January 2002 Value Gaming PC Buyer's Guide - Page 2

CPU

AMD CPU: Athlon XP 1700+ (1.47 GHz) OEM - $112

The Athlon XP is one of the best CPU deals on the planet and due to its high price-performance ratio, we can slap a pretty powerful unit even on our value gaming rig. This month's selection is the Athlon XP 1700+, which checks in at 1.47 GHz, or faster than any conventional Athlon processor. Couple this high core speed with enhancements like Data Prefetch and SSE support, and you can see why AMD chose the 1700+ model number. The Athlon XP also competes well against the Pentium 4, with similar model speeds matching or even exceeding a similar P4.

Intel CPU: Pentium 4-1.6 GHz (Socket 478, Retail) - $140

Choosing the right Pentium 4 was a tough job this time out, as relative prices are higher than an Athlon XP and the new 478-pin variety is in higher demand. Since the Northwood has debuted and DDR motherboards support the newer CPU form factor, there is really no way we can recommend the less-expensive 423-pin model. So we're going with the Pentium 4-1.6 GHz retail processor, using the 478-pin design.

To help get around this higher initial price, we're spending a few bucks more on the retail version, but saving more by not requiring an extra HSF (heatsink-fan) purchase. These retail HSF units are large and cool extremely well, so don't worry about getting one of those smaller models that Intel became famous for with the Celeron and Pentium III.

AMD Heatsink-Fan: Thermaltake Volcano 7 - $30

Though the Athlon XP is a cooler running processor than the Athlon it replaced, the HSF should still be of the utmost importance. We're changing gears a bit this time out and recommending the ThermalTake Volcano 7. This is one nifty HSF, in that it looks great, performs very well, and even has some features than may come in handy to some readers. Most high-end fans have a noise level in the 50dBA range, while the ThermalTake Volcano 7 ranges from 27 to 39 depending on the overall fan speed. This range is important because the ThermalTake Volcano 7 employs a fan speed control from 2900 to 5000 RPM. Essentially, the hotter the CPU, the faster the fan spins. For those who don't want to have a Boeing engine in your computer room, this is an innovative way to get high-performance cooling when gaming, but lower noise output when the PC is idle.

Intel Heatsink-Fan: Included Retail HSF

Given that our value Intel gaming system uses the Pentium 4-1.6 GHz processor, there is little reason to use anything but the included retail HSF. This helps our gaming budget, and let's us maintain the high level of quality in the other components. Plus, we've used the retail HSF for testing all the way up to the Pentium 4-2.0 GHz (as well as the cooler running Northwood) so don't worry about its cooling performance.