Processor: Intel Pentium 600E MHz [ $419 | Specs ]
Can you say ‘Price Wars’? As the flame-wars between arch-rivals AMD and Intel rage on, we users benefit by picking up more performance points per dollar than ever before. The choice between AMD and Intel was not an easy one, but we feel that Intel’s offerings are the best choice at this level, especially for the overclocker. This month’s pick is Intel’s 600E MHz, which, without much trouble at all, can be pushed to 800, or even possibly 900, MHz. AMD’s Athlon is an excellent choice as well. While it’s price point is lower than the Pentium III’s, the motherboard situation is still not ideal, and overclocking Athlons can be either dangerous (if you attempt resistor mods on your own), or costly (expensive Goldfinger devices). If you have no intentions of overclocking, the Athlon may be the better choice simply due to price.
Alternatives: Intel Pentium III 550E or 650E, AMD Athlon 550, 600, 650 or 700.

Motherboard: Asus P3V4X [ $190 | Specs ]
VIA’s Apollo 133A chipset has still not been able to topple Intel’s 440BX chipset in terms of performance (then again, neither have any of Intel’s new chipsets), but it certainly trumps the aging logic in the feature department. Offering PC133 support (including a ½ AGP Ratio), AGP4X compatibility, and native UDMA/66 support, the 133A is perhaps the overall best option, and Asus’ P3V4X is definitely a winner. If you don’t mind a stressed AGP Ratio when overclocking, and lack of native ATA-66 and AGP4X support, then BX is still the best performer. In any event, this much remains clear--avoid the i820/SDRAM combination.
Alternatives: Soyo SY-6BA+ IV, Abit BF6 or BE6-II.

RAM: 128 MB PC133 HSDRAM [ $235 | Specs ]
As with our high-end system, high performance memory is crucial, especially if you plan on running your board beyond 133 MHz. Again, for the overall best performance, look no further than EMS’s HSDRAM, which, thanks to the falling RAM prices, is now cheaper than it has been in months!
Alternatives: Brand name PC133 memory (Corsair, Mushkin, Micron, Kingston).

Video Card: Asus AGP-V6800 GeForce DDR [ $445 | Specs ]
With nVidia’s NV15, or GeForce 2 as it's been called, just around the corner, the best current option is still a GeForce DDR-based card. Asus’ AGP-V6800 is an excellent choice, albeit a pricey one. There's the luxury of selecting between either the Pure version, which offers nothing but performance, and the Deluxe version, which offers the same performance plus multiple video in and out options--as well as neat 3D glasses!
Alternatives: Hercules 3D Prophet DDR-DVI, Leadtek Winfast GeForce 256 DDR, Elsa Erazor X2.

Hard Disk: IBM Deskstar 34GXP 20.5GB [ $288 | Specs ]
For those who haven’t had the pleasure of using one, "Big Blue’s" hard disks are some of the best performing and most reliable in the industry. The 34GXP, the latest entry in the Deskstar series, certainly is no exception, offering 7200 RPM spindle speed, a 2 MB buffer, and a 9ms access time. IBM manages to deliver top-notch performance once again, for a reasonable price.
Alternatives: Quantum Fireball KX 27.3GB, Western Digital Expert 27GB.

Sound Card: Creative Labs SoundBlaster Live! [ $364 | Specs ]
Creative Labs’ SoundBlaster Live! Series of soundcards have dominated the industry for months now. Recently, Creativer added to the SBLive! line, by making it available in several different flavors, one of which is guaranteed to suit your needs. Choose the MP3 version, the X-Gamer version or just the standard Value Edition--you won’t be disappointed.
Alternatives: Diamond MX300, MX400, Guillemot Fortissimo.

Monitor: Viewsonic P775 [ $799 | Specs ]
A high-quality 17”, such as the Viewsonic, is definitely in the cards. With a 15.8” viewable area and superb visual quality, games and DVDs look wonderful.
Alternatives: Princeton Ultra 72

CD/DVD: Pioneer DVD-114 10X DVD-ROM [ $250 ]
Once again, carried over from our high-end system is the IDE version of the Pioneer DVD-114 10X DVD-ROM. There really isn’t much to say--for a mere $100, simply nothing can beat the value of the DVD-114.
Alternatives: Pioneer 6X DVD, Generic 32-40X CD-ROM unit.

Speakers: Cambridge FPS1000 [ $148 | Specs ]
True Four-channel sound is no longer a luxury, rather something anyone can afford. While the subwoofer leaves a bit to be desired, all-in-all the FPS1000 system from Creative Labs/Cambridge is an impressive one. Unless you feel a need to shake the house down, this system will satisfy all your audio needs.
Alternatives: Altec Lansing ACS54, Midiland S2/4060

Guide 1:

High End Budget

Value Budget

More Spice for your PC!

Guide 2:

High End System

Mid End System

Low End System
 
 
 
 

Created since Aug 1999