What is up with Toms Hardware?!?!?!?!?

[jbubrisk]

I used to think Toms Hardware was a reputable place for computer hardware information, but this article, as well as two others seem to be wayyyyyy off.
This is the article I'm talking about: Your DIY 4 GHz Dual Core Gaming Rig For $720

Please correct me if any of this information is wrong/bad.
Based on the 4.1 Ghz dual core method (overclocking the D 805), they built two 'gaming' systems. Who ever wrote this article (Frank Völkel, Bert Töpelt, Daniel Schuhmann) are freakin' morons. The budget 'gaming' system features the Asus Radeon X1300 Extreme 128 MB, PCI-e graphics card. Plainly put, this card sucks for gaming. The mid-range version, the x1600 Pro (mentioned above) can barely run todays latest games, so what is the budget version gonna do? Absolutely nothing. Also, if its a budget 'gaming' rig, why do you need 2 160Gb hard drives running in RAID 0??? This rig also features a motherboard thats isn't yet available in the US. Fabulous.

Now on to the "Top-Flight" version. This setup uses the mid-range graphics card, the Asus EN7600 GT, 256 MB, 350 MHz. A good card no doubt, but is it "Top-Flight". I wouldn't say so. Another anomaly is the 'upgrade' to a near-$300 water cooling setup. Why not take that money, get a Zalman HS/F combo, then dump the rest into good RAM, rather than having 1 Gb of non-name brand. This whole system just seems unbalanced. And thats all I have for now.

 

[Ika]

Originally posted by: jbubrisk
I used to think Toms Hardware was a reputable place for computer hardware information, but this article, as well as two others seem to be wayyyyyy off.
This is the article I'm talking about: Your DIY 4 GHz Dual Core Gaming Rig For $720

Please correct me if any of this information is wrong/bad.
Based on the 4.1 Ghz dual core method (overclocking the D 805), they built two 'gaming' systems. Who ever wrote this article (Frank Völkel, Bert Töpelt, Daniel Schuhmann) are freakin' morons. The budget 'gaming' system features the Asus Radeon X1300 Extreme 128 MB, PCI-e graphics card. Plainly put, this card sucks for gaming. The mid-range version, the x1600 Pro (mentioned above) can barely run todays latest games, so what is the budget version gonna do? Absolutely nothing. Also, if its a budget 'gaming' rig, why do you need 2 160Gb hard drives running in RAID 0??? This rig also features a motherboard thats isn't yet available in the US. Fabulous.

Now on to the "Top-Flight" version. This setup uses the mid-range graphics card, the Asus EN7600 GT, 256 MB, 350 MHz. A good card no doubt, but is it "Top-Flight". I wouldn't say so. Another anomaly is the 'upgrade' to a near-$300 water cooling setup. Why not take that money, get a Zalman HS/F combo, then dump the rest into good RAM, rather than having 1 Gb of non-name brand. This whole system just seems unbalanced. And thats all I have for now.

yeah that article was pretty stupid. but, the watercooling wasn't such a bad idea, especially for the 805. If you think about it, if you can get the 805 stable at 4ghz with a WC kit that keeps the CPU + cooling cost under $300, it's an excellent deal. I only trust THG for articles that can't really be wrong, like overclocking the 805.

 

[Hulk]

4GHz dual core is quite a mismatch with the X1300 video card.

They should have left the CPU at stock and overclocked the video card!

 

[jbubrisk]

Originally posted by: Hulk
4GHz dual core is quite a mismatch with the X1300 video card.

They should have left the CPU at stock and overclocked the video card!

Yeah really. Its just plain stupid.
About the water cooling: They use the "Thermaltake Bigwater SE Cooling Kit" for $129.99 in the budget setup. Why wouldn't they carry that over if they are OC'ing the chip the same amount?
About the CPU/video

 

[animeba]

there is already a long discussion on the THG Forum on the flaws of the article.
mainly points been:

*$720 Rig was never built. The articles pictures are from the $1600+ Rig that was built.
*ati 1300xt is a poor choice for gaming from the $720 setup specs. Overspending on the cpu and underspending on gpu.
*No benchmarks to indicate how well of a gaming rig it is.

The article is nothing but an extension of THG 4.1ghz overclocking of intel 805. It is poor in quality and should have never been a front page featured article.

 

[TimMyMac]

I'm actually thinking about playing around with a 805. True there were some flaws in the article but it could be a fun weekend project.

