Over the past few weeks we have seen some very high profile releases from both NVIDIA, and more recently ATI. Unfortunately, at the time of this writing, neither the GeForce 6800 series, nor Radeon X800 series, are available in the retail market. As a result, we were forced to stick with the ATI Radeon 9800XT for another month. For the past couple of years the original R300 core and all of its subsequent iterations have been a success for ATI, besting almost everything NVIDIA has been able to throw at them. Until we see widespread availability of both next generation cards from NVIDIA and ATI, we will include the Radeon 9800XT as our video card of choice as it is the highest performing hardware currently available.
ATI's current powerhouse features the R360 core variant, and has support for all features included in the R3XX architecture, and then some, including SmartShader 2.1, and SmoothVision 2.1. The Radeon 9800XT also has a 256-bit wide memory bus, up to 256-MB of memory, along with support for manufacturer sanctioned overclocking through ATI's OverDrive feature. The card has a built in thermal diode which will assist the drivers in overclocking the core speed (up to about 440 MHz) if temperatures permit. However, it will not clock itself lower than the advertised 412 MHz at any time. The Overdrive feature is currently only available on the 9800XT with Catalyst driver version 3.8 or later. The retail version of the Radeon 9800XT also includes a coupon for the full version of Half-Life 2 when it becomes available.
When it comes to choosing our high-end CRT monitor, there are a few high-end manufactures we look to, and NEC/Mitsubishi continually shines as one of our top choices. We generally like to invest a good portion of our monthly allotment into our monitor because it will be a long-term investment for most. When it comes to selecting a CRT, we look to make sure we get the largest monitor with the best clarity and resolution offered.
As high-end LCD monitors are still slightly out of the reach of this guide, we will again be recommending the excellent Mitsubishi Diamondtron DP2070SB-BK as the standard monitor choice. This 22" monitor (20" viewable area) has a maximum resolution of 2048x1536 at 85Hz refresh rate. The aperture grille (the kind with the two horizontal lines) has a dot pitch of .24mm and is touted as totally flat. Mitsubishi warranties the monitor for 3 years against defects so make sure you purchase a full retail model to get the warranty.
Lately we have been getting a flood of emails asking for a recommendation for a gaming LCD monitor. Unfortunately, due to budget concerns we couldn't recommend a LCD as our main option this month, but for those of you who wan to take the plunge, our recommendation is the Dell UltraSharp 2001FP 20.1" LCD. The monitor supports up to 1600x1200 pixel resolution, 16ms response time, 250 cd/m2 brightness, and a 400:1 contrast ratio making it a top choice for enthusiast LCD buyers. Weighing in at about $1000 you can see why it's a bit out of the budget for this month, but it is a great choice for a top-end LCD monitor.
Currently, the Audigy2 ZS Platinum Pro is Creative's top of the line product. Only a minor upgrade from the previous Audigy2, the ZS does add a few notable new features. Included are a better 108 SNR DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converter), 7.1 channel support, the latest in EAX technology, and DVD Audio support. The Platinum Pro version of the card comes with a hefty external breakout box that includes a number of input and output ports and a remote control.
The breakout box included with the Audigy2 ZS Platinum Pro attaches to the internal soundcard and offers a wealth of external connectors including optical and coaxial inputs and outputs, 2 Firewire ports, MIDI input and output, as well as connectors for headphones and a number of 1/4" stereo mini jacks. The card also comes with software programs for music enthusiasts and creators that surely are a great value considering the $195 price tag.
Although our Audigy 2 ZS supports up to 7.1 speakers we feel that there are simply too few choices for us to consider including a 7.1 or 6.1 system in this guide. Instead we followed our ears and found a great 5.1 computer speaker system from Logitech. The Z-680 5.1 surround system is one of the best on the market for under $300, and is again our top pick for this month's guide.
Logitech's Z-680 speakers have 500RMS watts of total burst power, as well as a very nice external DTS and Dolby Digital Decoder. The 188W subwoofer is complimented by a 69W center channel and four 62W surround speakers (505 watts total) The Logitech Z-680 5.1 speakers are a perfect companion to the Audigy2 Platinum sound card whether you play games, listen to music, watch movies, or all three. The Z-680 speakers can be found online for about $265, and at that price this set gives one heck of a bang for your buck.
