Quantum's Fireball lct10 is once again atop our Christmas List in terms of 5400 RPM IDE drives. Quantum has historically been one of the most solid and reliable hard disk manufacturers, and so we're recommending the new value-oriented lct10. The lct10 features an ATA66 interface, 9.5 ms access time, and 512 KB cache buffer, more than sufficient for a lower-end system. Maxtor DiamondMax, Western Digital Caviar. This is a fairly easy choice as well.
Value is just another reason why.
Diamond MX300, MX400, Guillemot Fortissimo. While our hardcore gaming PC for this month featured a 19 monitor, such a large screen may not be necessary for the occasional gamer. Instead, a 17 screen is more than sufficient. The 796FD features the same high-quality Trinitron tube seen in the 810FD, only a couple of inches smaller, for just over half the cost. Whether a DVD player is really necessary is a decision we prefer to leave to our readers.