Ever since building my last three systems I claimed that I would never buy a prebuilt system again. Then I found an online store (cyberpowerpc) that has prices competitive with buying parts from Newegg (which was still $50 cheaper). So I'll probably buy a pre-built system even though I won't get every thing my way I won't the hassle of being responsible for incorrect assembly, shipping on DOA parts (hopefully), or incompatible parts (did that twice but I was young and foolish). However, even then I still have some issues that I need help on 1) I am not a hardcore gamer, so I don't need the fastest system and I refuse to pay for one (not that I can't afford it). However, I do want to play a few FPS's and MMORPG's. That leaves me split between a GeForce 8500 (why is this one cheaper) and a GeForce 7600. What card should I get? 2) Windows Visa seems to be full of bugs, yet if I get it new system it seems silly not to get Vista preloaded. How do I avoid getting burned by Vista's bugs? Should I reconsider XP? 3) Since I'm addicted to programming I can never have enough screen space, so those sub $400 22" widescreen LCD's are tempting me. Unfortunately Newegg reviews (yes, I take those with plenty of salt thank you) often have comments like "good given it's cheap price." That makes me wonder, what is a "good" monitor? I usually look at contrast (skeptically, since they are inconsistent), brightness, GTG response time (2-5ms is the goal), and refresh rate. View angles are less important to me because I sit in front of the pc, not beside it. On a side note, I'm no longer there (view from a Black Hawk) anymore. Which is also why I am so far out of the loop on PC's right now.

Programming since 1995.