mattthemuppet, thanks for the local input. I went and bought the 4850e for $95 to avoid any sudden price rises (didn't get to see your post 'til Sunday). Wanted something that would do the job straight out of the box. Plus the 4850e has gained a somewhat iconic status in SPCR circles recently, so it...

For those interested, I found a review on a Windows 7 build. I use XP Pro SP2; have no real need to upgrade to Vista right now. Maybe I can skip Vista altogether and wait for Windows 7? Read the review here.

protellect, thanks for your informative reply. I'll take your suggestions on board. What I've learnt is you don't need to spend bucketloads of money to get a good peforming reliable system anymore. But for office work, you have it right. Looks like you have done your homework, buy with confidence, a...

I am looking to upgrade from my old AMD Duron/Nforce2 Ultra system to one that can handle newer hardware and software, AND, to lower my power usage and noise levels. While I would love to build a super fast all-rounder machine, I know that I will never need those high end features anyway. Also, I am...