July Value Gaming PC Buyer's Guide - Page 5

Video Card: GeForce 6600 GT 128-MB - PCI Express

Current Cost: $163
Months on list: New
Price Change: N/A

One of the most important upgrades to our Value Gaming Systems was the jump to the GeForce 6600 GT 128-MB video card we took in early 2005. This is a serious gaming powerhouse for its class, and is the perfect mainstream gaming card on the market. Basically, we earmarked this card for our Value Gaming PC Buyer's Guide since the day it was first announced. Of course, we're always looking to upgrade, and although we did give the GeForce 6800LE 128-MB a look and liked its price, overclockability and 256-bit memory, the higher-clocked GeForce 6600GT 128-MB still offers superior gaming performance in more areas. The only change this month is moving our AMD platform to the nForce4 and consolidating our graphics interface around PCI Express.

The GeForce 6600 GT 128-MB is a surprisingly fast video card for the money, and easily 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 NVIDIA has really pumped up the volume, and the standard 500 MHz core and 1 GHz memory speeds really push the framerates. The feature set is current generation, and has all the GeForce 6 Series bells and whistles. 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 cards from MSI (pictured above), XFX, Apollo, AOpen, eVGA, and Chaintech (shown below) are readily available.

This month we're also taking some reader advice, and listing an ATI alternative at the same price range. After all, just like AMD and Intel processors, some people feel more comfortable with a video card from either NVIDIA or ATI.

In this range, ATI has the Radeon X700 Pro and XT (the latter of which is still hard to find), but for our money, the Radeon X800 128-MB PCI Express is the best ATI deal in this class. Basically, it is a lower-clocked Radeon X800 Pro (12 pipes) with 128-MB of 256-bit GDDR3 memory, that sells for around $170-$180 for a basic model. This is a few dollars more than the GeForce 6600 GT 128-MB, but this kind of ATI deal can't be beat. Pictured below is the PowerColor model, but similar cards can be found from MSI and Sapphire.

Monitor 19": Envision EFT920

Current Cost: $141
Months on list: 3
Price Change: -$4

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.

Over the last two updates we've stuck with the Envision EFT920 19" FST monitor, and its combination of low price and great features brings it back for a return engagement. 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-tone 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 8ms-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.