which desktop PC package should i choose?

[VtEC]

ok tnx. will explore your suggestion although i am trying to choose within my budget.

that's what im gonna say sana.difference kasi bro pag ang gamit mo sa office say P4 then kumuha ka don sa list mo, maninibago ka.

[Jun aka Pekto]

Go for the lowest-priced dualcore pc you can afford plus stuff up on as much ram as you can afford. 256mb is barely enough for XP. Many individual apps may not be geared for dualcores yet. But XP and Vista are. So multitasking will be much smoother with dualcore processors.

Hand in hand with dualcore processors is the ram. The more the better. Me, I'd go with at least 512mb ram for XP, 1gb minimum for Vista.

I don't know why you would want to upgrade to a dvd writer unless you plan on doing something else with the pc like media authoring/creation.

If that's the case, then you really should stuff up on as much ram as you can afford. 2gb would make XP really happy and adequate enough for Vista.

[number001]

Processors:

Intel
*Celeron, go for the new Celeron 4xx series. Older gen. processors like the Celeron D should be avoided.

*Intel Dual Core, go for the E2140 or E2160. Older gen processors like the Pentium D 9xx series should be avoided at all cost. They are slower and can generate lots of heat even under normal operation.

*Core 2 Duo, go for the E6x50 series. They have 1333 mhz FSB compared to the older 1066 mhz used by the E6x00 series. Not much difference in their performance and so are their prices. Always go for the latest iteration.

Processors: (Alternative)
You also might consider getting, Athlon 64 X2 AM2series. Go for the fastest processor that you can afford.


Motherboard:

Intel Chipset:

Look for the latest chipset such as G31 or G33 Express. Comes with integrated graphics already. Look for that supports Intel® Core 2 Quad, Core 2 Duo, Pentium Dual-Core E2XXX and Celeron 440/430/420 in the LGA775 package, Intel® Yorkfield, Wolfdale.


AMD Chipset (alternative)

Look for AMD® 690G or 690V. Comes with integrated graphics aleady.

Memory or RAM.

Get at least 1 GB Dual Channel (2 sticks x 512 MB/stick). DDR2 667 (at least). Try looking for brand names like Geil, Corsair (expensive), Kingston, etc..