Ohh, the 'you need experience to use debian' myth. Seems to be a popular point of view with *buntu users. Its a little harder than ubuntu, but its not that hard. I did my 1st ever linux install with debian with zero expereince in 2004 (I think, it might have been 2003). Debian has got easier since then.

Debain isnt that 'heavy', its just 'heavier' than some of the more 'lightweight' distros (eg puppy, siltaz).

IMO the 'lightweight' distros tend to be harder to find documentation for, and can be harder than debian to actually use and figure out how to do things.

Slackware would be harder than debian to install and use. Not by much, and I'm sure that quite a few people would be able to install slackware with zero linux experience, as long as they had the 'right' skillset, and/or read the required documentation. AFAIK slackware wont be that much 'lighter' than debain, but I havent really done a comparison. TobiSGD, and possibly some other memebers would be able to give you better info on the comparison betwen debian and slackware. I know TobiSGD has used both extensively.

In my experience, debian is faster and uses less RAM/CPU than any of the offical ubuntu verisons. I havent checked that with the newer releases, but from everything I've seen and heard, if anythign ubuntu is getting heavier in comparison to debian over the years.

When I did do a comparison (mid 2010 was the last time) debian gnome and Xfce was lighter, and faster than all the offical *butnu variants.

If you think an $800 laptop is 'top of the line', I've got some bad news for you. That is 'midrange', or even the top of the 'budget' laptop selection.

The margins on laptops dont really let any retailer sell laptops at half price.

Todays $800 laptop is next years $650-500 laptop, and the year after that its more like $400. If its still avaible. I still think that you are beigng misled, and you would be getting 'old stock' ('look, its a $800 laptop!' 'yeah, it was in 2008...'). I'd need to have an idea of what you would get for your $400 to know for sure.

Why you would get a $400 laptop is beyond me anyway, if you want to build a mega-machine. You could get the basis for a _very_ upgradable desktop (sans monitors) running for $400.

Do you really need a 14 port USB hub? Or triplehead?

If you really want triplehead, you really want a desktop, with 2 x PCIe slots (for 2 x nVidia cards) or an AMD/ATI card (you will need a card with DisplayPort, and a DisplayPort monitor or adapter) I'm not aware of any laptop that will do triplehead with linux. But I could well be wrong, triplehead isnt something I give a hoot about, its pointless for me (and 90%+ of users as well IMO)

Check what you have already.

No point going out and buying a $50 desktop that is not much better than what you have.....it could even be worse.

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Pl3th0r4x: I edited the title of your thread (the first post). Please provide a clue to what the problem is when you start a new thread.

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I wanted to actually rename it, but the allotted time had passed since I had posted. You can see in any of my threads I usually cleverly title them. I thought this thread would be an opened and closed case. The current title actually is not even what most of the thread is about.

If you could please rename it to, "Easy Question/Hard Question: Getting Wireless on a Desktop, and Multiple Monitors"

Anyways thats something similar to what I would have renamed it had I been able to.

Cascade9 I am going to work on the response to this in the morning. Thanks for the knowledge and in-depth communication.

If you set up Debian and Slackware to run the same services and use the same desktop emvironment or WM there is not much difference, Slackware would be slightly lighter. On a default install it is very hard to compare those two, since Debian comes with Gnome 2, which isn't included at all in Slackware and Slackware comes with KDE 4, XFCE and a bunch of WMs. Also, they are different in the amount of services that are run by default, in the configuration (for example no PAM in Slackware), ... .
I would think that my custom installation of Slackware (running wmii) is not much faster (if at all) than my custom installation of Debian (running openbox) was.

The triple-head thing: I have absolutely no personal experience with something like that, I had a dual-head setup for some time at work on Ubuntu with an old Geforce FX5200, was a fine thing, but I personally tend to use larger monitors than more of them (soon to replace my 22" with a 27"), so I can't say much about that.

Exactly, for that amount of money you can get a nice machine that will be faster than your current machine and the laptop you may get for that price, and you have a machine that you can built up from. I personally have done it that way since I began to build my own PCs. Get a solid base, build up from that. It makes more fun if you don't have to spare your money for months, just buy one part every month or every two months.

