PCSP - 2.5 GB Hard Drive under $ 150 !!!

[newsletter at shoppingplanet.com]

                        PC UPGRADE UPDATE
                          by Adam Smith

                    THE EXCLUSIVE NEWSLETTER OF
                     ---PC SHOPPING PLANET---
                   http://www.shoppingplanet.com
                          1-800-779-8461

                          October 8,1997

-------------------------
  IN THIS WEEK’S ISSUE:
-------------------------

     PROCESSOR ROUNDUP- AMD and Cyrix are targeting Intel. 
     Competitive performance and low cost add up to increasing 
     market shares for Intel's competitors. Intel stays one 
     jump ahead in absolute performance with the 300 MHz 
     Pentium II.

     HOT DEALS- Be sure to check out Shopping Planet’s 
     weekly specials!

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  -----------------------
     PROCESSOR ROUNDUP-
  -----------------------

There have never before been as many processor choices 
available to the consumer as there are today. When selecting 
a CPU for a new system or an upgrade, the choices can be 
bewildering! From the leading edge Pentium II 300, to speedy 
choices form AMD and Cyrix, to bargain closeouts on still 
fast models from last year, the buyer in search of a new 
CPU has plenty to think about!

  THE BLEEDING EDGE-

Introduced at almost $2000, Intel's new Pentium II 300 has 
recently undergone a price reduction to make it more 
affordable to people with something less than Bill Gates' 
bank balance. Down to the mid $900 level, the chip is finding
a home in the fastest computers available today. Even with a 
drop in price, the chip is still the most expensive choice 
on the market.

The Intel chip also requires a motherboard equipped with a 
Slot 1 connector, adding even more to the system or upgrade 
cost. A Pentium II 300 with motherboard will run as much as 
$1300, more than some entire entry-level computer systems! 
Still, if speed is paramount, the Pentium II 300 is the 
fastest option available on the market. 

Somewhat slower, the Pentium II 266 is priced a couple of 
hundred dollars less than the 300 MHz version, yet it is 
still fairly expensive and also requires a Slot 1 motherboard.
If speed is a primary factor in the purchase decision, and 
considering the overall cost of a cutting edge system, it 
hardly seems worth it to skimp and get this chip instead of 
the 300 MHz version. 

  THE NEXT TIER-

At the 233 MHz level the market gets more interesting! Intel 
is offering the Pentium II 233, and the Pentium MMX 233. The 
Pentium II 233 is priced at less than $600, and also requires
a Slot 1 compatible motherboard. This makes it the most 
expensive alternative at this performance level. The MMX 233 
is priced at around $425, and can use a more inexpensive 
Socket 7 motherboard. Still, performance lags behind 
offerings from Intel's most threatening competitor: AMD.

American Micro Devices has finally closed the technology 
gap. AMD floundered around while trying to introduce its own 
version of the Pentium: the K5 arrived too late and too slow 
to make a dent in Intel's armor despite highly aggressive 
pricing. 

Not so with the new K6 MMX! The K6 is the result of AMD's 
acquisition of NextGen last year. AMD had a state of the art 
fabrication facility and no competitive design of its own to 
manufacture in it. The K6 is essentially NextGen's Nx686, a 
design that was being completed when the acquisition took 
place. Performance does not disappoint. The chip exceeds or 
comes close to the performance of the Pentium II 233 in 
almost every benchmark category. Even floating point 
performance, a traditional weakness in non-Intel CPU's is 
respectable. Priced aggressively at $345, the chip uses 
Socket 7 for further savings over the Pentium II 233.

Picking up the rear is the Cyrix 6x86MX PR233. The PR233 is 
actually clocked at 188 MHz, but Cyrix insists on using the 
PR (Performance Rating) numbering that Cyrix claims to be a 
number that indicates the performance of an equivalent 
Pentium chip. Unfortunately this rating tends to be somewhat 
optimistic! Cyrix also lags far behind the other two chips 
in floating point operation. Another problem with the Cyrix 
chips is spotty compatibility with some software packages. To 
Cyrix's credit, there is an extensive library of patches 
available on their website.

