NEWS
tech.life@play | Hardware and accessories that will delight gamers
Posted on Thu, Dec. 11, 2003
tech.life@play | Hardware and accessories that will delight gamers
By Dennis McCauley
Inquirer Columnist
On Thanksgiving Day, I covered the most-wanted games for this holiday season. Today, let's turn our attention to the top gaming hardware, accessories and stocking stuffers for budgets large and small.
Let's start at the high end with the new MultiSync LCD1960NX monitor from NEC-Mitsubishi ($699).
It was not that long ago that a bulky, 19-inch CRT monitor represented PC gaming nirvana. Although flat screens looked sexy, gamers using early versions complained of "ghost" images and blurring during high-speed animations.
LCD technology has made great strides, however, and finally deserves a place in the gaming mainstream.
No monitor is more deserving that the LCD1960NX. The 19-inch flat screen, built to display an eye-popping 1,280-by-1,024-pixel resolution, delivers the goods. I found the colors vivid, the images crisp.
Sure, it is pricey, but if your budget can handle it, the LCD1960NX will wow the PC gamer on your list.
On the Web
www.necmitsubishi.com
Unlike console systems, where the guts of the machine remain fixed for its life cycle, PC gaming hardware is in a constant state of evolution.
In this war for tech supremacy, 3-D video cards are on the front line. A new 3-D card can extend the life of a gaming PC and make games look great in the process.
Two new mid-range cards render incredible graphics without breaking the bank. The Platinum IceQ 9800 Pro from Hightech Information System Ltd. ($369) is based on the ATI Radeon 9800 Pro chipset. Techies will want to hear about the eight-pipeline architecture and 128 megabytes of video memory, but all you need to know is that your PC gamer's face will display a huge smile.
Installation takes less than 10 minutes, and the double-wide card includes a large cooling fan that can be externally toggled for high or low speeds. The lower setting is extremely quiet, while the higher speed provides additional cooling for true tech geeks who prefer to "overclock" their cards for additional performance.
For a few dollars less, you can still pick up a lot of graphics processing power with the $199 Verto GeForce FX 5700 Ultra from New Jersey-based PNY.
The Verto is based on Nvidia's GeForce FX 5700 chipset. It, too, installs with ease and comes bundled with Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell for PC.
On the Web
www.hightech.com.hk/html/iceq9800_pro.htm
www.pny.com/products/verto/geForceFx/5700ultra.asp
Want to give the gaming gift that keeps on giving? A $79.95 annual subscription to the FilePlanet Web site (www.fileplanet.com) is one of the nicest things you can do for a PC gamer. Subscribers get immediate access to demos and updates, while non-subscribers often must wait an hour or more at peak times. There is also a newsletter, free voice-chat software, and freedom from pop-up ads on both FilePlanet and the affiliated GameSpy site.
If you are shopping for a console gamer, I have just one word for you: cordless. Controllers without wires keep your family room neater and allow gamers to park themselves up to 20 feet from the TV.
I am partial to Logitech's well-made Cordless Controllers ($59.95, www.logitech.com) for Xbox and PlayStation 2, while Nintendo's WaveBird ($34.99, www.nintendo.com) is a must-have for GameCube owners.
Strategy guides always come in handy, and a pair of special offerings deserve a place under your tree. BradyGames' Limited Edition Strategy Guide for Final Fantasy X-2 ($29.99, www.bradygames.com) is a gorgeous resource for FF players. The Limited Edition comes in a protective sleeve, and includes a 350-page guide along with a wonderful book of art from the game.
If your favorite gamer is stuck in Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3, offer paperless help with GameTime Entertainment's digital video guide. Instead of flipping pages, gamers can watch actual in-game footage as experts guide them through missions and uncover hidden secrets. The guides ($14.99, www.gametimemedia.com) are available at many game retailers, and additional titles are planned.
Stocking stuffers. Nintendo's e-Reader ($39.99) attaches to the Game Boy Advance, and allows additional game content to be scanned in via cards. Card packs cost $2.99 to $5.99.
Memory cards are always in demand by console gamers. Get Nintendo's 251-block model ($19.99) for GameCube owners. PlayStation 2 owners will love the 16-MB card from InterAct ($14.99), and so will shoppers; it costs $10 less than Sony's 8-MB card.
What not to buy. Nokia's N-Gage - overpriced and ill-conceived. GameCube Broadband Adapter - for whom? For what? There is almost nothing online for the GameCube.