@Cascade9

I see your point about purchasing a laptop when that money should be invested into my desktop. The reason is I really would like to have a laptop and while I have the chance I wanted to get a good deal on something that I could have fun with later also. As for the triple head set up. I have my heart set on it. I know with Windows they created a software program to allow up to 6 monitors on a laptop. And as for the 14 USB ports. You would be surprised at how handy these things come in. I didn't purchase that many because I wanted as many as that. I bought a nice little one with 7 ports on them, and then I bought one with a little extension that could reach to the other side of my desk with 4 ports. My fan has a USB plug that is male one side and female on the other. and that leaves two remaining ports on the netbook. Currently I'm using all but 6 ports not including the extra plug from the fan so 7 unused, and occasionally I'll use one or two and I literally never have to fiddle with my hardware anymore. Total cost of these items $10. So thats a deal.

I'll consider putting that money into a desktop. I won't say HOW I'm getting the deal, but you should just know that if the deal goes through like he says it is, I'll have a wide variety of options to choose from. Deciding on the laptop will be my only real decision to make. There must be something you would recommend as a good laptop. I go to school, and work part time helping with computer related stuff. A laptop is kind of important, and I wouldn't consider running it without Linux-- not even in a dream.

The desktop is a given. That will come, everything I need with it will piece by piece be put together. I'm sick of the lagging, and incompatibilities to do simple things on my set up now. I mean sicker than a dog, its unbearable. The HDD and SSD card upgrade should help move things along with that. Otherwise, I thought I would invest a good $700 into a desktop closer to the end of this year, and just a $300-$400 laptop now.

I have a 22" Acer, and a 19" Acer monitor hooked up to netbook now. They are mirrored. I'm chomping at the bits and counting down the days to a new PC.

*EDIT* also the laptop is important because I'll be using it together with my desktop. I have a small computer desk I bought at Walmart where I will have it set up with one monitor, and then the desk top will be set up on the big desk with 3 monitors, eventually.

I wouldnt really say that the money 'should be invested in a desktop'. Its just more cost effective.

Laptops are nice for doing stuff on the move, like notetaking in classes/lectures, but you've already got a netbook. Why get a machiennthat is hard to work on, uses more expensive and harder to get parts, and its far less upgradable than a desktop when you've already got a machine to use on the move?

That is my logic. I'd never run 2 monitors hooked up to a netbook with them in 'mirrored' mode. Or have 2 USB hubs hooked up at once, I have never had the need for more than 4 USB ports in use at once time (a USB modem, a USB printer, a USB flash drive and a USB HDD is as far as I've ever needed to go).

If that is what floats your board, having 3 monitors and a whole bunch of USB devices hooked up, that is up to you. It does seem to be a 'solution looking for a problem' IMO, in particular triplehead. Maybe you've been influenced by movies/music videos with people in front of a 'wall of TVs/monitors'.

But if thats what you want, thats what you want.

Wont say how? That makes alarm bells ring in my head. I cant see any (legit) way to get a '$800 laptop for $400'. Its got to be old stock, at best.....and the 'fallen of the back of the truck' deal at worst. Seriously, dont touch stollen laptops, its not worth it.

SSD and HDD upgrade...for what?

I'd really try getting a different distro on the desktop and netbook you own. From expereince, *buntus on older/slower hardwear is not fun, even even changing to 'not super light but lighter than *buntu' distros can make a huge difference.

I'd also try going into the BIOS of the desktop (at least) and turning off all the junk you dont need (eg serial ports), setting up the HDD (so it doesnt need to auto detect on booting), maybe even disconnect the floppy drive. Minor tweaks like that can help performance, in particular boot times.

Even less my thing. I can understand running multipule computers for things like rendering, but for normal desktop use, running 2 computers at once, and 4 monitors is just a way to waste resources.

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Well really its all a very long long story of how all this came to be, how I even became interested in computers, and even what brought me to getting stuck using Linux and then just plain out becoming deeply intrigued by Linux. I mean like something really f'd up happen to me IRL, I was already a writer using this netbook for an endless amount of hours daily, so turning to the computer for help was natural.

The USB ports are helpful. I set the netbook on a shelf above the 22" monitor and use an ergonomic keyboard, and lazer track-ball mouse (so there's 2 ports already), then a fan, a wireless adapter, including a USB flash drive, an extra numeric keypad hooked up, etc> honestly though I would have this all on a desktop if I had it running, and leave the netbook with less (I think) at least for 1 or 2 of these. I disconnected the mirroring monitors. Pointless really when mirrored. 3 monitors is just the sweet spot. I am doing graphics, learning programming, and running my own fitness forum, so I find 2 monitors great,but if I could read on one, work on the other, and have a 3rd to cycle through things = beauty.


