High-End Performance

OK, so while you don’t have infinite cash resources you’d like to buy a high-performance system, even though you know that by next year it will only at best be a mid-range system? What do I think that system should consist of? Currently, if you truly want the best possible performance then you’ll need one of the high-end dual processor systems – either AMD’s Athlon 64 FX-74, or Intel’s Pentium Core 2 Extreme (say the X6800 or QX6700) – with performance levels being quite similar, depending on the particular benchmark (what the task is – video compression, openGL, DirectX, etc). These are very expensive systems though – just the CPU alone will cost around $1500 for the Intel, with the AMD FX-74 not apparently even available yet in oz (FX-62 being around $1200 currently) . It is also worth noting that a dual processor system doesn’t necessarily yield a huge performance increase as opposed to a single processor – most applications simply cannot exploit the parallel computing capabilities of 2 processors. Cheaper chip ranges, such as the Intel Core 2 Duo E4300 – E6700 (E6700 costing around $750) or AMD’s Athlon 64 x2 3800 to 5200 (5200 at around $400 currently) provide performance close to the bleeding-edge chips, but for half the price and less. Review sites, such as Tom’s Hardware (www.tomshardware.com) can provide exact figures under a number of benchmarks. Finally, when you’re reading this there may be faster Athlons or Pentiums available than those listed above, in which case the balance may have shifted yet again…

CPU,  & Mobo: These two components are the basic backbone of the system. For this reason it is important not to stint in this area. Other components may be replaced (graphic cards) or increased (RAM) far more easily (and cheaply) than a mobo or CPU, so its best to get this right first go. Many people think only of a CPU in determining the power of a system but a good motherboard is vital and has been known to make considerable difference (10% and more) to performance. For the Athlon system the CPU should be either a dual processor (if you have lots of cash to throw around – the FX-74 being the top-end), or an Athlon x2 5200 if you’re being a bit more frugal. The motherboard will be a socket AM2. If you’re going the Intel path then again you have the high-cost dual processor path with the Core 2 Extreme either the X6800 or the QX6700) or the more reasonably priced dual processor solution of the Core 2 Duo 6700. A socket 775 mobo is required for either.
RAM: I’d suggest 1Gig, and 2Gig if you’re going to run Windows Vista. Ideally buy your RAM as a single stick – as this allows more slots for future expansion.
OS: The operating system not only determines the look-and-feel of your computer but its stability (how often it crashes) and even performance. While Windows Vista is new, and promises a lot, you can expect some incompatibility and early-adaptor problems until all the initial problems are ironed out. As such I’d still suggest Windows XP with a subsequent change to Vista should you so desire.
Monitor: These days going with an LCD (TFT) as opposed to a CRT seems the obvious choice: lower power consumption, small desktop footprint, crisper image, greater screen real-estate, and (now) very good refresh rates. There is a further certainty also – size counts. The extra screen real-estate afforded by a larger monitor is always welcome. So, think 17” and up.
Hard Disc: I suggest one of the SATA drives from IBM or Western. As to size, you'll fill it no matter how big, around 320GB seems a good byte-per-buck point currently.
Graphics Card: At the current point in time Nvidia’s 8800 GTX is the dominant single-card solution. If you really have more money than you know what to do with you can go dual – for instance dual ATI X1950 (crossfire) or dual Nvidia 7900/7950 (SLI). Note that the 8800 GTX costs around $900 currently, while two (good) X1950s or 7950s are likely to cost you more (even ignoring the special motherboard and additional power requirements) and still not perform as well as the 8800 GTX. Dropping to a 8800GTS (as opposed to GTX) reduces the price to $450 and up, while still providing spectacular performance. Other cheaper options include the Nvidia 7950 and 7900 (various incarnations), and ATI’s X1950. You can save hundreds by dropping to these cheaper cards, but frame rates (at high resolutions and with various filtering) do drop significantly according to the benchmarks.
Sound: A decent quality soundcard and speakers can really enhance either a gaming experience or the play of your (copyright free) MP3 files. You can easily spend a lot on sound equipment for your PC. However, unless you’re a real audiophile, or setting up a media centre, I believe you can save yourself several hundred dollars by purchasing an “adequate” system that will still sound very good. As to speakers it is well known you get what you pay for. That said perhaps the first thing to consider if going past a $20 pair of speakers is having a subwoofer. Surround (5.1) setups can now be found under $100, though most are still more than that. Otherwise you (as I am) may be more than content with spending $30-$100 for a pair of speakers plus subwoofer. Also don’t forget that the audio-card output can be routed to your sound-system obviating the need to purchase speakers for the PC.

Also, top quality in everything else such as keyboards (make sure you like its “action” – the feel of typing on it), mice (make sure its optical) etc – having good quality input devices can literally make the difference between whether the system is a pleasure or pain to use for extended periods of time. If you have money to burn then there’s any number of peripherals on which to spend money including printers (a very crowded market), scanners, DVD burner, joysticks, wireless mouse and keyboards, etc. etc.

The final thing to remember with any system is that it be well cooled. Modern CPUs and graphic cards run hot. Typically each comes with their own fans and heat-sinks but a good case and system fan are important or your system might really crash and burn. If you are buying fans then noise can be a significant factor – many modern systems can be quite noisy due to their fans. That noise can really detract from the “immersion” of games and other multi-media products, as well as making for an uncomfortable or even stressful work environment. Spend the extra $10-$50 on a quiet fan.