 

[jbubrisk]

Originally posted by: animeba
there is already a long discussion on the THG Forum on the flaws of the article.
mainly points been:

*$720 Rig was never built. The articles pictures are from the $1600+ Rig that was built.
*ati 1300xt is a poor choice for gaming from the $720 setup specs. Overspending on the cpu and underspending on gpu.
*No benchmarks to indicate how well of a gaming rig it is.

The article is nothing but an extension of THG 4.1ghz overclocking of intel 805. It is poor in quality and should have never been a front page featured article.

True about the pictures, although I wasn't even factoring that in. I don't know. I'm angry about the quality of this article, and I don't really go to the THG forum, so I'm venting here. So yeah, it shouldn't be there. They should at least change the title.

 

[jbubrisk]

Originally posted by: TimMyMac
I'm actually thinking about playing around with a 805. True there were some flaws in the article but it could be a fun weekend project.

No doubt! It would be fun to to piece it together, but the fact remains that the point of the article is a budget gaming machine that performs well, or maybe thats just wishful thinking...

 

[Smartazz]

Stevty has an intel 805 and he said that his Scythe Ninja cools better than a Thermaltake Bigwater, and it's around $100.

 

[jbubrisk]

I think Tom's is just goin through the motions

 

[bob4432]

i think the rig would run better for games if they used a 7900gtx/x1900xt and left the 805 @ stock speeds

 

[Smartazz]

Originally posted by: bob4432
i think the rig would run better for games if they used a 7900gtx/x1900xt and left the 805 @ stock speeds

yeah, but at what price?

 

[JBT]

Originally posted by: Hulk
4GHz dual core is quite a mismatch with the X1300 video card.

They should have left the CPU at stock and overclocked the video card!

no kidding that was my first thought when I saw the initial price. "That thing must not have a gaming card in it"

Scanning down the page at specs... X1300XT HA!

 

[GrammatonJP]

Im going to say this again, tom's a pirate, he didn't buy a copy of windows xp

 

[jbubrisk]

Originally posted by: GrammatonJP
Im going to say this again, tom's a pirate, he didn't buy a copy of windows xp

Huh? He illegally uses Microsoft software? GASP!

 

[arcenite]

Originally posted by: jbubrisk

Originally posted by: GrammatonJP
Im going to say this again, tom's a pirate, he didn't buy a copy of windows xp

Huh? He illegally uses Microsoft software? GASP!

And Bush has a Synthetic Oil Maker(tm) in his backyard.

 

[orangat]

Its a useless article with horrible advice.
The P-D is a great overclocker but spending $130/$280 for watercoolers instead of getting better video cards than the x1300/7600gt is plain nuts.

 

[Smartazz]

It's a good system if it weren't for overspending on the cooling and underspending on the video card, I'd pick up at least a 7600GT for gaming. I'd rather use a stock 805 with a 7900GT than that configuration, am I right?

 

[jbubrisk]

Originally posted by: Smartazz
It's a good system if it weren't for overspending on the cooling and underspending on the video card, I'd pick up at least a 7600GT for gaming. I'd rather use a stock 805 with a 7900GT than that configuration, am I right?

If you did that, you'd save money on the cooling setup too

 

[unclebud]

"The mid-range version, the x1600 Pro (mentioned above) can barely run todays latest games, so what is the budget version gonna do?"

compared to what? and what game does it BARELY run?

 

[jbubrisk]

Originally posted by: unclebud
"The mid-range version, the x1600 Pro (mentioned above) can barely run todays latest games, so what is the budget version gonna do?"

compared to what? and what game does it BARELY run?

I'm sorry that statement wasn't that great. I meant the latest high end games, outlined in the x1600 review. I think there was Black and White 2 and Oblivion. I understand that those are VERY intense games though. But I think my point is still valid that the x1300 wont really cut it for any games.

 

[Smartazz]

Originally posted by: unclebud
"The mid-range version, the x1600 Pro (mentioned above) can barely run todays latest games, so what is the budget version gonna do?"

compared to what? and what game does it BARELY run?

Isn't the X1600 like the X850?

 

[Smartazz]

Maybe whoever wrote the article thought that gaming is cpu dependant like many do.

 

[eastvillager]

You're ignoring an important fact: Minesweeper was obviously their benchmark application. That rig is a SWEET rig for playing minesweeper.

 

[jbubrisk]

Originally posted by: Smartazz
Maybe whoever wrote the article thought that gaming is cpu dependant like many do.

Well, it depends on the game. But basically if you don't have a DECENT GFX card, then it doesn't matter what CPU you have, and vice versa. Bottlenecks man.