingly fast video card for the money, and outperforms the last-generation GeForce 5900 and 5950-based cards. The NV43 core is a stripped-down version of the NV40 used with the GeForce 6800 GT and Ultra models, with the GeForce 6600 GT featuring 8 pixel pipelines and a 128-bit memory path. This may sound drastic, but the standard 500 MHz core and 1 GHz memory speeds really push the framerates, and the feature set is current generation to be sure. Overall performance is extremely high for the class, especially using newer games and with anti-aliasing and anisotropic filtering enabled.

The GeForce 6600 GT core is manufactured on a 0.11-micron process, and ensures that it runs cooler than the 0.13-micron core found in the GeForce 6800-based cards, and leaves a bit of overclocking headroom in reserve. The 0.11-micron core also pays dividends in terms of power requirements, as although the AGP interface makes an extra Molex connector a necessity, the PCI Express versions do not require external power.

Due to fluctuating supplies, we haven't selected a specific model, but at this price range, GeForce 6600 GT 128-MB PCIe and AGP cards from MSI (pictured above), XFX, Apollo, AOpen and eVGA (shown below) are readily available.

Monitor 19": Envision EFT920

Current Cost: $143
Months on list: New
Price Change: N/A

Our $1,000 budget, combined with our mandate of creating the fastest gaming system for the money, really got us to take a close look at each of the components. This examination made sure we were not using too much of our budget in a given area, or using non-performance components that were a bit out of our league. Even 15" LCDs are out of our league, while rising CRT monitor prices brought our previous 19" flat-screen display into question. The choice of monitor has never been tougher, and given that it is a highly personal selection for many (and a non-issue for those with existing monitors), this month we're going with a basic recommendation, along with a few secondary options.

Last month we moved to the Iiyama Vision Master 1451, and while this is still is a good choice for budget-conscious gamers, we're moving over to the Envision EFT920 19" FST monitor. The Envision monitor features support for up to 1600x1200 at 76 Hz, and a nice 85 Hz refresh at the standard 1280x1024 resolution. The aesthetics also score high for a value 19" FST monitor, and the Envision EFT920 features a two-ton silver/black casing and a current design. As other 19" flat screen monitors rise well above the $200 level, it is becoming very difficult to get the right mix of features, screen size, and price, and will likely continue to be in the future.

That is our official recommendation, but if the money was available, then moving to a 12ms or 16ms 17" LCD would definitely be our call. Many of these 17" units have exceptional features and at approximately $200-$240, are really not that much more expensive than a 19" CRT, and LCDs are much more visually appealing. Plus, with at least a 16ms response time, even high speed gaming will show minimal (if any) ghosting, and be much easier on the eyes. The best overall value is currently with the 17" models, and LCDs from BenQ, CMV, LG, Envision, Viewsonic, and even Samsung are available in this price range.

Please keep in mind that when buying any type or brand of monitor, there is always the slight chance of receiving a defective unit or a flat-screen with convergence issues, so be certain to purchase only from a vendor that offers liberal return and replacement options. This also is important for LCDs, and be sure to check the vendor's Dead Pixel Replacement Policy and investigate any further protection you can buy.