Lets just say I'm really cute, and I know people in higher places.

An SSD and HDD are for the netbook...? There is a slot for an SSD card which raises the performance level speed, although its the smaller 64gb card, I can only upgrade to 2gb of RAM on this, and the HDD currently is only 160gb! So I am upgrading that as well, first with an external HDD that has twice the room. The performance isn't bad, but I also found the upgrade for my wireless card, and plan on upgrading that. Maybe I will not need a laptop after all. I originally thought I would have a netbook, to take places, a laptop to work on as a 2nd computer, and a desktop as a main computer.

You seem to disagree with this. Maybe if I told you "why" you would understand, or then maybe still disagree. 1st most important is the desktop. Because I want the power. Similar to the reason I prefer a laptop over a netbook. I just don't want hardware that is "OK", when perfectly "great" hardware is available and even reasonably priced.

I'm referring to the hardware that I was being told "Your broadcom wireless is probably the worst there is in broadcom" - as said by Carl4926 on UbuntuForums.org. And 1gb of RAM can only be upgraded to 2gb on this netbook, when 4gb is most logical in any case, and the HDD is quite small, the video card isn't very strong-- so these are all just "OK". Believe me they have served me well.



I'm going to totally agree with you on this. I began an install of LMDE and it wasn't nay better than Ubuntu. Granted 10.10 is running perfectly and that is a huge relief for me ... honestly, you must not know how incompatible the latest release of Oneiric was running on this netbook. I cried several times because I became that frustrated. Not being a cry baby, I mean, it was seriously a wreck. There are drivers and things I learned about now, but I have long since moved on from an Ubuntu fan, though remaining a Linux fan. I even started a blog called "MsTroubleShooting Ubuntu", because it was so bad.


I know, I know, I am going to use both computers at the same time, not all the time, its part of a project I'm working on.

I don't know if you're around for this C9, but here is something I found at a site called [H]ard|Forums in someone's signature:

Thats what I am looking to do .... except with Linux.

All these machines are massively overclocked. It needs some knowledge about the hardware and how to overclock the right way to do this safely and even the best overclocker will occasionally fry his hardware (and needs some luck to get chips that are so good overclockable). If you have to save your money to buy them it may possibly not the way for you to go, overclocking voids the warranty, so if you burn your hardware you will not get anything new from the vendor/manufacturer, you have to replace it yourself.

If you were just a little different, I'd think you were an old friend stalking me.

LOL, USB keyboards and mice. I'm still using a PS/2 keyboard, and probably wil until it dies..and even then I'd rather get another PS/2 keyboard. I've had problems with USB keyboards in the past.

I wouldnt leave everything hooked up with a desktop. Even if I just diconnected the numeric keypad. Not much point having one on the desk when you already have a keypad on a decent sized keybaord, but you might have one of the 'laptop' layout keyboards.....which drive me insane.

I dont ever run USB fans, even when its hot here. BTW, do you live in the southern hemisphere or the tropics? I can imaging you would need a fan in the US/europe/most of northern/eastern Asia now, it should still be cool or cold.

Nice big monitor + a 2nd monitor in 'portrait' mode is a far as I can go. Too far to scan from the beginning of screen 1 to the end of screen 3 with widescreen monitors IMO. You might have a diferent experience.

You can always have 2 things on one screen, with widescreen monitors it sometimes makes a lot of sense.

So many things I can say, so few of them acceptable, LOL.

So I'll just say this- I've seen people get ripped off on the basis of 'I'm XXXX so I get YYYYY cheaper than the rest of you'.

I'm referring to the hardware that I was being told "Your broadcom wireless is probably the worst there is in broadcom" - as said by Carl4926 on UbuntuForums.org. And 1gb of RAM can only be upgraded to 2gb on this netbook, when 4gb is most logical in any case, and the HDD is quite small, the video card isn't very strong-- so these are all just "OK". Believe me they have served me well.[/QUOTE]

Just because somethign can be upgraded doesnt make it a good idea.

