Maxtor is known for dying by a biased means on these forums. Relatives of mine who work at the Pentagon speak highly of Maxtor drives, and I have yet to have one fail.
If Maxtor failed for you, sorry to hear that. But it's nothing more than biased opinions when it comes to Maxtor on these boards. <---- THAT, is a fact.
talldude if its not too late to change your mind i would say go with an Athlon but you seem fairly set. athlon's give a better performancerice ratio and if there is any chance you will play games i think its worth it.
It can't. The motherboard and processor go hand in hand, they must be compatible.
AKA, an intel board is not compatible with an amd board. However, not ALL AMD boards are compatible with all AMD CPU's. You have to get the right "socket" CPU. 754, 939, 940, etc.