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.

NOTE: All prices are approximate ... shop around for the best deals!

Jumplist:

• CPUs
• Motherboards
• RAM
• Graphics cards
• Hard disks
• Sound cards
• PSUs
• Coolers
• Cases
• Monitors

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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. 

Additional info - What you need to go Core i7!!!

Price: $999

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.

Price: $169

Note: You might also be interested in Intel's new Core i5 750 part, which retails for a shade under $200. This 2.66GHz part is a cut-down version of the Core i7 but still offers good value for money - but remember that this can't act as an upgrade CPU for LGA 775 motherboards.

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!

Price: $115

Honorable Mention: If you want to go quad-core on the cheap, AMD's Athlon II X4 635 2.9GHz could be for you. You should be able to pick one up for $100.

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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.

Price: $450

Honorable Mention: If you are looking for an Socket LGA 1156 for Core i7/i5 CPUs, an excellent choice is the EVGA P55 FTW 200 which retails fori around $270.

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.

Price: $120

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.

Price: $95

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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

Price: $320

Mid-range - OCZ Platinum PC2-8500 2x2GB

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

Price: $110

Budget - Corsair 2X2048-6400 2x2GB

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

Price: $90

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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!

A great card and a fantastic price.

Price: $100

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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.

Price: 1TB, $3,100

Extreme - High-speed - Western Digital VelociRaptor 600GB

The Western Digital Raptor/RaptorX has given way to a new hard drive - the VelociRaptor.

I'll be honest with you that the Velociraptor isn't as thrilling as the Raptor was, and it's not so easy to actually see the performance gains you are getting, but they are there. If you want the fastest drive going in your PC, you need the VelociRaptor. This is, however, the newer 600GB Raptor drive, whic offers performance and capacity.

Price: $280

Extreme - High-capacity - Western Digital Caviar Green WD20EADS 2TB

Want the largest capacity SATA drive going? then you want the Western Digital Caviar Green WD20EADS 2TB drive. Yes, you read that right - 2.0TB!

Not only is this drive fast, it also sips power as opposed to gulping it. This means that you save money and have less heat to deal with in your system. Sweet!

Price: $160

Mid-range - Samsung Spinpoint HD502HJ 500GB

Good drive at a fantastic price. Ideal for those looking for a second drive.

Price: $55

Budget - Western Digital Caviar Blue WD2500AAJB 250GB

Great starting point. Can't go wrong with this drive at the price it's going for now.

Price: $45

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Sound cards

Extreme - HT | Omega Claro Halo XT

An absolutely stunning card for the audio enthusiast. Lots of tweaking and customization options.

Price: $250

Mid-range - Creative X-FI Xtreme Gamer

Great mid-range sound card.

Price: $99

Budget - Creative Sound Blaster Audigy SE

If you motherboard doesn't feature sound then this will rectify that. However, if your motherboard has onboard sound then you'll be just fine with that.

Price: $35

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PSUs

Extreme - Enermax Galaxy EGX1250EWT

A high-end system is going to need a high-end PSU, and they don’t come much better than the Enermax Galaxy EGX1250EWT. This is capable of delivering 1.25KW of power in a stable way but without the noise associated with other PSUs. Sure, you need your own personal fusion generator but it’s worth it for the bragging rights.

The Galaxy EGX1250EWT has a whopping five 30A 12V power rails, which allow you to build a stable system. Oh, and the modular cabling system means less cable mess. Oh, and it’s also 80% efficient, so it doesn’t harm the sky … much.

Note: Do people really need a 1KW+ PSU? I doubt that many do, but there’s no doubt that these high-output PSUs are popular among performance enthusiasts, hence my reason for including one.

Price: $320

Mid-range - Antec EarthWatts 500W

Nice mid-range PSU. Efficient, reliable and provides ample power.

Price: $65

Budget - Antec EarthWatts 380W

Probably the best budget PSU you can find.

Price: $50

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Coolers

Extreme - Thermalright Ultra 120 eXtreme 1366

I just love this cooler.

It's highly efficient at cooling pretty much any CPU you can throw at it (including the monster Core i7 965), it's quiet, it's low-profile so it doesn't look like you've jammed a car radiator inside your PC, and it's also cheap enough that it won't break the bank (if you're spending $1,000 on a CPU, less than $100 on a cooler is peanuts).

Price: $85

Mid-range - Cooler Master RL-EUL-GBU1-GP Aquagate S1

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.

This system’s not elaborate and you don’t get enough radiators to heat your house, but for approximately $80 you get everything you need to cool most CPUs down, even if you overclock them.

Price: $75

Budget - Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro

What can I say about this cooler other than it’s quieter than the Intel stock cooler and a heck of a lot more efficient. It’s also easy to fit and remove and tends to fit well into cramped motherboards. No matter what other air cooler I look at, I always come back to this one. It’s also pretty cheap.

One of the best air cooler available ... certainly the best for the price!

Price: $35

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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.

The only downside - price.

Price: $200

Mid-range - Antec Nine Hundred

Nice, all-round mid-tower.

Price: $150

Budget - Antec Three Hundred

Nice, small, cheap and cheerful case.

Price: $60

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Monitors/Touchscreens

Specialist - NEC MultiSync LDC3090WQXi

If you're a professional looking for a monitor that you can trust in then look no further than the 30" MultiSync LCD3090WQXi from NEC.

This is a pro bit of kit aimed at the photographic, print production, graphic design and CAD/CAM industries, so expect a premium price! However, you do get a panel capable of stunningly flawless output.

Price: £2,050

Extreme - 30" - Dell UltraSharp 3008WFP

Monitors don’t come much better (or more expensive) than the Dell UltraSharp 3008WFP.

• 2560 x 1600 Native Resolution
• 3000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio
• TrueHD 1080 with an integrated HDMI connection
• Seven connection options: VGA, DVI-D with HDCP, HDMI, S-Video, Component, Composite and DisplayPort

If you don’t have the desk space for a dual-panel setup then this might be the solution for you (of you want to spend $2K on a panel).

Price: $1,699 (with instant savings on Dell.com I've seen this as low as $1,409)

Mid-range - 22" - Samsung T220

The Samsung T220 is a nice panel that not only displays a really sweet image, it also looks good in any setting.

• Display Type: Widescreen LCD
• Pixel Pitch: 0.258 mm
• Input Video Signal: DVI-D/VGA
• Dynamic Contrast Ratio: 20000:1
• Brightness: 300 cd/m²
• Response Time: 2 ms
• Horizontal Viewing Angle: 170 degrees
• Vertical Viewing Angle: 160 degrees
• Maximum Resolution: 1680 x 1050

Price: $250

Budget - Acer V173

A very nice budget screen that supports 1280 x 1024.

Price: $129

Touchscreen - GVISION P15BX-AB-459G

A great way to add touchscreen capability to your PC without having to buy a new PC is to add a touchscreen monitor. Here is a 15-inch 1024 x 768 panel offering that could make an idea second screen.

Price: $390

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