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Sharky Extreme : Monthly Value Gaming System Buyer's Guide |
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Monthly Value Gaming System Buyer's Guide |
September Value Gaming PC Buyer's Guide - Page 2By Vince Freeman September 19, 2006
Current Cost: $187 We continue to make revisions and upgrades to our AMD processor component, but this month we can make use of the AMD price drops to snag a powerful Athlon 64 X2 model. The Athlon 64 3500+ we chose last time certainly looked good at the old prices, but once AMD lowered the boom, it was dual core all the way. Prices and availability also helped determine our platform, but Socket AM2 is more future-proof, and the only viable choice for new AMD performance systems. Our current budget allowed us to go as high as the Athlon X2 4200+, which is a nice improvement compared to the 2.0 GHz Athlon 64 3800+, and not far removed from the 2.2 GHz Athlon 64 4400+. The Athlon 64 X2 4200+ is clocked at 2.2 GHz, includes a 2x512K L2 cache format, and utilizes the Socket AM2 package. It is also an incredible value at current prices, and at only $187, it equals where the single core Athlon 64 3500+ was in our last guide. To help maximize our budget and ensure ease of installation, we have gone with the Retail model and its nearly free heatsink-fan. However, if you have a killer 3rd-party HSF unit in mind, then buying an OEM CPU is always an option.
Strangely, the Athlon 64 X2 4200+ may be priced more towards the value market, but its performance is still very good, and is definitely a more mainstream option. At current prices, even in the face of the Core 2 Duo, this is an excellent deal, and buying into Socket AM2 now ensures your system will have increased longevity and greater upgrade headroom. In terms of a future upgrade, we've got our sights set on the 2.4 GHz Athlon 64 4600+ processor, which is currently priced at under $250, and may sneak closer to $200 in a few months.
Current Cost: $186 The selection of an Intel processor was a tougher task than we anticipated, as although the Core 2 Duo 2MB processors were the natural choice, other factors entered into the equation. Motherboard cost was a big hurdle to overcome, and it would have been a lot easier to fit a Pentium D platform into the mix. With some sleight of hand, we were able to allocate enough of the budget for the Core 2 Duo E6300, the lowest-cost Core 2 on the chart. This is still a very powerful CPU, and it makes a lot more sense to jump on the Core 2 bandwagon now, and potentially upgrade later when prices drop. The Pentium D 900 series may have some very attractive price-performance levels, but we see this as the best option for our Intel value system.
The Core 2 Duo E6300 is a dual core processor that features a 65nm Allendale core, which is a stripped-down version of the Conroe with 2MB of shared L2 cache. This processor runs at 1.86 GHz, but a clock speed comparison cannot tell the tale with the Core 2. At default speeds, the Core 2 Duo E6300 outpaces the Athlon 64 X2 3800+ and 4200+, while dropping only a small percentage to the 4MB Conroe - and that is at default clock speeds. Due to the lower L2 cache, the Core 2 Duo Allendale also runs cooler and overclocks higher than its Conroe cousin, and some hardcore users have jacked these processors to extremely high levels. The Retail vs. OEM argument also comes down to price, just as it did with the AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ 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 unused and untested CPU.
Current Cost: $0 The Athlon 64 X2 4200+ retail box includes a bundled heatsink-fan, and for both budgetary and ease-of-use considerations, we chose to go this route. The retail model is slightly more expensive than the OEM processor (if you can even find one), but also includes 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 Core 2 Duo Retail models are priced extremely close to the OEM processors, and availability of the boxed model is higher. Sometimes, due to low availability, the OEM prices are even higher, so why waste money when Intel is giving away free heatsink-fans. The retail HSF provides more than adequate cooling for the Core 2 Duo E6300, and the installation is simple enough.
The retail Core 2 Duo coolers have passed our tests using higher-clocked 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 solid stability at base clock speeds, and have a bit extra left over for moderate overclocking.
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