one of the biggest arguments i have seen for the AMD64 is that it will "prepare your computer for the future", however i must say that nearly everyone in this forum will upgrade again atleast once before 64 bit computing goes mainstream... so is this truly much of a valid argument? unless you are running linux where you can see the benefits now i say go for an XP, or very low rated AMD64... just my thoughts, now share yours (any opinions on waiting til dual-core is also welcome)