 |
Sharky Extreme : Monthly Value Gaming System Buyer's Guide |
|
 |
 - Most Active Threads - Technical Support - CPUs & Overclocking  RSS feed Sitemap |
 |
Monthly Value Gaming System Buyer's Guide |
March Value Gaming PC Buyer's Guide - Page 2By Vince Freeman March 10, 2006
Current Cost: $163 In our last value guide, we made the leap from Socket 754 to 939, and selected the 2.2 GHz Athlon 64 3500+ retail model. Socket 754 has virtually no upgrade path, utilizes single-channel DDR, and with the ever-attractive Athlon 64 X2 dual core models becoming more affordable each day, Socket 939 is simply the best AMD platform value right now. The Athlon 64 3500+ was a solid selection, but we might have gone a bit too high on the scale, and potentially lost some upgrade possibilities in other areas. This time out, we're looking to correct that oversight, and have shifted down a gear in order to maximize our budget and achieve the right mix of value and performance. Our processor this month is the Athlon 64 3200+, which runs at 2.0 GHz and is one step down from the Athlon 64 3500+ choice in our previous guide. Downgrading CPU performance may seem like a strange move on the surface, but it allowed us to save almost $40, and that is money we have put to very good use. The Athlon 64 3200+ is clocked at 2.0 GHz, includes 512K L2 cache, and features the 939-pin CPU package. At only $163, it is a perfect match for our budget, and brings us excellent gaming performance for the class. To help maximize our budget, we've chosen the Retail model and its nearly-free heatsink-fan, but if you have a killer 3rd-party HSF unit in mind, then buying an OEM CPU is always an option.
The Athlon 64 3200+ positions us at the entry point of the AMD mainstream processor scale, and by moving to Socket 939, we've also removed any potential upgrade issues that plagued us when selecting the Socket 754 platform. By starting out with the affordable Athlon 64 3200+, buyers can easily move to a higher-end Athlon 64 X2 dual core in the future, once prices drop.
Current Cost: $170 Now that the Intel Pentium 4 6xx line has dropped in line with the Pentium 4 5xx models, going with a 600 series processor is the only logical option. The upgraded L2 core is a definite plus, but it also maintains our LGA 775 platform base and its PCI Express graphics base. The LGA 775/Socket T Pentium 4 processors have noticeably lower retail prices than the same-speed Socket 478 model, and this discrepancy allows us to get a lot more value with a Socket T model. The native PCI Express graphics support allows for a better upgrade path, and as there are some great deals on mainstream PCIe video cards, this achieves our overall goal of getting the best value for our money.
As with our AMD processor selection, we are also moving down one level on the Intel scale, and going with the 3.0 GHz Pentium 4 630. This also provides us with a $40 cost savings, and as you'll see later on, we're putting that directly into the video card selection. The Pentium 4 630 features the latest Prescott 2M core architecture, with an upgraded 2MB L2 cache, an 800 MHz front-side bus, Hyper-Threading, and support for dual-channel DDR400 or DDR2-533 memory speeds. This represents a performance improvement over the Pentium 4 530 and its basic Prescott 1MB core, but only an incremental jump. At 3.0 GHz and using dual-channel DDR400, the Pentium 4 630 offers mainstream performance for our value gaming system, while allowing at least some overclocking and tweaking headroom for the hardcore enthusiasts. The Retail vs. OEM argument also comes down to price, just as it did with the AMD Athlon 64 3200+ processor. The Intel Retail package makes the most sense, as not only do you get a nearly-free heatsink-fan and full 3-year Intel warranty, but also a sealed, totally untested CPU. Most Pentium 4 models are still priced higher than corresponding AMD CPUs, so any method of cost savings is a good thing.
Current Cost: $0 The Athlon 64 3200+ retail box includes a bundled heatsink-fan, and for both budgetary and ease-of-use considerations, we chose to go in this direction. The retail model is slightly more expensive than the OEM processor, but you receive a nearly-free HSF and an extended product warranty to boot. Of course, this is simply a recommendation, and those with a particular 3rd-party HSF unit in mind should certainly go the OEM route, even though it may go a bit over our $1K budget.
Current Cost: $0 The current street price of the Pentium 4 processors translates into the Retail model being the top method of maximizing our system budget. When it comes to LGA 775 models like the Pentium 4 630, the price difference between the OEM and Retail CPU models is virtually nonexistent, and with the bundled Intel heatsink-fan, this amounts to a savings compared to an OEM CPU + 3rd-party heatsink-fan combo. The retail HSF provides more than adequate cooling for our Pentium 4 630, and the retail package allows us to stay within budget. These Intel heatsink-fan units are also very easy to install and do not require any motherboard modifications or CPU socket adjustments.
The retail Pentium 4 coolers have passed our tests even using 3.6-3.8 GHz models, and we have no problem at all recommending these for our value gaming system. These Intel retail coolers may not qualify as hardcore, but still provide rock solid stability at base clock speeds, and have a bit extra left over for moderate overclocking.
|
Comment and Contribute