The chip is a good performer under Windows 95, however, 
providing good speed for standard business applications. 
Because the chip also less expensive, it may be a good 
choice for the business desktop.

  AFFORDABLE OPTIONS-

At the 200 MHz level, Intel offers the Pentium 200 MMX and 
the Pentium Pro. The 200 MMX is designed for Socket 7, and 
offers respectable performance for multimedia applications. 
Priced at around $280, the chip is rather pricey for a 200 
MHz chip.

The Pentium Pro is designed for floating point hungry 
applications, but because it uses its own socket design, and 
will not be offered in any higher clock speeds, this chip is 
not an advisable choice. The rumor is that the Pentium II is 
not actually any faster than a Pentium Pro at the same clock 
speed, and Intel does not want this fact known. That is why 
you will never see a Pentium Pro 233, or a Pentium II 200!

The AMD K6 200 is priced at only $220, and offers superior 
performance to the Pentium 200 MMX on most benchmarks, 
making it the price/performance leader at this tier.

Once again, poor Cyrix brings up the rear, competing with 
the others only in Win 95 application performance. It lags 
far behind in floating point performance and MMX benchmarks.
Its $140 price tag, however, makes it a candidate for-

  THE BARGAIN BASEMENT-

Excellent deals can be found on some of the older chips. 
Cyrix 6x86's and AMD K5's offer Pentium level performance at 
prices below $100! Intel is still offering the Pentium 166 
and at around $150, you get genuine Intel, and fast 
performance for everyday office applications. All of these 
chips are Socket 7 compatible.

  SUMMING UP-

Which chip is right for you? If price is no object and 
performance is a must, opt for the Pentium II 300. For those 
who need great performance combined with affordability, 
consider the AMD K6 series. They offer great performance and 
compatibility at prices that beat Intel across the board. At 
the low end, buy as much performance as you can afford! 
Remember, the faster a CPU you buy today, the longer you can 
wait before upgrading again, and you will enjoy the best 
possible performance in the meantime!

I hope I have presented a non-confusing overview of what is 
available on the CPU market. I have no idea what we will be
featuring next week, but you can be sure it will be of 
interest to all planetarians! Until then, check that inbox!

  -------------
    HOT DEALS-
  -------------


HOT HOT DEALS!!

- JTS Champion 2.5 GB Hard Drive__________________$ 149.99
- GOLDSTAR 17" monitor____________________________$ 299.00
- AMD K6 200 MHz w/MMX technology_________________$ 209.80
- CYRIX M2 166 MHz w/MMX technology_______________$  99.99
- INTEL Pentium 150 MHz___________________________$  99.99
- MITSUMI 24X Internal CD ROM_____________________$  89.99
- 16 MB 72 pins 60 ns EDO_________________________$  52.49
- 32 MB 72 pins 60 ns non parity__________________$  99.99
- SPOT ScanTalk SCSI Flatbed Scanner______________$ 149.00


NEW PRODUCTS

- ALTEC LANSING ACS55 w/SubWoofer & 2 speakers____$ 168.10
  Quality Speaker System, with subwoofer and 2 satellite
  speakes. Also, $50.00 mail-in rebate up to December 31.
  (price is BEFORE $50 mail-in discount)

- SONY Spressa 8X/2X Recordable CD Drive__________$ 325.20
  Sony presents the IDE Recordable CD Drive. 
  Just connect it to your IDE/Hard Drive controller.
  Reads at 8X Writes at 2X.

- SONY SDT-7000/BM INTERNAL 8GB Back-up___________$ 895.50
  This 8GB drive backs up power desktop and networks.
  Trasfer rate: Up to 90MB per minute.
  Reliable, Great Performance, and Cost Effective.

