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Ok, I looked over the chipset info. Based on what I read I'd say the 550 series would more than suffice my needs. I had to laugh when I saw some of the info on the 600 series: 20 USB ports? 10 PCI slots? I have 5 PCI slots now and I'm only using 1 of them.

Ok, thanks for the link, I'll look it over. I also sent you a PM.

What kind of functions? I'm not a gamer, so things like SLI that I've read about wouldn't make a difference to me. Is that the kind of thing you mean? Is there a good website with chipset descriptions/information?This is 99% of what I use my PC for (in no particular order): 1. Web surf 2. Email/Newsgroups 3. Rip & encode music to both lossless and lossy, and edit .WAV files typically no larger than 100 MB. 4. Just messing around with PC related projects, like unattended installs, WindowsPE, stuff like that.

Well I'm glad to hear that. Maybe this guy's issue all along has been not updating to the v793 build of the executable. I hope to hear back from him before the weekend's over.

Ok, gotcha, now I remember. The NTFS part is useful but the rest isn't for me, personally. I always install a floppy drive on any system I use and prefer to run Ghost that way. Well I'm glad to hear that, maybe the problems the guy I know is having are all a result of him having the 775 build of the executable and not the final one. Yeah, that's the issue, SATA and Ghost 2003. Great!

My mistake, I forgot to mention that he used HIGH compression, so I imagine that would slow it down considerably. Punto, can Acronis be run off a floppy exactly like Ghost? I'm not interested in running an imaging program from within Windows. I think I'll spend the weekend researching the variety of image/cloning programs that are available. When I get this upcoming system built I'll obviously try using Ghost 2003 first, but if it won't work I'd like to have an alternative ready. I know a lot of the people around here are pretty intelligent and may have seen this before, but for anyone who hasn't this is a list of some Ghost alternatives: http://ghost.radified.com/ghost_1a.htm And there's also XXCOPY, which is free and has the ability to clone. I've used it before for copying files, but not the cloning function. http://www.xxcopy.com/index.htm Punto, could you clarify that for me please? Remember, I know nothing about motherboard chipsets, so all those numbers you mentioned above are Greek to me. I don't understand what you're trying to tell me. If I get a board with built in graphics it won't have the nVidia 550/570/590 chipset that you like so much? But if I'm willing to get a separate video card then I'll have a choice of a motherboard that does have one of those chipsets?

I'm the original poster and the one who posted about Ghost 2003. Re: your points above... 1. I thought Ghost 2003 was the first version that did do online/hot imaging? Or maybe I'm thinking of a different feature... that you can just set up what you want Ghost to do while you're in Windows and then it reboots and does it in DOS? Regardless, I'm not interested in either of those features, I'm familiar with how previous versions of Ghost worked so I'm perfectly happy running Ghost from a boot floppy. 2 & 3. I know about the EOL for support, unfortunately. The reason I posted about Ghost 2003 in the first place was that I was told by someone who has used it 100's of times that he couldn't get it to work with socket-939 boards because of the way IDE is handled on those boards and Ghost 2003 can't read the drive types through the hard drive controller on the motherboard. I don't care about socket 939 boards because I'll use socket AM2 if I decide to go with AMD for my upcoming build, but if IDE is handled the same way on AM2 as it is on 939 then I assume I'd have problems using Ghost 2003 with AM2 as well, so I was looking for anyone who had successfully used Ghost 2003 with an AM2 board because I don't want to get rid of Ghost 2003, I prefer it to the newer versions (which aren't even Ghost, they're PowerQuest's Drive Image). My version of the Ghost executable is build #775. I've researched it and found that quite a few people were having trouble using Ghost 2003 with SATA drives, but when they used Live Update and updated their Ghost executable to the final version, build #793, they ceased having problems. It took a while, but I was finally able to find a v793 build on an FTP site, so I have the newest version now too. For my current system it makes no difference since I don't have SATA drives, but I sent a copy of it to the guy who's having the trouble with the socket 939 boards and he's going to try it out and see if it takes care of the issues. 4. I've read about Acronis True Image but I'm not too keen on it. The guy who's having trouble with Ghost & 939 boards wrote me earlier this week and said he tried it out. Where Ghosting his OS partition takes 5-6 minutes, he said True Image took over 30. I don't like the sound of that.

I bought a Global WIN something once, xxx38 I think, because it was rated high. Man, was that thing loud. It spun at 6500 rpms I believe, sounded like a freaking hair dryer! It cooled well but I just couldn't deal with the noise so I got a replacement, a Speeze. Bigger fan, lower rpms, MUCH quieter.

