buying a new pc, lets try this again...?

All AMD Athlon64 series processors are 32/64bit processors, most newer Intel processors also support both 32 and 64 bit processing. AMD released the first dual core processor to the market followed quickly by Intel. AMD is more geared to handling graphical image processing versus Intel, Intel is geared towards business applications, though will handle games well. AMD is still the leader in price when compared to Intel. At this stage of the game (pun intended), Intel has one significant lead over AMD in that they have mastered the Quad Core for home PCs using a windows based environment. Technically speaking, Intel's Quad Core processors are not true Quad cores, they are Dual Core with Multi-threading technology, meaning that for every clock cycle the processors can handle 4 instructions where all other dual core processors whether AMD or Intel can only process 2 instructions per cycle. Intel is about to release an even newer generation of Quad Core called the Core 2 Quad which will handle upto 16 instructions per clock cycle making it a significant improvement in processing speed.

Of course I am sure the price will reflect this as well, at the moment, Intel processors at the high end are almost double the price of the AMD chipset. Since you are talking about building your own machine, and since I am in the US and not europe, I cannot speak for the pricing structures over there, so I will have to quote in US dollars and let you convert to Euro Dollars.

As for building your own machine that is upto date thus far, I would recommend the following components based on your request:

Motherboard: Asus M2N32 SLI series :http://www.mwave.com/mwave/viewspec.hmx?scriteria=...

Processor: AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+ Dual Core 3.0ghz per core: http://www.mwave.com/mwave/viewspec.hmx?scriteria=...

Memory: Minimum 2gigs maximum 4gigs(32bit operating system): http://www.mwave.com/mwave/viewspec.hmx?scriteria=...

Video Card: PCI-Express: XFX 8600 GTS 256mg: http://www.mwave.com/mwave/viewspec.hmx?scriteria=... (I recommend this because it uses heat sink dispersal over fans, this card can be set up in SLI format by purchasing 2 identical cards)

PCI-Express offers upto 2x the data flow over AGP formats because of all the new technology, AGP has become out of date technology, though still available, the good graphics cards are PCI-Express. The motherboard I suggested is equipped with 2 - 16x PCI-Express slots that will allow you to run 2 identical cards in SLI mode thus handling large graphical renderings much more efficiently and with better detail. With this motherboard when you do run SLI both cards run at a true 16x capacity, typically other boards might offer 1 or 2 16x slots but when two graphics cards are inserted it will only run 1 at 16x and the other will be 8x.

No one can really guarrantee that within a year you won't have components out there that are much faster or better than what is available at the moment, most computers purchased off the shelf are out dated within 3 to 6 months if not sooner.

As for operating system, if you are running a windows environment, stick with Windows XP Professional or Media Center for now, Vista like any newly released operating system is still working out many bugs. If you are considering running the 64bit versions also be aware that many add ons may not have drivers available for them for the 64bit versions. Vista at this moment still does not support SLI technology when it comes to running multiple video cards, though this could be corrected soon.

Based on today's US to Euro Dollar Conversion tables, the above quoted items as listed except for (memory doubled, and video card doubled for SLI mode) would be $888.81 US dollars without shipping when converted to Euro Dollars equals 651.98.

I hope this helps you decide.

If you are building your own machine, I would recommend deciding on what you want from a system and then buying new componenets - and check for compatibility.

You want to be sure what you use will be compatible to your new operating system etc.

Remember other manufactures are producing their components to be compatible with the latest OS.

So, build towards that also.

Build up to your specifications and ultimate need.

Old parts may not be compatible,

Think about it parts from a 5 , 10 or 15 year old car might

fit, but may not give you the desired performance.

New technologies will need up to date parts. And you can build a machine for less than half the cost of one off the shelf if you take your time and study the build.

Look at this one.

Vigor Gaming, which opened shop in 2005, is new both to us and to the market; the company recently sent us its Force Recon LE ($3,499 direct, $2,499 without monitor) gaming system. This high-octane hot rod is an interesting (and less expensive) alternative to the monster high-end gaming PCs from other boutique system builders, such as Voodoo and Falcon NW. The unit has the flash—automotive-style paint job, LED lighting, and LCD info panel—and it has a benefit that the other system builders don't: a less than stratospheric price. To be sure, $2,500 without monitor is a lot of money for a computer, but that sum buys you access to performance levels that until recently cost more than $5,000. Like most high-end specialized gaming systems, the Force Recon is for the well-heeled gamer who doesn't want to build his own PC.

Read the Vigor Force Recon LE full review here.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1948983,00.as...

Sorry, but the GT 240 isn't a gaming card. It is a low-budget card good for HD videos and everyday use. Not for gaming. The least you should be going with is a GTS 450 or HD 5770 for gaming, if you want playable and smooth performance.

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