Current Cost of Video Accelerator: $355
Months on List: New
Price Change: N/A
Company Web Site: www.elsa.com
As with the Athlon XP, timing can be the key to PC gaming happiness. As of October 10th, the impressive Visiontek Xtasy GeForce3 Titanium Ti500 is available through many retail outlets. If you haven't heard of the GeForce3 Ti500, just think heavily overclocked GeForce3, or what could be referred to a hypothetical GeForce3 Ultra. To say that this chipset is fast would be an understatement, since it jacks the clock rate up to 240 MHz, compared to the already-impressive 200 MHz of the standard GeForce3. In addition, the memory is at a full 500 MHz (250 DDR) which is also 40 MHz higher than the standard 460 MHz (230 DDR) of the GeForce3. We're going with the Visiontek Xtasy GeForce3 Titanium Ti500 because it offers high-end performance and features at a price that is barely any higher than a name brand GeForce3. If initial testing is any indication, matching this board up to a high-end CPU might be just what the gaming doctor ordered.
Current Cost of Monitor: $379
Months on List: 4
Price Change: +$4
Company Web Site: www.samsung.com
The 700-$900 required for a quality 21" monitor is still a bit out of our budget, so getting a premium 19" is our first order of business. On that note, what more can you say about the excellent Samsung 900NF? This is high-quality monitor featuring one of those nifty flat, aperture-grille tubes, which translates into superb performance whether your forte is text or graphics. Samsung is also one of the top names in computer monitors and their support is very good compared to the competition. One note of interest is the high satisfaction level that Sharky readers have expressed with this particular model, so we're not the only ones who are impressed with the 900NF.
Please keep in mind that when buying any type or brand of monitor, there is always the chance of receiving a defective unit, so be certain to purchase only from a vendor that offers liberal return and replacement options.