Buyer's Guide - Mid-Range, January 2005
by Jarred Walton on January 21, 2005 11:09 AM EST- Posted in
- Guides
Sound and Speaker Recommendations
Even in the mid-range segment, we don't feel that an add-in sound card is a requirement. For most people, you would be hard pressed to notice a difference between integrated and discrete audio solutions. This is especially true if you're going to use a typical speaker configuration that costs less than $200. What we list here are strictly alternatives, and you might want to try the integrated audio before insisting on an add-in sound card. Half-Life 2 performance on a moderate system was virtually unchanged after upgrading from integrated audio to an Audigy 2 ZS, and to our ears, there was no major difference in sound quality.
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Sound Card Alternatives:
Creative Labs Audigy 2 ZSPrice: $67 OEM, $75 Retail
M-Audio Revolution 7.1
Price: $98 Retail
The Creative Labs Audigy 2 ZS and M-Audio Revolution continue to be the best options for discrete audio, and prices remain largely unchanged since the last time we looked. If anything, the price of the M-Audio has actually gone up a few dollars. If gaming is your primary concern, the Audigy 2 is more likely to have special support included in recent titles, while the Revolution has an overall better sound quality. The one area where integrated audio solutions due tend to fall a bit short is in recording quality. So, if you plan on doing any of that, you will probably want to invest in a sound card. The Revolution wins the recording quality comparisons. Note that the Revolution uses the VIA Envy chip, which is available on quite a few motherboards these days. Other than potential noise due to cheaper interconnects, there would be no difference in quality.
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Speaker Recommendation:
Logitech X-530 5.1Price: $56 Shipped (Retail)
For general computer use including periodic gaming and movie watching, a decent set of 5.1 speakers is the best option. The X-530 speakers have now replaced the Z-640 as a good all-around audio setup. There are better speakers out there, without a doubt, but they cost three times as much or more. Creative offers a comparable set of 5.1 speakers with their Inspire T5400 model, which some may prefer due to their less "futuristic" look. The Inspire P7800 are another possibility that adds 7.1 support, although you would need a proper environment to make use of such a configuration as well as one of the sound cards mentioned above.
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Speaker Alternative:
Logitech Z-5300e 5.1 THX CertifiedPrice: $160 Shipped (Retail)
If you want improved quality and power output, the Z-5300e is a great upgrade. This is definitely a case of diminishing returns as they cost about three times as much as the lesser X-530s, but some will want the improved sound, and we certainly prefer their look. They also have a separate control pod (a wired remote, basically), so you can position the speakers better around the room without putting the volume control out of easy reach.
You can spend as much money as you want on speakers, going all the way to home theater setups. For a Home Theater PC, connecting the PC to your existing sound system is relatively simple and would certainly beat any sub-$200 speakers that we might recommend. 2.0 and 2.1 speakers are also something to consider, if you're not concered with surround sound or lack desk space. A good set of headphones from Grado or Sennheiser is another possibility - and an especially good choice if you plan on attending LAN parties! If you don't already have good speakers and aren't looking to make a huge investment, however, the Z-5300e will get the job done.
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JarredWalton - Sunday, January 23, 2005 - link
35 - Damn. Foiled. :) I forget these things over time. Wasn't the original Raptor TCQ and the newer version has something like "TCQ-II" which was supposed to improve on standard TCQ somehow? Anyway, our NCQ article didn't really show a major benefit for desktop use, but I've fixed the error now. Thanks!REMF - Saturday, January 22, 2005 - link
"On the other hand, if improved performance is what you're after, the best two choices are either one of the 16MB cache Maxtor drives or the 74GB Western Digital Raptor [RTPE: WD740GD] with its 10,000 RPM design - both of these also offer NCQ, in case you were wondering."the Raptor offers Tagged Command Queuing, not Native Command Queuing.
