Pre-AM2 Mid-Range Buyers' Guide, May 2006
by Jarred Walton on May 9, 2006 6:30 AM EST- Posted in
- Guides
Speakers and Accessories
All we're missing now are some speakers, a keyboard, and a mouse. This is one area where you can pretty much get whatever you want, but we will list a couple of recommendations just to complete the price. If you already have speakers, there's probably no reason to buy new speakers unless you really want to. Keyboard and mice are subjective, and while I still prefer Logitech and Microsoft models, just about anything will work. If you like wireless input devices, you can go that route as well, though we would caution against buying any of the cheaper models. Cheap plus wireless often means you will get flaky response from your peripherals, and for most situations I still prefer a wired keyboard and mouse. |
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Speaker Recommendation: Logitech X-530 5.1 70W Speakers
Price: $62 shipped (Retail)
"If it's not broke, don't fix it." I've been recommending Logitech's cheap 5.1 speakers for budget and midrange computers pretty much since I started writing Buyers' Guides. The simple fact of the matter is that they work well, sound decent, and have an impressively low price. No one is going to mistake the X-530 speakers for some Klipsch 5.1 cans, but unless you're an audiophile, you probably don't care. For playing games as well is watching movies and listening to some music, these Logitech speakers will get the job done.
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Keyboard and Mouse: Microsoft Comfort Curve 2000 B2L-00047
Price: $32 shipped (Retail)
I like the old Microsoft Natural keyboards, but not everyone likes ergonomic split-key layouts. The Microsoft Comfort Curve strikes something of a middle ground, so if you don't like split-key arrangements, you might like this. There are additional "multimedia" and application buttons along the top of the keyboard that can be somewhat useful, and about the only complaint some people will have is that the keyboard is relatively large. Along with the keyboard you get the standard three button Microsoft optical mouse, and although you don't get any extra buttons it's still a good mouse. Logitech keyboards and mice can often be found for a few dollars less, but since you use the keyboard and mouse to actually interface with the computer, get something that you find comfortable. (Or you could always try speech recognition, right?)
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Griswold - Tuesday, May 9, 2006 - link
Shouldnt always go for the bigger number at a similar price. There are more important numbers with PSUs than the absolute wattage.KorruptioN - Tuesday, May 9, 2006 - link
Even though it's only rated at 400W overall (yes, wattage is not the best indicator of overall output), it can do 30A on the +12V output alone (360W divided by 12V), which is a good amount for a non-SLI configuration. Even two 7600GTs wouldn't be enough to push this power supply past it's limits. I think it is a good all-around choice.JarredWalton - Tuesday, May 9, 2006 - link
I've got a system very similar to this, only with a 7800 GTX, an overclocked X2 3800+, and two 250GB hard drives... all running off a Thermaltake 410W PSU. Maximum power draw hits about 315W - and that's not even counting for PSU efficiency (i.e. that's measuring at the outlet).I mentioned several alternative PSUs that people can consider. Why do I like modular units? Sleeved cables, reduced cable clutter, and for an extra $15 I'm willing to go that route. Opinions vary, naturally - this guide is basically my opinion, after all.
IntelUser2000 - Tuesday, May 9, 2006 - link
Sure about that. Only 35%?? I think 35% will be the absolute minimum over Netburst in Netburst optimized apps.
peternelson - Tuesday, May 9, 2006 - link
Difficult to make comparisons of "same price" netburst cpu, because Intel roadmap will make FURTHER REDUCTIONS in price of 930,940,950 after Core Duo 2 launches through November.950 probably isn't going to compete with the new chips on total performance, but may not be that bad in bang for buck in comparison.
JarredWalton - Tuesday, May 9, 2006 - link
Rough estimate, and it could be more or less depending on benchmarks. Core Duo T2300 costs a bit more than Pentium D 930. Looking at *stock* performance, AutoGK encoding for example should be around 55 FPS for the 930, while the T2400 get 44 FPS. Even with a 25% boost in performance, the Core Duo 2 $210 CPU is probably going to about equal PD 930.The flipped side is that some benches (games especially) will be more than 35%. PD 920 at 2.8 GHz maxes out at 63 FPS in BF2, roughly. (Doesn't matter about resolution - 800x600 still gets ~63 FPS.) Gary got 83 FPS with T2400 at stock, and 112 at 2.8 GHz. If CD2 gives another 25%... we're looking at maybe 104 FPS for a 1.83 GHz Core Duo 2. Assuming such a chip costs $210, it's got a 65% performance advantage. :)
Anyway, I'll tweak the text slightly.