Hi Eric! I read your postings at ZD's Talkback. Now I have a question for you; I'm a freelance web designer and will be making a purchase within the next three months for a new system. Currently I'm running a DELL PII 350. I got it on the cheap, since it was part of Dell's "value series" (V350). You may be familiar with these systems, they have integrated graphics/audio. Man, was that ever a mistake I will never repeat. I love DELL systems, but integrated mobos suck! The point I am at right now is trying to decide which system would suit me best. AMD or Intel. Given that I'm a designer as well as a gamer, the system will obviously NOT have integrated graphics this time around. DELL doesn't sell AMD based hardware, and to be honest with you....I'm sick of the boring beige box theme. I know it sounds silly, but I really would like to go for a more aesthetically appealing design. So far, the only systems I've found are HP's Pavilion, and Sony's Vaio (I get bad vibes from Sony computers) Oh, and here is the final decision maker; my new system must be able to run Windows 2000. That is a must! Now do you see my problem? I really don't know which way to turn at this point. I'm sick of boring beige DELL, and Intel hardware in general. I am not convinced that PIII processors/chipsets are all that great in terms of power. AMD's Athlon seems to be a REAL powerhouse. Considering my requirements: 900mhz/good standalone audio/video cards/CD-RW/DVD?/40gb HD(7200rpm)/128 Ram/and a stylish design, the closest match I've found is.....(gulp!)an HP Pavilion? Are these systems any good? I know that the Compaq Presario is a TOTAL piece of shit! But what about HP? Can they run Win2k, or least manage a dual boot between Win2k and WinME? My budget is around $1400, or at least it seems that I can get a well loaded system for that price. So what do you think? Do you have any advice for me? Help!!! Kent Kent, As of today, we are on the cusp of a change in high-performance computing that should you choose to wait until December, you will be able to purchase an even better system than the one I’ll outline below (the first AMD 760 system with DDR SDRAM was just announced by Micron), but if you need the system today, here is what I would suggest to stay within your $1400 budget and still get an awesome system (I will be using pricing from Monarch Computer’s website. If you are interested in this system, please give Sterling Harris a call at 1-800-611-0875 x13 and ask for the IThell.com discount). I am basing my recommendation upon the Power-user system recommendation I made earlier in the month with a few modifications that correspond to your particular needs. |