MaximumPC 2005 05

Release

Notes

Contents 0 5.

REGULARS

6 In/Out

You write, we respond

12 Quick Start

Big news, small articles

20 Head2Head

This month: Surround-sound headphones

24 WatchDog

Maximum PC takes a bite out of bad gear

58 Ask the Doctor

All your PC problems, solved

61 How To...

This month: Create a magical family portrait

66 In the Lab

A behind-the-scenes look at product testing

96 Rig of the Month

It’s amazing what a person can do

with a PC!

REVIEWS

GAMING

78 Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory

80 Knights of the Old Republic 2:

The Sith Lords

81 The Sims 2 University Expansion Pack

81 CH Products Throttle Quadrant game controller

MAY 2005 MAXIMUMPC 3

Is this thing really

a keyboard?! p. 15

Is this thing really

a keyboard?! p. 15

58

61

66

58

Is this thing really

a keyboard?! p. 15

REGULARS

6

12

M

y dad gave me some advice when I was a
kid. “Be careful what you wish for,” he said,
“because you just might get it.”
I’ve thought of that advice many times over the
past few weeks as I’ve pondered my role as editor in
chief of Maximum PC. As I said in my first column [“I
Am the Firestarter,” March
2005], I never got over the
unmitigated joy of writing
for this magazine. And the
more time I spent in meet-
ings, tending to details, and
performing the administra-
tive duties that a manager
is tasked with, the more I
realized how little time I was
spending playing with the
latest tech gear, talking with
vendors about developing
trends and new products,
and writing.
As much as I thought
I wanted to be editor in
chief of this great magazine,
I’ve come to realize that
while being at the top of
the masthead has been an
honor, it wasn’t delivering
the sense of professional accomplishment I’m looking
for. So I am relinquishing the title of editor in chief
and stepping into the role of executive editor, where
I’ll be able to do more of what I dig about being a jour-
nalist: benchmarking hardware, evaluating software,
celebrating the best products the tech industry has to
offer—and mercilessly disparaging the rest.
The editor in chief’s job is unquestionably the most
important position at any magazine. This is the person
who is responsible for setting the magazine’s editorial
direction, for deciding which stories and products are
worthy of coverage, for honing the magazine’s edge,
and for keeping the rest of us on our toes. It gives me
great pleasure to inform you that beginning with the
very next issue, that position will be filled by Maximum
PC ’s current executive editor, Will Smith.
Will brings supreme tech savvy, excellent leadership
skills, and unshakable integrity to the job. He’s going to
make a fantastic leader.
—MICHAEL BROWN

68 Desktop PC: Falcon Northwest Mach V

70 Hard drive: Western Digital Caviar 3200JB

70 DVD burner: LG 16x Super Multi

73 Portable scanner: OptiSlim M

73 Drum sim software: Acoustica Beatcraft

74 PC enclosures: Asus Vento 3600 Gaming Case ;

Thermaltake Armor VA8000SWA

75 DVD burner: BenQ LightScribe DVD ReWriter

75 Headphones: Ultrasone Proline 750

76 Digital cameras: Epson L-500V; Fujifilm

FinePix E550; Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M

THE EIC’S PICKS

MOTHERBOARDS:

A TO Z

Mobo expert Gordon Mah

Ung outdoes himself with

this in-depth cover story on

the most important compo-

nent inside your PC. Page 34

WATER COOLING

Whether you’re into over-

clocking or just hate the

noise of whirring fans, Josh

Norem’s water-cooling fea-

ture is a must-read. Page 48

A PHYSICS

ACCELERATOR?

It’s not often that an entirely

new category of technology

is created. This one is either

going to be an important

new development in game

technology, or a colossal

joke. Page 14

Be Careful What

You Wish For

Headphones

with 5.1 sound?!

p. 20

Western Digital Caviar 3200JB

Asus Vento 3600 Gaming Case ;

BenQ LightScribe DVD ReWriter

Epson L-500V; Fujifilm

Asus Vento 3600 Gaming Case ;