Reviewed on November 1, 2006If you thought dual cores were over the top, get ready. Intel presents the Core 2 Extreme QX6700, a single CPU with four distinct processing cores. At $999, the first quad-core CPU will remain an enthusiast part for a while, but as a glimpse of the future, it's clear that clock speed is out and core counts are in.TAGS:Intel Core 2 Extreme, multi-core, quad-core, digital media, dual-core, clock speed, Intel, Intel Core 2 Duo, CPU, AMD, PC
Reviewed on February 12, 2007No other 3D graphics card comes close to this bang for the buck, making the 320MB XFX GeForce 8800 GTS mostly an easy decision if you need a midrange upgrade. Nvidia still has to polish off its Vista software, and the sooner-or-later arrival of competing cards muddies the waters a bit, but if you need a midprice graphics card today, this should be your pick.TAGS:XFX Inc, Nvidia GeForce, 3D, card, Radeon, NVidia, clock speed, DirectX, ATI Technologies, AMD, games, video card, Microsoft Windows Vista, Microsoft Windows
Reviewed on September 7, 2006ATI's Radeon lineup features a confusing array of cards. The budget Radeon X1300 XT is a good card for the money, but we recommend the faster Radeon X1650 Pro because it costs only $10 more.TAGS:Radeon, clock speed, ATI Radeon, ATI Technologies, Half-Life 2, card, NVidia, Nvidia GeForce, 3D
Reviewed on July 17, 2007The quad-core Core 2 Extreme QX6850 keeps the desktop CPU performance belt tied firmly around Intel's waist at a price that helps offset the lack of sizable performance gains. New products at the end of the year may outclass this new chip when they arrive, but for now, the QX6850 reigns supreme.TAGS:Intel Core 2 Extreme, quad-core, clock speed, bus, Intel, Intel Core 2 Duo, multimedia, motherboard, AMD, CPU, chipset
Reviewed on August 23, 2006ATI's Radeon X1950 XTX is the fastest single-chip 3D card that you can buy. Unfortunately, with Windows Vista and its accompanying gaming technology, it's going to become obsolete in just five months. ATI adjusted the price of the Radeon X1950 XTX accordingly, but at $450, it's still not an insignificant purchase. We recommend it only if money is no object.TAGS:Crysis, Radeon, ATI Technologies, DirectX, ATI Radeon, NVidia, clock speed, 3D, Nvidia GeForce, OpenGL, card, games, memory, Microsoft Windows Vista, Microsoft Windows
Reviewed on January 26, 2007Falcon Northwest continues its tradition of building the fastest gaming PCs around. This one comes with Intel's quad-core chip clocked higher than we've ever seen before, and its resulting game performance sets new records. You might want to bolster some of the features on this system, but if it's 3D power you're after, Falcon delivers the strongest system we've seen so far.TAGS:Velocity Micro, clock speed, Dell XPS, Intel Core 2 Duo, Dell, Intel, PC, games
Reviewed on August 10, 2007AVADirect's newest Core 2 Duo SLI desktop would be a great buy for a gamer looking to dominate on a current-generation title. We wish it had a quad-core chip, and we'd also rather that tweaking this configuration didn't involve choosing from such a vast array of parts. AVADirect seems to build quality PCs, including this one, but you should definitely go to its Web site knowing what you're looking for.TAGS:Velocity Micro, quad-core, Intel Core 2 Duo, dual-core, clock speed, CPU, games, Intel, PC, hard drive