- Kit #27 motherboard upgrade Kit_________________$ 538.30
  If you are tired of you slow computer, this upgrade
  kit will speed your system up... (up to 233 MHz!!!)
  performing the AMD K6 233 MHz MMX CPU, and the Abit
  PX5 "Jumpperless" motherboard.  GREAT PERFORMANCE!!!

- CREATIVE LABS Modem Blaster 56K w/voice_________$ 123.20
  The new line of Creative Labs 56K modem. Feature
  99 voicemail boxes, Speakerphone, Full Duplex, SVD
  (simultaneous voice and data). Upgradable to future
  ITU standards.

- ATI TECHNOLOGIES XPERT at PLAY PCI 4MB SGRAM_______$ 177.00
  Great for home and games. With 4 MB of the fast SGRAM,
  TV-output to be able to play your favorite games on
  any TV screen!!!

- DTC 3520A Fast SCSI II Controller ISA___________$  40.10
  An affordable SCSI controller that it is 100% compatible
  with the ADAPTEC card. Easy to use and great performance

- MICROPOLIS 4.30GB SCSI ULTRA-WIDE Hard Drive____$ 404.30
  This is a 4 GB WIDE SCSI drive for an affordable price.
  Great performance: 40 Mb per second, 10ms access time,
  512 Kb cache memory.

- MATROX Millennium II 4 MB WRAM__________________$ 189.70
  Amazing 64-bit graphics accelerator for games, 3D, 2D
  Great performance!!!


UPGRADE KITS

- Kit #15 Upgrade motherboard Kit_________________$ 429.50
  Featuring INTEL 200MHz MMX CPU and the high performance
  M Technology R534 Motherboard, with 512 Kb Cache
  Upgrade you system with full MMX features!!!

- Kit #23 Upgrade motherboard Kit_________________$ 286.30
  Featuring Cyrix M2 200MHz CPU and the high performance
  M Technology R534 Motherboard, with 512 Kb Cache
  running at 75 MHz!!.

- Kit #22 Upgrade motherboard Kit_________________$ 339.00
  AMD K6 200 MHz CPU w/MMX technology, plus the highly
  recommended M.Technology R540 motherboard with INTEL
  TX chipset and Ultra DMA hard Disk controller (up to
  33.3 Mbps)

- Kit #6 Upgrade Motherboard Kit__________________$ 228.50
  Get your computer up to full Speed!!
  Performing Cyrix P200+ CPU and M technology Mustang R534.
  Try it and love it.


MODEMS:

******  $50.00 Mail-in Rebate from US Robotics  *******
- US Robotics 56K internal modem__________________$ 190.40
- US Robotics 56K external modem__________________$ 209.50
- US Robotics 56K internal + voicemail____________$ 209.50
- US Robotics 56K external + voicemail____________$ 228.60
******  Prices DO NOT reflect the $50.00 rebate  ******

- AcerOpen 56K internal with voicemail____________$ 101.10
- AcerOpen 33.6K internal with voicemail__________$  66.30
- CREATIVE LABS Modem Blaster 56K w/voice_________$ 123.20
- Diamond Supraexpress 56K internal Modem_________$ 142.70
- Diamond Supraexpress 56K external Modem_________$ 134.20


MEMORY:

- 4 MB, 72 pin, 60 ns, EDO non-parity_____________$  15.80
- 8 MB, 72 pin, 60 ns, EDO non-parity_____________$  27.70
- 16 MB, 72 pin, 60 ns, EDO non-parity____________$  52.49
- 4 MB, 30 pin, 60 ns, parity_____________________$  20.10


CPUs:

