Monthly Value Gaming System Buyer's Guide

CPU

AMD CPU: Athlon XP 1600+ (1.4 GHz) OEM - $114

The time for rejoicing is upon us, and along with the introduction of the powerful Athlon XP 1800+ flagship, AMD has nicely transitioned the new core design into the lower speeds as well. This means that our value gaming PC can now be outfitted with some serious XP power, in the form of a blazing Athlon XP 1600+. This puppy runs at 1.4 GHz, but gives performance that can outpace a Pentium 4-1.5 or even a 1.6 GHz! Another great thing about the Athlon XP line is that we're really only looking at one model type here, as AMD has moved the Athlon XP exclusively to the 266 MHz FSB, while letting the Duron 1 GHz and higher take the 200 MHz position. This makes buying an Athlon XP a lot easier, since you no longer have to worry about buying the wrong part.

Intel CPU: Pentium 4-1.5 GHz (Socket 423, Retail) - $135

Since we ramped up the AMD processor with a new Athlon XP, it's only fitting that the Intel box gets a performance shot as well. While not as radical as the Athlon-Athlon XP shift, we were able to upgrade our Pentium 4 selection to the 1.5 GHz retail version. Doesn't it sound a bit funny listing a 1.5 GHz processor in a value system? Well, that is the beauty of the i845/SDRAM platform, since it gives gamers a lot more leeway in choosing a fast Pentium 4 for their system.

We're also going retail to get one of those "freebie" HSF (heatsink-fan) units that are included, since even though the Pentium 4/i845 setup is relatively inexpensive, we're looking to save as many pennies as possible. Even though the Socket 423 platform doesn't offer the same potential upgrade roadmap as the 478-pin variety, they are much cheaper and still allow up to a 2.0 GHz speed boost later on.

AMD Heatsink-Fan: Thermosonic ThermoEngine - $26

Even though the Athlon XP runs a bit cooler than the Athlon, that is a very relative statement. We still need some serious HSF action for our Athlon XP 1600+, so we're sticking with one of true bad boys of cooling, the Thermosonic ThermoEngine. This is a highly recommended cooler that will more than do the job for our 1.4 GHz Athlon XP 1600+, and also comes at an affordable price.

Intel Heatsink-Fan: Included Retail HSF

High-end Pentium 4 CPU coolers can get quite pricey, and the Pentium 4-1.5 GHz is still at a upper end of our value budget. So in choosing to spend a few bucks more on the retail CPU, and upping the speed to 1.5 GHz, we are also going with the included retail HSF. These units are actually quite good and are hefty enough to cool a Pentium 4 (especially at only 1.5 GHz) without any trouble.