i got this machine back in september, up util then i had a dell pIII and i wanted to either 1: build my own pc or 2:buy a mini mac but lo and behold my father vetos and buys me a compaq ven though i could have gotten a sweet pciX socket 939 based system for the same price, instead its agp 8X and socket 754. it will be fine for my needs for the next two or three years by then im out of here anyway, and im going to splurge on the best rig that i could afford. i dont need a new mobo so its back to saving $ and waiting.