Hardware 2.0 'Very Best Kit List' for Aug/Sep 2010

Welcome to the Hardware 2.0 “Very Best Kit List” for August/September 2010. Here I’ve put together a list of the best high-end and mid-range and budget components currently available. So if you’re thinking of buying, building or even upgrading a PC, this list is a must-read for you!

These components are on this list because I firmly believe them to be the best either in terms of performance or price - although I’m ready to admit, as always, that there’s room for debate and some choices “go with the gut” more than others.

CPUs

Extreme - Intel Core i7 980x Extreme Edition - Six-core, 3.33GHz

The Core i7 processors represents a new era in architecture for Intel, and the 980x represents a new era in desktop processors - the era of the six-core CPU.

This is a 3.33GHz part that can be Turbo Boosted up to a whopping 3.6GHz. It has six cores, which when combined with Hyper-Threading makes a whopping 12 threads available. Add to this 12MB of L3 cache, triple-channel DDR3-1066 memory interface, 130W TDP, and a brand-new stock cooler.This is a 3.33GHz part that can be Turbo Boosted up to a whopping 3.6GHz. It has six cores, which when combined with Hyper-Threading makes a whopping 12 threads available. Add to this 12MB of L3 cache, triple-channel DDR3-1066 memory interface, 130W TDP, and a brand-new stock cooler.

Mid-range - Intel Core 2 Quad Q8400 - Quad-core, 2.66GHz

Gone is the aging Q6600 from the list (one of the best CPUs Intel has ever made), replaced this time by the Q8400. This 45nm piece offers 2.66GHz of quad-core power for well under $200, making it an ideal part for those looking for good bang for the buck.

Budget - Intel Core 2 Duo E7500 - Dual-core, 2.93GHz

The E7500 is an excellent CPU. It’s a 2.93GHz part based on Intel’s 45nm Wolfdale architecture. But that’s not the reason I’ve chosen the E7500 for this package. I’ve chosen it because it is highly overclockable.

You can get this CPU up to 4GHz easily (Google is your friend) where it will run 100% stable. This puts an enormous amount of power at your disposal!

However, to get the most from the E7400, you’ll need a motherboard that offers you plenty of overclocking potential. But don’t worry, I’ve chosen one that’s perfect for the job!

Motherboards

Extreme - EVGA 170-BL-E762-A1

Chances are that if you are putting down $1,000 for a CPU, you’re after putting together a monster PC. Monster PCs need monster parts, and when it comes to motherboards, they don’t get any more monster than this EVGA board.

The EVGA 170-BL-E762-A1 is the world’s first 4-way SLI board which allws enthusiasts to configure multiple graphics cards in a variety of ways - 2-way SLI + PhysX, 3-way SLI + PhysX or 4-way SLI.

Excellent board! A dream board for high-end enthusiasts.

Mid-range - ASUS P5Q Pro Turbo

Solid and reliable board. If you’re not yet ready to jump aboar the Core i5/i7 wagon, this is an excellent choice.

Budget - BioStar TP45E

The TP45E a good all-round board that offers plenty of options in the way of USB, SATA, Ethernet and so on. It’s also another example of a rock-solid board that shouldn’t give you any problems in day to day usage.

Sure, it’s not got the fancy bells and whistles of the other high-end boards, but it’s still an excellent board.

RAM

Extreme - Patriot Viper II ‘Sector 5′ Edition 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3 2500/PC3 20000

World’s fastest RAM. What more is there to say?

• DDR3 rating - PC3-20000
• Timing - 9-11-9-27
• Voltage - 1.65V - 1.7V

Mid-range - OCZ Platinum PC2-8500 2×2GB

Fast, reliable RAM with plenty of over head. This replaces the Reaper HPC modules that were previously on the list which had weird heatspreaders on them that made them tricky to fit in some systems.

• DDR2 rating - PC2-8500
• Freq - 1,066MHz
• Timing - 5-5-5-18

Budget - Corsair 2X2048-6400 2×2GB

Solid product with a decent backing. Also offers some overclocking potential. Great value for the price.

• DDR2 rating - PC2-6400
• Freq - 800MHz
• Timing - 4-4-4-12
• Bandwidth - 6.4GB/s

Graphics cards

Extreme - NVIDIA GeForce GTX 480 (Fermi)

There’s no doubt that if you want the fastest graphics card available, you need to seek out an NVIDA GeForce GTX 480 (and that’s not going to be easy given how limited the current production runs seem to be … ). This card will give you the bragging rights.

But don’t let your expectations get the better of you. Performance boosts for some games can be quite modest, you’ll need a monster PSU, and these cards run very hot.

Price: around $500

Mid-range - ATI/AMD Radeon HD 5670

Can’t spring for a Radeon HD 5870, but still want a graphics card that can pump out the pixels at a rate to keep the current game lineup running smoothly? You need the Radeon HD 5670. This is a wonderful card which redefines the sweet spot when it comes to price.

What’s interesting about the HD 5670 is that it is, as far as most gamers are concerned, the highest-end graphics card they need. Why? Because if you are playing your favorite games (Crysis, Far Cry 2, Left 4 Dead, Call of Duty 5 …) at screen resolutions of no more than 1600×1200 or 1920×1200 (or the equivalent in wide-screen) you can get all the gaming power you need for around $100!

Hard disks

Extreme - SSD - OCZ Colossus 1TB

There’s no doubt that solid-state SATA hard drives (SSDs) are the future. You get fast transfer speeds, improved battery life on notebooks, and quicker boot times. The only downsides - cost per gigabyte.

Colossus LT SSDs deliver exceptional performance for high-end desktops and are the result of OCZ’s latest breakthroughs in flash based storage. Designed to offer PC enthusiasts a best-in-class storage upgrade from traditional hard disc drives, the innovative Colossus LT Series features incredible speed and ample storage for the complete gamut of gaming, multimedia and demanding productivity applications.

Cases

Extreme - Cooler Master RC-1100 Cosmos S ATX Full-Tower Case

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. Internally, the case offers bags of room - 7 exposed 5.25-inch drive bays, 4 hidden 3.5-inch bays (converted from three 5.25-inch bays), and 7 expansion slots. All bays are tool-free (and the good quality sort of tool-free, not the cheap and nasty variety).

The I/O panel offers four USB ports, IEEE1394 FireWire, eSATA, microphone, and audio.

Mid-range - Antec Nine Hundred

Nice, all-round mid-tower.

Budget - Antec Three Hundred

Nice, small, cheap and cheerful case.