March Value Gaming PC Buyer's Guide - Page 5

Video Card: GeForce 6800 GS 256MB - PCI Express

Current Cost: $181
Months on list: New
Price Change: N/A

All of the concessions we made in the guide have all been for one purpose - to upgrade the video card selection. Sure, the GeForce 6600GT 128MB is a fine value card, but after we started running some tests with newer games (especially with anti-aliasing and anisotropic filtering enabled) we started to see the GeForce 6600GT cards fall back from the GeForce 6800 GS boards. In fact, dropping a bit in CPU power, while adding a more powerful 3D card, shows up in noticeably higher gaming performance. We even tested these two cards using an Athlon 64 3200+ vs. Athlon 64 3500+, and found the GeForce 6800 GS 256MB was the obvious winner, even with a processor clocked 200 MHz lower.

The GeForce 6800 GS 256MB is an exceptional mainstream video card, and has been NVIDIA's answer to those looking for high performance on a budget. NVIDIA has positioned the GeForce 6800 GS 256MB well, and it includes a 12-pipe GPU combined with 256MB of 256-bit GDDR3. Clock speeds are equally impressive and the GeForce 6800 GS 256MB runs at 425 MHz core and 1.0 GHz memory speeds, and provides a definite punch to current games. At $181, this is a great combination of mainstream price and performance, especially as the new GeForce 7600 GT 256MB is priced at over $250.

The GeForce 6800 GS 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. It is even SLI capable, so a potential upgrade in the future might be to add a second GeForce 6800 GS 256MB card, when prices might be even lower. Speaking of retail price, recent drops have moved it down into our budget, and we worked very hard to fit it in this month.

Although we don't make a specific recommendation, due to fluctuating supplies and availability, we do recommend the eVGA GeForce 6800 GS 256MB card (pictured above). It supplies excellent performance for the class, and is one of the lowest priced and most visible GeForce 6800 GS 256MB cards on the market. Another great choice is the PNY GeForce 6800 GS 256MB (shown below), which does cost a bit more than standard cards, but comes factory overclocked at 470 MHZ core and 1.1 GHz memory. This is a great option for those who want higher speeds, but don't feel comfortable risking the warranty by manually overclocking.

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 and Radeon X1600 256MB cards as their competitors in the mainstream market, but we still feel the Radeon X800 GTO 256MB PCI Express is the best ATI deal in this class. Basically, the card is a lower-clocked Radeon X800 Pro (12 pipes) with 256MB of 256-bit GDDR3 memory, that sells at around $150-$160 for a basic OEM model. There are also a few models (like the Sapphire X800 GTO2 - $170+) that have the capability to be soft-modded to even higher specifications. Watch out for the Radeon X850 XT in the future, as this card has drifted down to just above the $200 level and might actually be an option in the near future.

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

Current Cost: $200
Months on list: 2
Price Change: $0

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. Last time out, we 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 virtually 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, offer a more visually appealing display than a standard CRT, cause less eye strain, and with a 8-12ms response time, even high speed gaming will show minimal (if any) ghosting. One concession is the difficulty in getting DVI inputs at this price range, and although the majority of sub-$200 LCDs are analog, a few are starting to feature both interfaces. The best overall LCD value is currently with the 17" models, and models 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.