MaximumPC 2005 12

 MA XIMUMPC DECEMBER 2005

CPU

Athlon 64 X2 4800+

Dual-core is now! AMD’s top proc

won our hearts with its perfect blend

of raw speed, flexibility, and shininess

Nothing illustrates AMD’s domination

of the high-end CPU scene better than

our debate over which CPU earned

this year’s Gear. The contenders were

the single-core Athlon 64 FX-57 and

the dual-core Athlon 64 X2 4800+,

with nary a Pentium in sight. In the

end, the “smooth” dual-core perfor-

mance of the X2, its outstanding gam-

ing characteristics, and its excellent

application chops bagged the Gear.

Fire up a multi-threaded app, such as

Nero Recode, and stand back, baby!

$905, http://www.amd.com

The CPU did not receive a formal ver-

dict but was reviewed in August 2005

Core Logic Chipset

nForce4 SLI

nVidia squashes the competition with

features, performance, and SLI

We’ve never before awarded a Gear

to a non-Intel chipset for Intel procs

because none of the competition

has ever delivered a faster or more

reliable alternative. nVidia’s nForce

SLI chipset changes all that. The NF

offers performance parity with Intel’s

fi nest while packing a hardware

fi rewall and nVidia’s SLI technology

(in fact, it’s the only chipset to sup-

port dual-videocards). In AMD land,

there’s just no competition for the

nVidia offering.

http://www.nvidia.com

The chipset did not receive a formal

verdict but was reviewed in October

2005

In the Chip Gallery, we proudly present the

finest works from CPU and chipset manu-

facturers. Remember, kids, your salsa’s

nothing without the perfect chip!

WEST WING: CHIP GALLERY

GEAR

YEAR

of

the