Thanks punto, but if I do go AMD it'll definitely be an AM2 board now that I know I can still use my current PSU.

Ok, thanks once again. The facts being what they are, I think I'll scrap the socket 754 idea. Since I'm able to use my current power supply with a 24 pin socket motherboard, the only extra outlay on my part will be having to buy DDR2 RAM. Back to the think tank...

Jcarle, I was aware of what the connectors looked like, my concern was if it was ok to combine the different socket types together. I follow what you've said.... I think maybe that article was correct but it just didn't tell the whole story. They're saying you shouldn't plug a 20 into a 24, but they just leave it like that w/o an explanation. You're saying it's ok. I think what that article might be implying is that if you have a high powered system as Zxian mentioned above with a dual core CPU and a power hungry graphics card, etc, THEN you shouldn't use a 20 into a 24 because you most likely don't have a strong enough PSU. But if you have a much more modest system, power requirement-wise, then plugging a 20 into a 24 really wouldn't be any different than plugging into a matching 20 and there's no concern whatsoever, so I don't have to be worried if the motherboard I eventually get happens to have a 24 pin socket. Does all that sound correct? I'm glad you mentioned that, I think you answered my next question before I asked it. I wanted to know if the '+4' portion of a 20+4 connector was the same as the 4 pin connector that goes to the CPU power socket. Apparently not, as that CPU connector has two 12v & two grounds (at least according to my PSU manual), whereas the +4 connector has a 3.3V, 5V, and 12V line as you stated above. Correct?

Yep, I did read it a few times, and I am confused, because what you said seems to be the opposite of what I read here:http://www.xoxide.com/buy-computer-power-s...y_Compatibility That says a 24 pin connector can be 'adapted down' to use on a 20 pin socket, but that you shouldn't use a 20 pin connector on a 24 pin mobo socket. I don't have a 24 pin power supply connector so the 24-to-20 thing is a moot point. My Antec power supply has a 20 pin connector and the square 4 pin 12v aux connector that I guess gets used for powering the CPU socket directly, so I'm good there, but according to that link above I should only use it with a matching 20 pin mobo power socket. Not saying that that article is right and you're wrong, but that's the website I used for reference when I was searching for power supply info earlier. I'll gladly look at any other sites that say otherwise. Punto, I'll look over your hardware recommendations later, just getting ready to hit the sack. One thing though - if I do go AMD socket 754, I think I'll skip the Sempron and just opt for the Athlon 64 unless you have a reason I shouldn't. It's $60 on Newegg, I think the Semprons are $40-45. One more question about the benchmarks used for comparing CPUs. It's not included in the choices on that Tom's Hardware page I linked to several posts ago, but what about something like formatting a 300-500 GB HDD??? How much of a difference would there be when comparing that dual-core Intel Conroe CPU that seems to come out on top of most of the benchmarks, and a more 'average' CPU from AMD or Intel?

That's what I'm saying though, jcarle - don't the 'modern' boards use the newer ATX12V power supplies with the 24 pin power connectors? (in addition to whatever else it is that distinguishes them from regular ATX power supplies). I'd never skimp on a power supply, so I'd definitely need a new/different one if I got the most modern of motherboards. I just figured if I got a board that'd work with my current RAM and power supply I could cut the costs a bit more. Thanks Punto, I'll look up some info on that mobo, it's not listed on the 'egg.

That video card costs more than my whole proposed upgrade! Another question. I have taken everyone's suggestions into account so far, and I'm not blowing them off, but I have an idea for an even more economical temporary upgrade, but you'll have to let me know if it'll work or not. Will PC-2100 DDR1 RAM work on a motherboard spec'd for PC-3200? If it will, I was thinking that I could get a socket-754 motherboard and CPU for a combined cost of ~$120 if I went AMD (jcarle, you'd have to tell me what the Intel equivalent would be) and pop it right in my current case. I have a decent Antec power supply now, so as long as the motherboard accepted a 20-pin connector I think I'd be ok. These appear to be my choices as far as AMD goes: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList....78%2C734%3A7577 What do you think?