Do you need more than 160GB? I dont mean 'can you _use_ more than 160GB, but do you _need_ it? or example, I've got a music collection thats 300GB+. So, it wouldnt fit in a 160GB HDD. But I dont need everything in my collection, all the time, if I had a 160GB netbook I'd probably more 50-75GB worth of music over, than have 50-75GB left over for documents, note taking, etc.. You know, the stuff where being portable helps.

Getting a 320GB+ external HDD migth be a good idea, if you dont have more than 320GB to backup (and dont plan on getting more files and eating more space). If you've got 500GB+ worth of music/video/files, or will end up with 500GB+ worth of files at some point in trhe nearish future, a 320GB external HDD is almost pointless, no matter how good a deal it is. BTW, external USB 2.0 HDD are farily slow, about 35-20% the speed of an internal drive.

The SSD would be nice, but they arent cheap, and some SSDs are pure junk, as slow as a HDD.

See my philosophy is- If I think an upgrade will help, and I've got the parts to upgrade, why not? If I need to buy something, I try to work around the 'problem' which makes me want to upgrade. Todays $100 part is next years $50 part, and $25 the year after that. The longer you can hold onto your money, the more 'bang for buck' you get.

I've still got machines running with 256MB of RAM. Only my 'main' system has more than 1GB (its 4GB currently)

I would have thought that LMDE gnome would be a little lighter than ubuntu 10.10, which should be lighter than 11.04/11.10 running 'unity'. I could be wrong, I havent run gnome LMDE, just Xfce, and I havent kept up with gnome LMDE (I just dont like gnome)

I've heard all about ubuntu problems over the years, seen a few myself. So yeah, I can believe that you had problems with 11.10 (Oneiric...I also dislike the way that *buntu has its 'code names' being used everywher,e not the numerical release).

You could probably do the same thing with your ancient dekstop. You dont need 2+ powerful computers for any of the 'use multipule computers at the same time' projects I know about, or can think of.

What, have a collection of heavily overclocked gaming machines?

Those 3 machines could be from various things.....I've seen people on similar forums list _all_ the machines they have built/owned, even the ones they have sold. (yes, I've sepnt a fair bit of time on the 'overclockers' forums).

Having 3 machines like that would be nice if you had 2 friends, all into gaming, who didnt have moveable computers or cant be bothered to bring them over. The systems are all overclocked enough that I wouldnt trust them for anything like render nodes. They have 'gamers' video cards in there as well so they wouldnt be anywhere near as efficient as they could be for CPU heavy tasks.

I've sepnt a lot of time looking at systems. What one person says 'wow!' at other people say 'meh'. Sorry, I've just seen so many 'CPU XVZ@insane overclock, big name heatsink, top of the line top branded motherboard/RAM, *shiny* video card, *whoosh* sound card, installed in a off the shelf, expensive case' to last me a lifetime.

Its all a question of taste. My taste is fairly non-standard.

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double post

Oh, you sir, are funny.

Who me?


?? You do know this is on a netbook right? So I have started piecing together my future desktop with the help of your response in my other thread. Here is the motherboard I want, here is one of the PSU's I am considering. Both of these are up to debate. I decided I just need to learn how a motherboard is even made before I can even decide which one I really need. I have been watching Youtube videos. I probably wont get either of those items I just like oggling both of them, watching the videos, and reading about them.

A PS/2 keyboard? Not the controller and you move up in that littler numerical box to choose the letters as you spell? If so I am sorry it must be so much work to reply to these long messages, and I also will not be able to consider all of your advice in my same format And what does being in a cooler environment have to do with keeping my laptop from over-heating? lol its under my netbook because I sometimes use it over 12 hours a day.


True, point taken, and my preference is just 3 I have found it useful.


OK, Cascade9, what are you talking about here..? I just talked to a friend of mine and I asked him how much memory he has because he doesnt even have a case for his computer, it is stacked on a rack with different components on different levels. He was rattling off the numbers and all I heard was 3xSSD, 6TB ... blabla, and I said I couldn't understand everything you said it sounds like a few thousand and he didn't say anything. He said he has about 10TB for his music.

My HDD is 160gb, and no that isn't enough. Idk how much IS. I think maybe one or 2 TB will last me long enough before I have to think about it again. I have an external 250gb HDD on the way, but that is only for temporary purposes and its nice to always have the extras.

One example is I have 3 distros installed on my 160gb HDD right now. Wana know how its running? Like if my computer became senile. Thats how it feels when operating it now.

