December 2005 Value Gaming PC Buyer's Guide - Page 5

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

Current Cost: $133
Months on list: 3
Price Change: -$10

The GeForce 6600 GT 128-MB is tailor-made for our value system, and there is still nothing at the same price-performance level that can touch it. It is a serious gaming speed demon for its class, and is the perfect sub-$140 gaming card on the market. We are always looking to upgrade, and although we did give the Radeon X800 GT & GTO 128-MB cards a good look, until NVIDIA releases a mainstream GeForce 7 Series part or ATI Radeon X1600 XT prices drop, there are still no cards in this range that offer the same special mix of performance and value.

The GeForce 6600 GT 128-MB is an exceptional video card for the money, and easily outperforms the last-generation GeForce 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. 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, eVGA, and Albatron (shown below) are readily available.

We are continuing to list an ATI video card 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.

ATI has the Radeon X700 Pro as the direct competitor to the GeForce 6600 GT, and the higher-priced Radeon X1600 XT as the heir apparent, but for our money, the Radeon X800 GTO 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 at around $140-$150 for a basic OEM model. A PowerColor model is pictured below, but similarly-priced cards can be found from Sapphire and MSI.

Monitor: 17" LCD with 8-12ms Response Time

Current Cost: $200
Months on list: New
Price Change: N/A

The $1,000 budget, combined with our mandate of creating the fastest gaming system for the money, brings with it a few issues on the monitor side. We cannot use too much of our budget in a given area, and the best strategy is to distribute it evenly through the component list. This month, however, we've worked the numbers, made use of price drops, and finally allocated enough cash for a gaming-level 17" LCD. Clearly, LCDs are the wave of the present and future, and we recommend jumping on the bandwagon, if for no other reason than 19" CRTs are becoming impossible to find.

We're currently presenting a more generic option of an 8ms-12ms 17" LCD in the $200 price range. Many of these 17" units have exceptional features, have a more visually appealing display than a standard CRT, and with a 8-12ms response time, even high speed gaming will show minimal (if any) ghosting, and be much easier on the eyes. One concession is not being able to go DVI, although this will likely change in 2006, as this feature is sneaking into the $200/17" LCD range. The best overall value is currently with the 17" models, and LCDs from Acer, Daewoo, Rosewill, CTX, BenQ, CMV, Envision, or even Viewsonic and Samsung, are available in this price range.

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