December Value Gaming PC Buyer's Guide - Page 5

Video Card: GeForce 7900 GS 256MB - PCI Express

Current Cost: $179
Consecutive Guides: New
Price Change: N/A

The NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GT 256MB card seems like a perfect fit for our value guide, and it certainly does provide the right price-performance mix... but forgive us for trying to cram as much graphics performance as possible into our value system configurations. The GeForce 7900 GS 256MB was our goal this month, especially as NVIDIA had introduced it to fill the gap between the GeForce 7600 GT and GeForce 7900 GT cards. In terms of performance, the GeForce 7900 GS 256MB is a perfect match for our dual core AMD and Intel systems, and although the retail price was a bit higher than we'd like, the upgrade is more than worth it.

In terms of architecture, the GeForce 7900 GS 256MB is a noticeable upgrade to the GeForce 7600 GT, while remaining slightly back of the GeForce 7900 GT. The 90nm G71 core features 20 pixel pipelines, 7 vertex shaders, 24 texture units, and 8 ROPs, while being clocked at exactly the same 450 MHz core/1.32 GHz memory speeds of the GeForce 7900 GT. This results in high-end specifications, but that are just behind those of a GeForce 7900 GT 256MB. The GeForce 7900 GS 256MB is fully Shader Model 3.0 compliant and offers standard features like PureVideo, UltraShadow II, IntelliSample 4, and SLI.

Where the GeForce 7900 GS 256MB card really takes charge is in the area of memory architecture. The GeForce 7600 GT card runs on a 128-bit bus, while the GeForce 7900 GS 256MB doubles that to 256-bit. The 1.32 GHz memory clock speed also translates into 42.2 GB/s of memory bandwidth, exactly that of a GeForce 7900 GT. This gives us the best of both worlds, and without any of the potential negatives of a "mainstream video card". The GeForce 7900 GS 256MB is a near perfect match for our guide, and will provide a noticeable upgrade in game performance - all without breaking the bank.

While we don't choose a specific model, mostly due to fluctuating supplies and availability, we can recommend both the PNY GeForce 7900 GS 256MB (pictured above) and XFX GeForce 7900 GS 256MB (pictured below) cards at this price range. Both of these models offer an excellent mix of high performance and low price, making the GeForce 7900 GS 256MB a perfect match for our value system configurations.

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.

On the ATI side, it can be tough to find a contender at the same price level. The Radeon X1600 XT/X1650 Pro 256MB cards are priced lower, but neither can match the GeForce 7900 GS 256MB in terms of performance. The Radeon X1800 GTO and Radeon X1900 GT 256MB cards are both super performers that can compete well against the GeForce 7900 GS 256MB, and can be found for similar prices. As the Radeon X1900 GT offers slightly higher performance (at a slightly higher price), that would be our selection - like the Sapphire card pictured below.

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

Current Cost: $160
Consecutive Guides: 5
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 challenges 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. A 17" gaming LCD is the baseline these days, as this display technology is clearly the wave of the present and future. An LCD is becoming almost a requirement, if for no other reason than 19" CRTs are becoming virtually impossible to find.

As there are so many different brands and styles at this range, and since a monitor can be a very personal choice, we are currently recommending a generic selection of an 8ms-12ms 17" LCD. 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 LCDs at this level are analog, some are starting to feature both interfaces. The best overall LCD value is currently with the 17" models, and displays 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.