New Desktop

After years of being mobile, I finally decided to get myself a cheap but capable desktop from a custom build site. The system is intended to become a home file server, video editing and casual gaming. The specs follows:

MOTHERBOARD: GigaByte GA-EP45T-DS3R Intel P45 Express CrossFireX Chipset LGA775 FSB1600 DDR3/1600 Mainboard w/GbLAN,USB2.0,IEEE1394a,&7.1Audio
CPU: Intel® Core™ 2 Quad Q8200 @ 2.33GHz 1333FSB 4MB L2 **Overclockable S&S*** Cache 64-bit (Read the reviews and I am already hating this CPU)
MEMORY: 4GB PC12800 DDR3/1600mhz Dual Channel Memory (G.SKILL NQ Series w/Heat Spreader ***Overclockable XXX***)
VIDEO: ATI Radeon HD 4870 PCI-E x16 1GB DDR5 Video Card
OPT DRIVE: SONY DUAL FORMAT 20X DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW DRIVE DUAL LAYER
HDD: 1TB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 32M Cache 7200RPM Hard Drive (I know i should get 2 HDDs each for OS and Data)
Total < $1000

OS: Vista Ultimate (i get free SW from MS)
DISPLAY: Dell 22" 1900x1080p S2209W ($236 from Dell)

The Intel Core i7 platform at the moment is quite expensive and it was one of the main reason why I chose the lamest of all the 45nm Quad core. The CPU / Motherboard will be the next upgrade path I take in a couple of years and choosing one at the bottom of the table should hasten the transition. And since it is the video card that does most of the work these days I had to go with AMD's 4870 - best value for money if you ask me.

Feel free to criticize and show how one can do better without breaking the bank.

AMD Bankcrupt in 2009

Despite an improving economy, large-scale capital spending projects continue to be delayed in favor of maintenance spending. Technology shares continue to lag badly, and Advanced Micro Devices files bankruptcy. - Doug Kass, "20 Surprises for 2009".

"AMD ends 2008 (until we see fourth-quarter results) with $1.3 billion in cash, four times that amount in debt, and an operating loss of $1.9 billion over the last four quarters. Add to the mix an unprecedented slowdown in global economic demand and AMD's own tenuous market share in servers and PCs, and it becomes increasingly difficult to see the company's failure as an outlying event". - Michael Goodman, The Street.

2008 was supposed to be the year AMD's went bankrupt but was averted by a unique financial agreement with an entity that was enjoying record oil revenues. But the realities on the ground are changing and rapidly getting worse. While Intel continues to spend on 32nm, AMD on the other hand will look at someone else to make the several billion dollar gamble. The bet includes the following: a) that market demand is there to recover the investment, b) AMD will have viable products and c) AMD is still around (with an x86-license) to design chips. Terrible odds if you ask me.