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It's all pretty confusing....
32 bit vs 64 bit? Core2 vs Dual core vs quad core? Intel vs AMD?
Integrated sound? DDR2 vs DDR3?
Forget Vista!! How much RAM can XP see?
SATA drive?





Intel or AMD - Intel is almost guaranteed compatible, but AMD have fixed the problems that used to plague them - AMD generally have better performance for your dollar but there's not much in it. Especially now that m$ specifically support AMD in native form rather than expecting Intel compatibility.

32 or 64 bit - if you want to run XP, then 32 bit - XP and 64 bit drivers are almost a non-event. You would be asking for trouble.

Integrated sound - no, the quality of the onboard audio hardware is not even close to the better sound cards - especially where signal to noise ratios are concerned.

DDR3 is faster, but DDR2 or DDR3 is dictated by motherboard/CPU combination

32 bit XP can address 4 GB, BUT some of that is unavailable for RAM as it is used for mapping video RAM etc. Expect a max of about 3.25 GB available to XP. 64 bit has much higher limits (don't recall what they are) but as I previously mentioned, drivers will likely be a problem.

SATA - absolutely use SATA. IDE is disappearing and SAS drives, though usually better performers and with the advantages of SCSI command structures do not have the capacity of SATA drives. SAS is really for server environments, overkill for a workstation.

Much as I dislike Vista, SP2 is almost here and could well introduce many of the tweaks that have made Win7 more desireable than Vista (though I'm yet to be convinced it'll be as good as it should be). At the very least, buy Vista business and exercise the XP Pro downgrade right (I think it's still available - check with your supplier) that way you have a choice and can install Vista if it should become attractive.

--=-- My credo: If it's worth doing, it's worth overdoing - just ask my missus, she'll tell ya laugh --=--
You're only paranoid if you're wrong!