Buyer's Guide - Entry Level to Mid-Range, March 2005
by Jarred Walton on March 15, 2005 1:30 PM EST- Posted in
- Guides
Speakers
If you're putting together a budget computer primarily for office and Internet use, getting a decent set of speakers is not going to be a top priority. You probably have some cheap speakers sitting around already that can be used, or headphones will also suffice. The only reason to actually get speakers is if you plan on playing games, watching movies, or listening to music from the computer. We'll give a suggestion for each use. As far as sound cards go, the integrated audio in any of these motherboards is going to be more than sufficient for all but the most demanding users - and if you're a demanding user, plan on spending more than the low-end budget that we're using in this Guide.
Click to enlarge.
Price: $17 shipped
The "little brother" of the Creative SBS270 that we've recommended in the past, these are about as cheap as you can get for speakers while still getting acceptable output quality. You can find a lot of cheap speakers at local electronics stores, and the only thing that we would recommend at the low end is to make sure that you purchase powered speakers, and preferably the kind that don't require batteries. Getting speakers that are magnetically shielded is also important, as they'll be near you monitor in most setups. Just remember, these speakers are only meant to give you the basic beeps and boops, so if you want quality, plan on spending more money.
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Speaker Alternative: Logitech X-530 5.1 Speakers or Z-3i 2.1 Speakers
Price: $57 shipped
For 5.1 speakers that have amazing quality, given the price, the Logitech X-530 speakers are still the way to go. They work well for games, movies, and even music. Those who are more serious about musical quality - or who lack desk space - will be better served by a set of 2.1 speakers - 5.1 isn't going to help stereo recordings sound better, after all. If you want 2.1 speakers, the Logitech Z-3 line costs about as much as the X-530 and includes better satellites and a larger subwoofer for about the same price. One of the useful features on Logitech's speakers is that they all feature a headphone socket, which will mute the speakers when used. While it's not required by any means, it can come in handy late at night.
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JarredWalton - Monday, June 13, 2005 - link
58 - ??? The Mid-Range to High-End went up a couple weeks ago. Next update in a couple more weeks, I guess. :Dhttp://www.anandtech.com/guides/showdoc.aspx?i=242...
SAV602 - Thursday, June 9, 2005 - link
This month?spartacvs - Saturday, May 14, 2005 - link
Yepeee!JarredWalton - Saturday, May 14, 2005 - link
It's coming soon! :pspartacvs - Thursday, May 12, 2005 - link
Hey guys, it's time for a new system guide :)TrogdorJW - Friday, March 25, 2005 - link
Sorry - ignore that last post, but I guess my comments name and pass don't work in the forums. Just wanted to check. :)TrogdorJW - Friday, March 25, 2005 - link
Testing....JarredWalton - Thursday, March 24, 2005 - link
jwf1776 sent me a reply email which updates the situation. I'll just post the text with links here:------------------
I don't know why I sent you the link the to enermax site, because the site does make it seem like its atx 2.03 ... but it's all lies...
The manual I got with the power supply was pretty clear about which models had 24pin rails. They have a 24P on the model number or something.
Anyways, the maxpoint site (American enermax distributor?) has the correct stats at
http://www.maxpoint.com/products/pow_supp/spec_pg/...
Also here is a review of the part
http://www.cluboverclocker.com/reviews/power/enerm...
Both sites make clear its atx 1.3
------------------
So, there you have it: the Enermax 375 is *not* a 24-pin EPS 12V compliant motherboard. It *does* have dual rails, which may be sufficient, but that's not the same as supporting the ATX 2.0x standard. It looks like Enermax needs to fix their spec pages....
JarredWalton - Wednesday, March 23, 2005 - link
jwf1776: I sent this in an email to him as well, but here's my question to you all: is this a case of false advertising by Enermax or not? Here is an image for the alternative PSU:http://www.enermax.com.tw/upload/clgcable0217.jpg
It doesn't have a 24-pin connector, per se, but it has a 20 pin with a second 4-pin connector that makes it into a 24-pin. Note that there is *also* a second 4-pin +12V adapter for the standard P4 power connector. Unless someone can confirm that the PSU doesn't include the two 4-pin adapters, I believe it still qualifies as a 24-pin PSU. ATX 12V 2.01 vs. ATX 12V 2.03 - is there really a major difference other than the 24-pin adapter bein in one piece?
Jep4444 - Wednesday, March 23, 2005 - link
48 - the adapter doesn't do very much, it'll work without an adapter