First of all, this might be better posted to the hardware forum... :-) {I assume that an 866 MHZ chip will be about 5 X quicker than my 166. RiGHt??? } Sort of. A 166 runs on a 66 mhz system bus with, IIRC, a 2x multiplier (the chip really runs at 88 mhz, or thereabouts). An 866 runs on a 133 mhz system bus. 866 with a multiplier around 4 or thereabouts, so the processor runs at about 220 mhz, but transfers data at 133. The mathematics are VERY complicated (I've been run thrhough them twice and still don't quite get it...). However it works out, it's really about 6 times faster on paper and about 4 times faster in practice... :-) {Is a Celeron chip as good as a regular P3 for POSER performance.} For business applications, there is NO major difference between a P3 Celly and a standard P3. The Celeron has it's l2 cache disabled, so if you're using graphics or games (anything CPU intensive), it will run a LOT slower than a straight P3, but if you're running text-based applications (Word, Excel, etc.) you may actually get BETTER performance from the Celeron in some cases. For graphics, get either a P3, a P4, an Athlon or an Athlon Thunderbird. {I have the option of buying a dual processor motherboard.} If you're getting P3s, then SERIOUSLY consider this. For anything else, get a single processor board for now. {How would POSer use this and what would the performance gain be.} Poser won't use it, though you can, if running Windows2K, set it to use one processor so you can do other work on the other one. WinNT might do this too, but I don't think it's quite as "good" at it. {Video boards?? What is AGP} Advanced Graphics Port. A good idea that is 99% hype at present. { What is Nvidia??} One of the major video card chip manufacturers - and the producers of one of the best chipsets on the market for gaming (the GeForce and it's family). { What features on a video board affect Poser} Video RAM and not much else. Get at LEAST 16, ideally 32. If you're getting a Dell system and can afford it, get a 64, but otherwise you're probably wasting the money unless you are a master at tweaking both hardware and software for performance. {and the playing of Multi media files.} The chipset affects this. I'd suggest either something with the Nvidia GeForce2 or the ATI Radeon chip for best performance, though the Voodoo 4 and 5 are not bad choices. Unless you can afford a pro-level card (they start around $500 and shoot WAY up from there). {What are the mechanics (math) that tells me how much memory a video board should have.} Whatever the board can handle, though your OS might limit this. If you're using NT or Win2K, just about any amount is fair game; otherwise there are "sweet spots" that yeild ideal returns varying by OS and Motherboard configuration. {RW-CDROM Can a RW CD play fast enough to play a 650 X 650 pixel AVI file without flickering IE what speed is required.} The CPU and RAM have more influence on this than the CD drive, I THINK. Your best bet, if you can afford it, is either a DVD or CD drive AND either the CDRW or a straight CDR in a second drive bay. Otherwise, a high-end CDRW is a good bet, and should work well. {Obviously ram is a major consideration.Is 256 reasonable? Would it render a 999 frame poser file quickly (ie before the next millenium)} Depends on the OS. I have 128 and it's not bad, but 256 seems to be the most common level, and I've seen 512 tossed around out there. If you're running anything but Windows NT, Windows 2K or a non-MS Operating System, you're PROBABLY wasting your money with MORE than 256 though. {Athalon} That's how it's PRONOUNCED, but it's only SPELLED with one A (Athlon)... ;-)