JarredWalton - Saturday, January 22, 2005 - link
Regarding post #30 and the NEC 3520A, a reader sent me an email informing me that the 3520A uses a new chipset and thus the 3500A is *not* upgradeable to the 3520A via a BIOS flash. Barring any contradicting views, I'll stick with that.JarredWalton - Saturday, January 22, 2005 - link
31 - our RTPE doesn't currently differentiate between the ST3160023AS and the ST3160827AS, unfortunately. For example, the Newegg listing currently priced at $111.50 + $4.69 shipping is the appropriate NCQ model. In reality, the NCQ doesn't seem to be a big deal for non-server systems (just like RAID), but if it's only a few dollars more why not get it? That was my feeling. There are even a couple listings in the RTPE for the ST3160021AS. Basically, the RTPE bots match items according to size and features, but NCQ doesn't seem to be something they're aware of yet.kamaboko - Saturday, January 22, 2005 - link
you know the saying, "can't please all of the people all of the time". i think that applies here. in any case, i found this guide useful since i'm looking at a near total ground up rebuild--minus dvd burner, audigy 2zs, and monitor.beakerman - Saturday, January 22, 2005 - link
"With the added benefit of Native Command Queuing (NCQ), the Seagate drives continue to impress. The Seagate 160 GB SATA [RTPE: ST3160023AS]"According to Seagate, the ST3160023AS does not feature NCQ. I believe the drive you want is the ST3160827AS, which is actually a few $$ cheaper. Both drives are 160 GB SATA.
JarredWalton - Saturday, January 22, 2005 - link
26 - Sorry, I got the wrong "updated burn speeds" in there. The 3500A is indeed capable of 16X DVD+/-R recording. The difference is that the 3520A can do DVD+RW at 8X and DVD-RW at 6X, while the 3500A is stuck at 4X for both. There's a reasonable chance, of course, that a BIOS flash of the 3500A can turn it into the 3520A. I updated the text with this information.28 - The "alternative" was meant as a closer to high-end option. 50% more for the CPU for 10% more performance is a rather expensive upgrade. The jump to the 3800+ is even worse, coming in at 100% more than the 3500+ for a 9% performance increase. I've updated the text slightly to make this more clear. For overclockers, I definitely wouldn't bother with the added cost of the 3500+.
27 - I did mention the home theater aspect for the speakers (last part of the 5300e paragraph), but we're certainly not going to spec out an entire home audio setup, so there's not much to do other than mention it. Your comment ties into the next point:
29 - 2.1 speakers aren't much cheaper than the 5.1s, and you can always just leave the rear speakers disconnected. Still, you have a point that some people really don't want more speakers. In that case, I'm not sure why they would bother with anything more than 2.0 speakers, though. There *are* great 2.0 and 2.1 speakers out there, but then you're almost better off looking at the home audio equipment instead of PC speakers. I dunno... I suppose the Swans are always an option. Anywat, I modified the text to include 2.0/2.1 speakers and headphones as something to consider, along with home theater audio. I moved this into a separate paragraph to draw more attention to it.
Dranzerk - Saturday, January 22, 2005 - link
One suggestion for next buyers guide, I think all kinds system setups like 2.1 speaker systems, you should offer a 5.1 and 2.1 for each type instead of just 5.1.I know some personally don't like 5.1 sounding speakers, and prefer 2.1 speakers.
The logitech Z3 2.1 fit that bill perfectly, you can find them for under $50 also, and they get great reviews.
Pjotr - Saturday, January 22, 2005 - link
I think you are fooling buyers into a wrongful purchase when it comes to performance. In the AMD "Upgraded" PCIe Athlon 64 System you have gone from 3200+ for $215 to 3500+ for $334. The performance increase from 2.0 to 2.2 GHz is smaller than 10 %, in many applications like games it might even be close to 0.Instead of adding $119 for this 0-10 % performance gain, I think sticking with the 3200+ CPU and changing the graphics card from 6600GT to 6800GT (Leadtek A400) is a MUCH better choise, It will cost you £377 minus $190 = $187. If you want to come down close to the $119 difference don't get an SLI motherboard.
This graphics upgrade will make wonders in anything graphics related compared to a 10 % CPU clock speed upgrade that is seldom noticed in anything.
Caligynemania - Saturday, January 22, 2005 - link
Great article, just one comment. With your reccomendation of speakers and sound card as alternatives, you really should mention that a receiver/speaker combination would probably be most people's best bets. A good receiver will run slightly more than the sound cards you mentioned, but the selection for real speakers is infinitely better than computer speakers.