- Intel Pentium 120 MHz___________________________$ 103.50
- Intel Pentium 133 MHz___________________________$ 105.80
- Intel Pentium 150 MHz___________________________$  99.99
- Intel Pentium 166 MHz MMX_______________________$ 160.50
- Intel Pentium 200 MHz MMX_______________________$ 276.40
- Intel Pentium 233 MHz MMX_______________________$ 404.50
- Cyrix P-166+ MHz Low Voltage (2.8v)_____________$  63.50
- Cyrix P-200+ MHz Low Voltage (2.8v)_____________$  84.99
- Cyrix M2 166 MHz MMX____________________________$  99.99
- Cyrix M2 200 MHz MMX____________________________$ 139.99
- AMD K5 PR-166 MHz_______________________________$  97.80
- AMD K6-166 MHz__________________________________$ 143.50
- AMD K6-200 MHz__________________________________$ 209.80
- AMD K6-233 MHz__________________________________$ 387.80

MOTHERBOARDS:

- M Technology R540 TX chipset 512 KB_____________$ 103.00
- M Technology R534F (for Cyrix P200+) 512 KB_____$ 122.60
- ABIT PX5 TX 512K JUMPPERLESS____________________$ 114.80
- ASUS TX97 TX 512K_______________________________$ 180.80

HARD DRIVES:

- Western Digital 1.6 Gb__________________________$ 169.10
- Western Digital 2.1 Gb__________________________$ 190.80
- Western Digital 3.1 Gb__________________________$ 214.80
- Western Digital 4.0 Gb__________________________$ 275.30
- Western Digital 4.3 GB (Ultra DMA)______________$ 267.30
- Western Digital 5.1 GB (Ultra DMA)______________$ 376.60
- Seagate 2.5 Gb__________________________________$ 189.00
- Seagate 3.2 Gb__________________________________$ 220.80
- Seagate 6.4 Gb__________________________________$ 372.10
- QUANTUM Fireball 1.6 GB (Ultra DMA)_____________$ 164.70
- QUANTUM Fireball 2.1 GB (Ultra DMA)_____________$ 204.40
- QUANTUM Fireball 3.2 GB (Ultra DMA)_____________$ 229.40
- QUANTUM Fireball 4.3 GB (Ultra DMA)_____________$ 282.40
- QUANTUM Fireball 6.4 GB (Ultra DMA)_____________$ 379.40
- JTS Champion 2.0 GB_____________________________$ 159.99
- JTS Champion 2.5 GB_____________________________$ 149.99
- JTS Champion 3.0 GB_____________________________$ 187.90


VIDEO CARDS:

- CREATIVE LABS 3D Blaster 4 MB RAMBUS____________$  93.10
- DIAMOND 3D 2000, 2 MB EDO_______________________$  55.20
- DIAMOND 3D 2000, 4 MB EDO_______________________$  95.70
- DIAMOND 3D 3000, 2 MB VRAM______________________$ 109.20
- DIAMOND 3D 3000, 4 MB VRAM______________________$ 187.00
- TRIDENT 9680 PCI, 2 MB DRAM_____________________$  31.10
- ATI All-in-wonder, 4 MB DRAM____________________$ 238.00
- ATI 3D PRO TURBO PC2TV 8MB SGRAM________________$ 177.00


MONITORS:

- Digiview, 15", 0.28 mm, digital control_________$ 218.50
- Digiview, 17", 0.28 mm, on screen control_______$ 425.50
- Viewsonic Optiquest Q17, 17" 0.28 mm____________$ 477.10
- GOLDSTAR 17" .39 mm on digital control__________$ 299.00


MULTIMEDIA:

- MITSUMI 24X Internal CD ROM Drive_______________$  89.99
- MITSUMI 16X CD ROM (up to 2.4 Mb/sec)___________$  77.50
- MITSUMI 8X CD-ROM (1200 Kbps transfer rate)_____$  63.00
- NEC 6X4 (holds up to 4 CD ROMs! runs at 6X!)____$  74.99
- ESS 1868 PnP Sound Card Full Duplex_____________$  30.00
- SoundBlaster AWE64 IDE PnP PC___________________$  93.10
- SoundBlaster 16 IDE PC Sound Card_______________$  50.60
- WAVE 80W Speakers w/bass treble volume control__$  13.00

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