Hi Ray -Thanks for your comments. I am aware of the graphics card issue, as I said. I have wondered about the extent to which the audio card makes a difference performancewise. The systems I have built or had built always had a decent sound card. The monitor I already own, so no need to buy again.
Certainly, the small number of PCI slots can be an issue, depending on what you need to add. But, if one slot goes to the sound card, and the video card goes to the AGP slot, and the machine has built in Ethernet, how far off can you be?
The thing I was impressed with in the predecessor Compaq model (EVO, Intel P4 2000 or some such) they installed in my office is how quiet the machine is. You can't tell if it is running from the sound - it is so silent. By comparison, my "custom built" AMD machine at home (Athlon 1900+) is fairly noisy, with all the fans. The difference is remarkable.
If I could find a comparable reasonably priced machine with an AMD 3000+ chip, I might go for it.
Don't yet know what the demands of COF will be, so this is all just preliminary prospecting. I look forward to any reliable intelligence about the "real" hardware demands of the new FS program.
Regards,
William
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