Buyer's Guide - Mid-Range, October 2004
by Jarred Walton on October 21, 2004 11:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Guides
Audio Recommendations
We'll start with the sound cards first. For many people, the integrated sound in any of these systems will be sufficient. There are two exceptions to that, and they are gamers and audiophiles. We'll leave the gamers out of this for now, but those of you who are interested in sound quality or who do audio work for a living will probably want something more than integrated audio.
Sound Card Alternative: M-Audio Revolution 7.1
Price: $92 Shipped (Retail)
The M-Audio Revolution 7.1 is a professional level sound card that can be used for serious audio work, and it has some of the cleanest input and output available. Only a significantly more expensive sound card like the Terratec Aureon 7.1 is likely to surpass it. If you work with audio for a living, the investment is worthwhile, but most users will not need this level of sound quality. Those looking to put together a Home Theater PC might also find the Dolby Digital EX and DTS decoding handy.
Speaker Recommendation: Logitech Z-640 5.1
Price: $53 Shipped (Retail)
Continuing our tradition of recommending the Z-640 speakers, they return once again. We'll change them out for something better when it arrives. They are a little heavy on the bass and not as clear as some higher quality speakers, but for most users they are more than sufficient, and at $53 they are an incredible value.
Speaker Alternative: Logitech Z-5300e 5.1 THX Certified
Price: $159 Shipped (Retail)
The older brother of the Z-640, Logitech continues to impress with their mid-range speaker systems. The clarity is better than the Z-640 and they offer increased power, but at three times the cost, it is hard to justify them for most people. For another $75 or so, you could upgrade even further to the Z-680 speakers, which come with Dolby Digital and DTS decoding. Both of these can work very well as a replacement for more expensive home theater equipment. If you already have a Dolby Digital receiver, you don't need that feature in your speakers and can go with the Z-5300 setup. Just a warning for those who might be thinking of using these in a smaller office: they can cause physical pain if you crank them up all the way, especially in a confined space. Consider yourself warned.
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Tides - Thursday, October 21, 2004 - link
when i think mid-range i do find it hard to look below 9800/6600.PrinceGaz - Thursday, October 21, 2004 - link
This article wasn't focussing on a system where gaming will be a major consideration. The reason for recommending a 9600 Pro (or X300) for discrete graphics is that DX9 hardware will be required for Longhorn when it arrives. A 9800 Pro would be overkill for that.neogodless - Thursday, October 21, 2004 - link
Okay, the price on the 19" monitor IS definitely a typo though! Also, personally I'd spend a touch $100 more for a 9800 Pro (over the 9600 Pro) if at all possible because I think a ~10% increase in overall cost for a much better gaming experience is worth it...neogodless - Thursday, October 21, 2004 - link
n/m... I see it's the 939 pin part... going on the assumption that dual channel increases that chips performance enough for a 200+ higher rating...neogodless - Thursday, October 21, 2004 - link
The Athlon 64 3200+ (90nm) is a 2.0Ghz 512kb cache part? Is that a typo? Should that read Athlon 64 3000+ ?tappertrainman - Thursday, October 21, 2004 - link
Great Job! I definitely like these style "guides" rather than the CPU motherboard guides by themselves. Also, I think a great idea would be to start an "upgrade" guide similar to these. You could have an entry-level mid-level and high-end upgrade guide each month? Thanks for the hard work.gimper48 - Thursday, October 21, 2004 - link
Very good. I am impressed. However, are we going to see benchmarks in these anytime soon?southernpac - Thursday, October 21, 2004 - link
I am very inclined to take your recommendation and use a Raid 1 (mirrow) back up strategy. Do I incur a performance "price" for making the constant back-up? If so, will it be significant enough for a simulations gamer to really notice the difference (I'll be using a higher-end system)?Kong Basse - Thursday, October 21, 2004 - link
Thank you for another good article.The article was absolutly not too long, only proclaim that I have is: The 9600 id getting a little old by now, but then again, it still isnt too bad for gaming, even though it hardly runs Doom3 and HL2.
PrinceGaz - Thursday, October 21, 2004 - link
I've just finished reading it and amazingly, I can't fault any of your recommendations!I'd say you've covered pretty much everything you set out to starting with solid recommendations for a base system, and providing excellent reasons for why someone might want to choose one of the alternatives suggested.
Probably the best system guide to date. Well done.