Well, at the time I couldn't get LMDE actually installed onto the computer. And now that I have the utilities are actually nicer, but its the issue with the Internet. Although the drivers or kernel updates are probably the only answer. 10.10 works perfectly, LMDE, and Oneiric run absolutely terrible. I agree about having so many names for Ubunty, I thought it was called Unity all this time. Someone in my class actually calls it Ubunto, and he spells it that way too.

I actually have a small collection of computers going now. I have the ancient Dell, as well as an ancient homemade PC a friend made me in college back in '03. Both run Windows, but they do not boot from a USB drive, so I need to make a Linux disc for them.I don't have a router so I don't use either of them quite yet. I don't even think I am going to use either of them. Maybe for something completely irrelevant to my daily use, but not at the moment anyway.


I was just showing an example of how he has a total of 3 PC's and the last one being a laptop, or thats what I thought anyway.

The point was that having 3 machines like that will accommodate my uses. I am not going to overclock stuff. I just want something that can bulldoze stuff. I want a computer that puts fear into someone when they realize what they are up against. Not for a game. This is for real life. I keep getting asked what I am using the computer for. All I say is it is for regular stuff. Like (not specifically for gaming) just supreme quality daily home/office use: GFX Artist-writing-Website Owner-Downloading- some gaming-music-video editing-etc/etc..

The etc etc is just power. My friend says the power supply I need probably only needs to be 80+ certified, and the motherboard he recommends should be by name brand and his favorites are MSI Gigabyte and ASUS.

LOOOL, o i just watched a vid of what a PS/2 keyboard is. What is the benefit of that? You just had some trouble with USB's?

The benfit of PS/2 is less USB use (I normally turn off several USB ports, if the BIOS lets me), and it works with all the systems I have here. Lots of the oder boxxen hanging around here freak out with USB meece/keyboards.

EVGA Classified SR-2 270-WS-W555-A2 LGA 1366? Overpriced, obsolete, uses an unique form factor (HTPC) so your case selection is very narrow, has 2xLGA 1366 sockets (pointless really, unless you want to run 2 xeon CPUs, and the you would be better server with a newer socket anyway). I could go on, but I'll just leave it, for now at least.

Antec High Current Pro HCP-1200 1200W? You arent going to need 1200watts from what you say you want the system for (though what you say you want does seem to change from post rto post, and even within posts...).

Both are fine if you just want to look. Dont believe the hype over super expensive 'top of the line' stuff.

'Under' you netbook? That is probably a 'cool pad', not a fan. I was imagining a real USB fan (and just a fan, not a fan/cool pad)

Unless you are in a hot enviroment (*edit- or have a horrible/low quality netbook), you shouldn't need a cool pad. I have a 3 speed selection on my cae fan, in summer or under very heavy loads, I use 'max' speed, autumn/spring I use 'mid' speed, and in winter I drop the fan speed to 'low' speed.

If the weather is cooler, the CPU runs cooler, so you can lower fan speeds, or not have a fan at all in some cases.

10TB of music? Guess whoes been d/ling a lot of music....The 300GB+ of music I have works out as about 1000-1200 CDs worth. Mostly ripped to a lossless format (so the file size is big) with some large MP3 and Ogg Vorbis files in there as well.

10TB of music in lossless would be at least 20,000 CDs worth in lossless format, and far, far more with lossy formats.

If you only have 100GB of msuic/video/other assorted files, getting a bigger external drive is a watse. It would be faster, IF it was internal, but an external USB drive is going to be slower than any current HDD. Or even HDDs from a few years ago, an ATA66 drive (standard about 2000) should be about as fast as any current USB external HDD.

Getting a bigger drive simply because other people have high storage requirements desnt make any sense.

You've probably got to get the drivers/firmware for your wireless network card with LMDE. The wired network should run just fine, out of the box (or at worst with an update) with atom systems and LMDE. BTW, wireless also uses more CPU power than wired. For max performance with older/slower hardware, use a wired network.

If you want performance, the _LAST_ thing you want to do with older computers is run them from a USB drive. Besides being slower, USB use does soak up CPU cycles.

Nope, none of those systems listed in a random sig from a different forum is a laptop. A quick search for any of the major parts listed would have told you that.

How will 3 computers 'accomodate your uses'?

