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Building new computer. Thoughts?



I want to build a new computer.  Normall I would just go to a Ken Gordon
show, but there isn't going to be one for a while.  This machine will
run dual-boot Windows and Linux (prolly NT, but I understand it's harder
to make that dual-boot).

I am soliciting advice in a few areas of indecision:

1) ATX or non-ATX?  I didn't like ATX the last time I looked at them,
but it's getting harder to find non-ATX motherboards and cases.  Do the
on-board extra subsystems ever die?  Are they usually flexible enough to
(dis|en)able individual subsystems, like com ports and IDE?

2)AMD K6-3, PII or PIII?  The serial number thing really bugs me.  I
know there's an initiative to have the kernel return arbitrary serial
numbers when polled.  Is this in place in a kernel rev yet?  Can it be
reliably disabled in Windows too?  Is there a big performance increase
in the PIII?  The hardware compatibility list supports the AMD K6-3, but
are there really no compatibility problems at all?

3)Network card- I've been using $11 DEC Tulip cards, and have been happy
with them.  Is there a prevailing favorite card for a little more money
that might be better?

4)Video card-  this one can be tricky.  I've never gone all-out on a
video card before, but beyond the hardware compatibility list, are there
any ones that work exceptionally well with linux and take 4MB or 8MB? 
Are AGP cards fully supported, or are there limitations?

Thanks in advance.


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DDDD   David Kramer                    david at kramer.ne.mediaone.net
DK KD                                 http://kramer.ne.mediaone.net
DKK D  
DK KD  HYDROGEN: A colorless, odorless gas which,
DDDD   given enough time, turns into people.
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