I think it is important to note, for all the users here, that really, really new stuff doesn't usually work right away with linux. You have to wait a couple months. USB networking is not very strong in linux, and I would highly recommend conventional ethernet connections. Wireless is not well supported in linux, and the amount of wireless equipment mushrooms. You can usually get anything to work with linux, if you put enough time into it. But, if you just want to install, and let her rip, I highly suggest cabled networking. If you have to use wireless, get an add in card for the wireless.
Your video card is supported by closed source nVidia drivers, available only from nVidia. These drivers do not come with any linux, and for decent open gl, and 3D, you need nVidia's drivers. But, I have four linux boxes, and use the nVidia driver on three of them without any problem. It's a pretty smart driver on the install.
The processor is compatible, but I wouldn't use shuttle stuff. Shuttle is not known to be quality computer equipment, and the xpc's are way over priced for what you get.
If I were putting together a pc, this is how I would do it. This will be a vastly superior PC, completely compatible with linux, and absolutely blow away what you are planning on getting.
First, goto
http://www.adamant.com/ItemInfo_sr81...11B&menu=PARTS
That is the best deal on cases, and it is a good case. You should also get (3) 80 mm case fans, with LED's if you want light inside the case.
I would get everything else besides a monitor on
http://www.eBay.com
On ebay you can find all stuff that is just a little old, so it works with linux.
One of the fastest mobo's for AMD is Asus's A7N8X with the nForce 2 ultra 400 chipset. You can probably get one for $90.00.
You can get an AMD 3200+ 32 bit processor, with a very good heat sink, for about $90.00 on eBay.
Samsung RAM, PC3200, or might I even suggest Mushkin black special PC3200 2-2-2. You can get (2) 512 MB dimms, mushkin black special on eBay, usually, for about $170.00 With this ram, the dual memory processors on that Asus mobo will scream. You set the memory timings to 6-2-2-2. That is the fastest ram available.
Look at the network cards, almost every 3Com card, and all realtek 8139 cards work. If you want wireless, look for an addin card that supports your wireless protocol. That should cost about $10.00
You should be able to find a 120 GB Seagate Barracuda SATA HDD for around $90.00. If not on eBay, then
http://www.newegg.com
SATA flies, but you have to set the motherboard bios, usually, to compatibility, or legacy, for the ide channels.
The case comes with a PSU, so you don't need another one.
For video, more processor and less memory is better, to an extent. For a 1600x1200 frame of video, at 24 bit color, you need 24bits=3 bytes * 1600 * 1200 = 5.76 MB. This is high resolution, and one frame only takes up 6 megabytes of memory. On a 128 MB ram video card, the memory will hold over 22 frames at a time. This is more than adequate. I suggest an nVidia FX5900 with 128 MB of ram, from ebay. This would cost about $100.00
You can get a good 21" monitor for about $250.00. You want to go CRT, not LCD. LCD is better for desktop applications, but for games you need the speed of a CRT (tube). LCD's look noticeably jittery in fast action, or watching DVD's. This because the LCD refreshes at about 60 Hz, and a CRT at about 100 Hz. LCD's are more vivid, but CRTS are faster, and more color accurate. When you look for a monitor, look for reviews. If the monitor did pretty well in the review, see how much that exact monitor costs. Monitor manufacturers have a practice, as does Dell PC, of making a periodic standout product, which costs more money to build, but they don't sell it for that much higher price. This is because they submit that exact model monitor to magazines for review. People think every monitor that company makes is really good. That isn't true. The monitor company chooses which 21" monitor it will submit for review. It will be the standout monitor, to impress the reviewers. Then, their brand gains strength, overall, and they make money on everyone who buys one of the monitors that is cheaper to make. They break even on the one reviewed. Dell does this exact same thing with computers. You have to get the exact model that was reviewed. They will only make that model for a very short time.
Once you get all that stuff, you can get a DVD-RW for about $60.00 on newegg. That will read and write every optical type media, almost, but all the common ones.
On linux, for a beginner, SuSE 9.3 is pretty stable now. If you goto
ftp://mirrors.kernel.org/suse/i386/9.3/boot
There is a file called "boot.iso". This is the full network install of SuSE (Novell) linux, which is easier than any other linux, and compatible with more hardware than any other linux.
You just boot from the CD you burn from boot.iso, and choose network install with the mirror:
ftp://mirrors.kernel.org/suse/i386/9.3
This will set up the hard drive, all the hardware, and all the software. Then, you can do an update, and get the nVidia driver. That's another great thing about SuSE, it automatically installs the nVidia driver from within SuSE. The nVidia driver doesn't come with any linux, because it is closed source, and taints the kernel.
If you really want to learn linux, you can get CD 1 of debian stable, or sarge, and do a network install of that. It is compatible with a vast array of hardware, but it's more like linux, a lot of command line stuff. It's not good if you don't like typing, or remembering commands. It does have KDE and Gnome for a desktop environment. I like Kde. Debian is also a dream to compile a kernel in. Forget about compiling a kernel in SuSE. It is hard. You just leave that SuSE kernel the way it is. It sucks more resources, and the machine is slower, but at least it works. In debian you can config your own kernel, and make it lean, and small. Then the machine really flies. Both SuSE 9.3 and debian sarge come with about 9,000 - 10,000 packages, most of which are programs to run. If you really can't do without Mandriva, which you could, trust me, then go ahead and get it. It will probably work.
This machine will grow wings when you turn it on. It will fly, and have wickedly fast graphics. The nVidia linux driver is great. It would be an awesome overclocker, too.
I just got to typing, and now it is 1:30 am. The last thing you need to know is to use Arctic Silver 5 on the heatsink for thermal transfer compound. Do it like it says, exactly, on the website. You might also consider lapping the heatsink. You wet sand the heatsink, using a piece of glass under the 220 grit sandpaper, and moving the heatsink's contact surface over it to make it really flat and true. Then, you advance to 400 grit paper. This gives excellent heat transfer to the heat sink, applied with AS 5.
If you really must go back to everything the way it was, then it will probably work, but I'm not sure about the USB wireless networking.
Hardware Questions
Wow
, heres what im thinking about now (oh and i have a 700 dollar limit)