I can understand wanting to have 2 (or more) computers if you are interested in distributed computing, or for networking them togther to use a render node, or similar tasks. For normal desktop tasks, having multipule computers isnt going to help. You'd be better off with 1 decent machine.

You wont get fear from anyone with a brain over your system specs. You might get a little envy, if you've got a brand-new high-spec current machine and the people you are working with (for? against?) have older, not so great stuff.....but you wont get fear.

I've seen gamers with 'omg that is ancient' systems wipe the floor playing against people with 'omg that is a monster' systems. Same deal with programming, web design, etc etc..

A powerful machine helps. But its not going to make a newbie an expert, or even the playing field.

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I tried to search for all the motherboards they listed in this thread. Its easier to just post the link to the thread and you can take a look through it. I couldn't find the first two I searched for so it will do us both a favor rather than post a random link to motherboards I would guess they are suggesting, I will show you directly.

http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1670495

Other than that, Cascade9, you are hilarious, but lets not get ahead of ourselves. My friend does have alot of music. He told me it is actually closer to 13TB of music and they are all/mostly at cd quality, and not mp3. I'm not basing my decision on my HDD space on his or anyone else's. I just meant that basing my 160gb of space to the world of HDD space out there I think 2TB is actually rather small, and more than enough space. I think we have a bit of a different view of the computer I'm building. My friend also says, "not to over think it, its just a computer."

Now I realize whats going on is I am learning how to build a computer, and I am picturing this huge machine in my head, and it rips through the web like an unstoppable tank carrying machine guns. And you guys are saying, "calm down, they all do the same thing". I get this much. I haven't changed what I ever said the computer will be used for. I have said the same since the beginning> not for gaming (maybe a little now and then, but not serious), daily home use/browsing, graphics, running a website, downloading a little (but nothing like 13TB of music what-so-ever), and then there is the side of the PC I will use that I'm just not going to say in the post-- because its personal. I just keep saying it needs to have power, it needs run flawlessly, quickly, and unstoppably.

That is why I linked that motherboard. You're right, I could already tell with 16 slots it wasn't going to be what I needed. You'll see in the thread I linked it was just the first reply, and I still like to open up the image and give it a view, and watch the video's. Same with the power supply. I also just assumed the 3rd PC in the signature I posted was a laptop just because thats what I want (at most basic). I mean, I don't want that guys computer, or his specific hardware, obviously I have now stated this several times. I can Google everything-- I can Google the score of the Super Bowl game, but does that mean I am not going to watch it on T.V? No, why? Because it is alot more fun to be interactive and learn what happen during the game, than to just Google who won. So I posted his specs as an example to show you his set up, thinking those were 3 computers he uses regularly (and now being clear they could have just been past builds) I just wanted to discuss having multiple computers, and really not his specs at all.

The reason I want a powerful desktop computer, and a power laptop to take places, and to just give my netbook a great upgrade is for some personal reasons; that frankly are a little dark. I hate saying this online> because it just doesn't look proper or feel comfortable, but someone ripped me off for 10k$. You don't just let money like that go, people tell me to just let it go that those things happen. No one will help me- not a cop, not a lawyer, not a friend, not a thug down the road. Well they were never ripped off for the most $ they ever had in their life. So I started studying computers on my own, and now I know what I have to do, which is probably not even logical, but I want to stop people from getting away from doing that to people, and I want power behind me when I do it. I don't want a nice little PC at home for web browsing because thats not what I want-- even though thats probably all I need. After I was robbed a few other horrible things happen to me, and I am just tired of being peoples doormat they use to wipe the dirt off their feet: I want to fight back.

I didn't know USB's took that much power. I don't have that nice of a netbook. When its freezing outside, it still gets hot, but i usually keep the bedroom room temperate, and I leave my little $200 netbook on about 12 hours a day. I have about $1k on me, but I'm waiting on another bit of money to show up to get this build started becasue I don't want to spend that money which I have said I didn't expect to have to hold onto, and that was my PC money. I can get good deals on equipment, and I'm not allowed to say, because then anyone can start bugging me to get it, and I can't do that. But its not the most expensive motherboard/etc that I am looking to buy. Just the best. Something like a motherboard and power supply that will make me proud, last a long time, have every needed feature, handle long hours over long periods of time. Thats what I'm looking for, I just don't know what that is yet, but I will figure it out, and then that is the mobo I will buy-- $500 or $250 or $125..