The top processor slot is still held by Intel – This month the “more money than sense” CPU is the QX9770.
The Hardware 2.0 Best Kit List – Apr 08/May 08: Hardware 2.0 | Adrian Kingsley-Hughes.
The QX9770 has four cores, each pumping at 3.2GHz. It’s based on 45nm architecture and comes with a massive 12MB of L2 cache. It also features a super-fast 1600MHz FSB.
The mid-range sweet spot is held by the 2.66GHz E6750.
AMD’s latest “Black Edition” X4 9850 quad-core Phenom gets an honorable mention.
High-end – LGA775 – ASUS Maximus Extreme
High-end – AM2 – ASUS M3A32-MVP Deluxe
Mid-range – LGA775 – MSI 975X Platinum
Mid-range – AM2 – Biostar TForce 7050-M2
We have a new high-end card, and surprise-surprise, it’s an nVIDIA card – the 9800 GX2.
If you’re looking for a solid mid-range graphics card then look no further than the Radeon HD 3850.
If you’re looking to spend less than $100, then the cards to be looking at cards based on the Radeon HD 3650 GPU.
The Wester Digital Raptor still rules.
If you’re looking for a fast drive that offers high capacity, then take a look at the Samsung Spinpoint T166 500GB drive.
High-end – Corsair TWINX Dominator Dual Channel 2048MB PC14400 DDR3 1800MHz (2 x 1024MB)
Mid-range – Corsair XMS2 DHX 2048MB Dual Channel PC6400 DDR2 800MHz Memory (2 x 1024MB)
One of the best liquid CPU coolers (best in terms of price, performance, ease of use, quietness and reliability) is the Cooler Master RL-EUL-GBU1-GP Aquagate S1.
LGA775 cooler – Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro
AM2 cooler – Scythe Infinity
A high-end system is going to need a high-end PSU, and they don’t come much better than the Enermax Galaxy EGX1000EWL.
Mid-range – ThermalTake PurePower W0100RU 500-Watt
High-end cases don’t get any better than the Cooler Master RC-1100 Cosmos S. Externally, the beautiful yet robust aluminum construction offers rigidity without too much of a weight penalty.
