Wow lots of really good replies, thanks guys! Do I need 4gb of ram? Also what is normal windows and how do you go about getting a 64bit version? off the shelf? Yeah thats right HDV. To be honest I wont be focusing mainly on HD I just want that option. Im not really confident enough to build my own, Im worried about compatibility issues, the fact that I lack motivation and would probably have the boxes sat around for ages etc etc I think Id be happier with a 'package'. Another thing, you cant bodge a PC.. and you cant fix a pc with a hammer Really useful post, thanks. Hadnt thought about that