Thanks Dale for your always excellent systems analysis. CompUSA will build my system for $100. They also suggested the exact same thing reguarding how to test the 64 bit OS if I wanted to and also said "don't over-clock", it voids the warranty. So- since what I'm really trying to do is have a serious image processing system and not out for hot-rodding kicks- I think I'll skip any experiments with Windows 64 and over-clocking and just stick with exactly what they put together for me. That way- if the Motherboard causes me problems- which seems like the most likely potential cause for any problems- I can go back and have it swapped out at no charge for something else under full warranty. Well, I'm psyched up and ready to rock-n-roll- credit card in my hot little hands ready to take the Athlon 64 plunge!