VIDEOCARDSWe toyed with the idea of fueling the Dream
Machine’s video engine with nVidia’s
dual-GPU, single-slot GeForce
7950 GX2. After all, it’s the fi rst
videocard to support HDCP,
which is a likely requirement for
watching Hollywood movies
on HD-DVD and Blu-ray. But in
the end, we concluded that that
part just wouldn’t deliver enough
octane; after all, we’re not build-
ing a dream home-theater PC.
One look at the benchmark charts from
our recently completed videocard roundup
(August 2006) yielded the answer: Our
choice had to be nVidia’s GeForce 7900
GTX. But not all 7900 GTX cards are cre-
ated equal, so not just any implementation
would do. Based on our experience from
the roundup, we knew that a pair of XFX’s
monstrously overclocked XXX Editionswould send this year’s
Dream Machine rocketing
down the highway.
In creating the 7900 GTX, nVidia basi-
cally respun our GPU of choice from last
year’s Dream Machine: the 7800 GTX. Both
chips feature 24 pixel-shader units, eight
vertex-shader units, and a 256-bit memory
interface, but the new part redlines at much
higher core and memory clock speeds:
650- vs. 430MHz for the core and 800- vs.
600MHz for the memory. It’s also designed
to handle twice the video memory: 512MB.And then XFX stepped in to see
just where it could take this category
killer. Tuning nVidia’s 7900 GTX
like Dinan does BMW’s M3,
XFX supercharges the core and
memory clock speeds to 700MHz
and 900MHz, respectively. If that
doesn’t blow your hair back, babe,
nothing will.
With the cards set to our Dell
2407WFP’s native resolution of
1920x1200, the dual 7900 GTX XXX
Editions smoked their collective tires
to deliver our gaming benchmarks at
smooth-as-Bentley-leather speeds.
And when you’re ready for leisure
pursuits beyond gaming, nVidia’s lat-
est PureVideo MPEG-2 decoder delivers
exceptionally high-quality video perfor-
mance—without the hassle of manually
disabling SLI. Bring it on!Microsoft Natural
Ergonomic Keyboard
4000 and Logitech G
KEYBOARD AND MOUSEComfort, reliability, and preci-
sion are what matter
when it comes
to the Dream
Machine’s con-
trollers. Microsoft’s
new Ergo 4000 has
fi nally usurped the
classic Natural Keyboard Pro as our favorite typing plank. Its
down-slanted design, padded wrist rest, and near-perfect layout
make it truly worthy of Dream Machine-level decadence.
The Logitech G5 has a slightly different pedigree. Sure,
its bulbous design is comfortable for marathon gaming
sessions, but its secret sauce is entirely sensor-based.
The G5’s laser sensor offers pixel-smooth motion at three
different resolutions. For fine movements—like sniping or
photo editing—you can use the lowest setting. For twitch
action, like aiming a tank turret in Battlefield 2, the high
setting is perfect; and there’s a third in-between setting for
day-to-day use. The braided cord wrap, five-button design,
checked rubber grips, and modular weight system make
this the perfect precision mouse.PC Power
and Cooling
Silencer 750
POWER SUPPLYEven with the Core 2
Extreme X6800’s
electricity-sipping
ways, we couldn’t
skimp on power with
five hard drives, two
videocards, and a
Blu-ray drive to feed. We
wanted power that’s reliable,
powerful, and quiet, so we turned to the go-to company for
PSUs: PC Power and Cooling, and its new Silencer 750. This
PSU gives us confidence that we won’t smell the acrid scent
of blown components on boot, or experience the power
dropoffs and transients that have haunted lesser power
supply companies. The best feature of the Silencer 750
is its silence, though. By lengthening the case of the PSU
slightly, PC Power and Cooling says it was able to eliminate
much of the cavitation noise of air being sucked over the
components. And it did this without sacrificing the PSU’s
power rating. When the company says its PSUs hit a rating,
dognab it, they do.And then XFX stepped in to see
just where it could take this category
killer. Tuning nVidia’s 7900 GTX
like Dinan does BMW’s M3,
XFX supercharges the core and
memory clock speeds to 700MHz
and 900MHz, respectively. If that
doesn’t blow your hair back, babe,
nothing will.2407WFP’s native resolution ofWe toyed with the idea of fueling the Dream
Machine’s video engine with nVidia’sOne look at the benchmark charts fromdown the highway.
In creating the 7900 GTX, nVidia basi-
cally respun our GPU of choice from last1920x1200, the dual 7900 GTX XXX
Editions smoked their collective tireswould send this year’s
Dream Machine rocketing
down the highway.And then XFX stepped in to see
just where it could take this categoryclassic Natural Keyboard Pro as our favorite typing plank. ItsComfort, reliability, and preci-
sion are what matterComfort, reliability, and preci-classic Natural Keyboard Pro as our favorite typing plank. Itstrollers. Microsoft’s
new Ergo 4000 has
fi nally usurped thepowerful, and quiet, so we turned to the go-to company forPC Power
and Cooling
Silencer 750
Even with the Core 2
Extreme X6800’s
electricity-sipping
ways, we couldn’t
skimp on power with
five hard drives, two
videocards, and a
Blu-ray drive to feed. We
wanted power that’s reliable,PC Power
and Cooling
Silencer 750
Blu-ray drive to feed. We
wanted power that’s reliable,30 MA XIMUMPC SEPTEMBER 2006
Dream
Machine
Two XFX GeForce 7900 GTXs in SLI
For raw speed, the only GPU choice is a pair of GeForce 7900 GTXs—overclocked and ready to burn!