Ok, here's the sitaution. I was going to start a new thread so it would get more views, but I'll just put it here. Someone I know who has used Ghost 1000's of times since it first came out told me that he hasn't been able to get Ghost 2003 to work with a Socket 939 motherboard. He told me that the board manufacturers have changed the way IDE is handled on socket 939 boards and Ghost 2003 can't read the drive types through the hard drive controller on the motherboard. I don't know what that means in technical terms, but the bottom line is that he hasn't been able to get it to work. I don't really care about socket 939 boards because I'll use socket AM2 if I decide to go with AMD for this upcoming build, but if IDE is handled the same way on AM2 as it is on 939 then I assume I'd have problems using Ghost 2003 with AM2 as well, so I was looking for anyone who had successfully used Ghost 2003 with an AM2 board because I don't want to get rid of Ghost 2003, I prefer it to the newer versions.

Thanks for your opinion. I haven't made a decision yet, still thinking things over. I've decided not to dual-boot with Win98. I'll have more than one PC, so I can leave 98 on this one I'm using now and use the new one for XP. A new problem has popped up regarding using Ghost 2003 with a socket AM2 or 939 motherboard. I don't know if I should post about it in Hardware or Software.

Ok, thanks jcarle, I'll give it some thought. I won't be ordering anything until December so I have time to think it over a bit yet. Quick question about DVD burners & media. I added the Pioneer you recommended to my wish list on Newegg and looked through the others as well. The DVD burners are basically the same price as CD burners & combo drives, yet I still see recent reviews of both of them. Why would someone want one of them when a DVD burner takes the place of both of them and adds DVD burning to boot? DVD media.... what kind should I get? Newegg seems to be equally stocked with DVD+R and DVD-R. I read about them on Wiki but still don't know which one I should favor. Thank god the DVD burners can read and write to either format, I can just see the confusion it would cause if someone had a +R burner but bought -R media and then couldn't get it to work.

You're absolutely right, and I noticed that last night when I spent an hour comparing the CPUs. I have a question about the CPU you picked, however. I certainly don't mean any offense to you since you really seem to know your stuff with regard to Intel, but I tried to pick benchmarks that reflected how I use my PC and in everyone one I chose the AMD CPU won. Celerons aren't even included in the CPUs to choose from, so in place of your Celeron D 331 Prescott 2.66GHz I chose a Pentium 4 531 Prescott 3.0GHz ($30 more). If the AMD CPU won out over the P4, I imagine it would win by an even wider margin over the Celeron.So I'm still not quite sure what to do, CPU-wise. Spending a little extra on the CPU is no biggie, it's still well under $100. The chart says I should go for the AMD, but I don't want to dismiss anything you've said so far either.

I am leaning towards just running XP alone on the new system and not dual-booting, but could you explain your last statement in more detail please? Do you mean that nVidia chipsets won't work well with Win98? What about an ASUS board with a VIA or ATI chipset?

I've been doing just that since 1996! My first bold PC move: really wanting to try out "this new Windows 95 thing" and trying to figure out how to get rid of DOS & Win 3.1 off the second hand PC I picked up. "Hmm, 'deltree,' that looks like the right command"......

Thanks for the info, jcarle! Question - how are Tom's Hardware's product comparisons viewed here? I mean what do people think of them? This may be old news to other people but I just found it, it's his CPU comparison page. You can select 2 different CPUs and then compare them to each other with a variety of different benchmarks. http://www23.tomshardware.com/cpu.html Spent about an hour there last night comparing 3-4 CPUs I've had in mind, found it pretty informative.

Absolutely, I agree. It's just that I'm familiar with the AMD line and kept abreast of their offerings since I've used their CPUs for my last build and the 2 others I've done for friends. It certainly doesn't mean I can't start educating myself about Intel CPUs, but I am in the dark with regard to them so that's why I'm on here asking.

Ok, I understand better now, thanks. So Intel socket-775 motherboards are 'modern' enough that they're not going to be phased out for a while yet then? Edit: I don't really have a 'budget,' I just don't want to spend more than I need to for what will be sufficient for my needs. I already know I'll be getting two 320 GB HDDs and one smaller one, but I'm not enough of a power user to require a cutting edge video card or CPU. I don't mind buying a little behind the leading edge of the technology curve in other words. If anyone could address my question about motherboard chipsets I would appreciate it. What makes someone want a particular motherboard chipset?

What kind of reply is that? I don't "really want AMD," I just pointed out that the AMD CPU is only a few months old and only $30 more than the Intel that's a few years old.

I don't know... according to the Wiki page on the Celeron D, the CPU you suggested was released over 2 years ago. For $30 more I can get a socket-AM2 Athlon64 that was released a few months ago. I don't know how they compare performance-wise, but I would think the Athlon would be superior being so new. For a system I'm going to use for several years the extra $30 is nothing. I know I'm not building a very exciting system by anyone's standards here, but if anyone has a socket-AM2 system please chime in.