64 bit processing is a solid 10 months out before you'll see any real benefit. Yes, you can buy a 64 Bit Athlon right now, but it will be running on good old 32-bit Windows XP until Microsoft ships a 64-bit version of Windows. The 64-bit Windows is probably going to go into beta sometime next spring, so I would not count on a final shipping product until maybe late next summer (and I am being an optimist). That said, an Athlon 64 WILL run a 32-bit application at speeds similar to a 3.2 GHz P4 or and Athlon 3200+. However, when it comes to bang-for-the-buck, you'll not be getting anything in return for the price premium you pay for the 64-bit CPU (until late next year when your "new" system is almost a year old). I'm usually an "early adopter" when it comes to new hardware, but I'm going to wait for the 64-bit Windows to get released and through the first set of major bug-fixes before moving to 64-bit processors. In the interim, we'll also get some better info on Intel's "Prescott" 64-bit CPU. In the meantime, I think the best price-performance ratio is probably an NForceII Ultra chipset with an Athlon 3000+ CPU (400Hz FSB). The specific motherboard which has gotten the best reviews I've seen is the DFI NFII Ultra LANParty board, believe it or not. Drew