------------------------------------------------------------
Contact video-game columnist Dennis McCauley at dennis.mccauley@phillynews.com.
tech.life@play | Hardware and accessories that will delight gamers
Posted on Thu, Dec. 11, 2003
tech.life@play | Hardware and accessories that will delight gamers
By Dennis McCauley
Inquirer Columnist
On Thanksgiving Day, I covered the most-wanted games for this holiday season. Today, let's turn our attention to the top gaming hardware, accessories and stocking stuffers for budgets large and small.
Let's start at the high end with the new MultiSync LCD1960NX monitor from NEC-Mitsubishi ($699).
It was not that long ago that a bulky, 19-inch CRT monitor represented PC gaming nirvana. Although flat screens looked sexy, gamers using early versions complained of "ghost" images and blurring during high-speed animations.
LCD technology has made great strides, however, and finally deserves a place in the gaming mainstream.
No monitor is more deserving that the LCD1960NX. The 19-inch flat screen, built to display an eye-popping 1,280-by-1,024-pixel resolution, delivers the goods. I found the colors vivid, the images crisp.
Sure, it is pricey, but if your budget can handle it, the LCD1960NX will wow the PC gamer on your list.
On the Web
www.necmitsubishi.com
Unlike console systems, where the guts of the machine remain fixed for its life cycle, PC gaming hardware is in a constant state of evolution.
In this war for tech supremacy, 3-D video cards are on the front line. A new 3-D card can extend the life of a gaming PC and make games look great in the process.
Two new mid-range cards render incredible graphics without breaking the bank. The Platinum IceQ 9800 Pro from Hightech Information System Ltd. ($369) is based on the ATI Radeon 9800 Pro chipset. Techies will want to hear about the eight-pipeline architecture and 128 megabytes of video memory, but all you need to know is that your PC gamer's face will display a huge smile.
Installation takes less than 10 minutes, and the double-wide card includes a large cooling fan that can be externally toggled for high or low speeds. The lower setting is extremely quiet, while the higher speed provides additional cooling for true tech geeks who prefer to "overclock" their cards for additional performance.
For a few dollars less, you can still pick up a lot of graphics processing power with the $199 Verto GeForce FX 5700 Ultra from New Jersey-based PNY.
The Verto is based on Nvidia's GeForce FX 5700 chipset. It, too, installs with ease and comes bundled with Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell for PC.
On the Web
www.hightech.com.hk/html/iceq9800_pro.htm
www.pny.com/products/verto/geForceFx/5700ultra.asp
Want to give the gaming gift that keeps on giving? A $79.95 annual subscription to the FilePlanet Web site (www.fileplanet.com) is one of the nicest things you can do for a PC gamer. Subscribers get immediate access to demos and updates, while non-subscribers often must wait an hour or more at peak times. There is also a newsletter, free voice-chat software, and freedom from pop-up ads on both FilePlanet and the affiliated GameSpy site.
If you are shopping for a console gamer, I have just one word for you: cordless. Controllers without wires keep your family room neater and allow gamers to park themselves up to 20 feet from the TV.
I am partial to Logitech's well-made Cordless Controllers ($59.95, www.logitech.com) for Xbox and PlayStation 2, while Nintendo's WaveBird ($34.99, www.nintendo.com) is a must-have for GameCube owners.
Strategy guides always come in handy, and a pair of special offerings deserve a place under your tree. BradyGames' Limited Edition Strategy Guide for Final Fantasy X-2 ($29.99, www.bradygames.com) is a gorgeous resource for FF players. The Limited Edition comes in a protective sleeve, and includes a 350-page guide along with a wonderful book of art from the game.
If your favorite gamer is stuck in Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six 3, offer paperless help with GameTime Entertainment's digital video guide. Instead of flipping pages, gamers can watch actual in-game footage as experts guide them through missions and uncover hidden secrets. The guides ($14.99, www.gametimemedia.com) are available at many game retailers, and additional titles are planned.
Stocking stuffers. Nintendo's e-Reader ($39.99) attaches to the Game Boy Advance, and allows additional game content to be scanned in via cards. Card packs cost $2.99 to $5.99.
Memory cards are always in demand by console gamers. Get Nintendo's 251-block model ($19.99) for GameCube owners. PlayStation 2 owners will love the 16-MB card from InterAct ($14.99), and so will shoppers; it costs $10 less than Sony's 8-MB card.
What not to buy. Nokia's N-Gage - overpriced and ill-conceived. GameCube Broadband Adapter - for whom? For what? There is almost nothing online for the GameCube.
------------------------------------------------------------
Contact video-game columnist Dennis McCauley at dennis.mccauley@phillynews.com.