Hi
I am looking into just a mobo to upgrade with components I already have, a DIY out of a store bought system setup.

First, if I am an entirely Intel product user, would going to AMD for a new PC foundation upset Intel ('married') components (other components I add to it) or require a high learning curve?
Looking at AMD specs, it seems their highest processor is around 4GHz? Not sure still how to read the numbers but it looks like the 1st two equate to how many GHz. Where can I learn more of what is required from Front Side Busses on the two, or the dual DIMM setup...Not sure I have anything similar as experience with

Tips all welcome
BILL

i dont see any problem switching your ram and videocard over to a new motherboard and cpu. Please tell us what you currently have and what you wish to put together. This will help us understand where you stand.

As far as AMD vs Intel, AMD's chips run at a slower clockrate, (ghz), but are more efficient in their processing of tasks. This enables them to get higher performance out of a slower clockrate cpu. Intel chips, generally have a high clock rate but are very unefficient in the way they compute tasks. To aviod this confusion while people are buying computers, AMD adopted their naming scheme to 3800+, 3500+, 4000+. What this means is an AMD 3800+ is roughly equal to the performance of an intel chip running at 3800 mhz (3.8 ghz). (I am not saying intel chips are bad becuase they run less efficiently than amd chips, i am just stating facts.

Back to your setup though, pc3200 ram is non biased. It doesnt care if it is in a pc with an intel chip or amd chip. Graphics cards and hard drives are the same way. I would however suggest that if you are changing motherboards and processors, that you reinstall a fresh copy of your OS with the new components in it to minimize your problems with drivers and chisets, etc.

Well, sorry I forgot to mention my other machines here, these are dated PCs but size is often something I am concerned with and the new super-small, almost book PC form factors kits look great, they are priced around $300 here for a bare bones unit. But getting back, my first computer is a 'mini-Tower' I think, considering it's small size for a desktop, a year 2000 eMachine eTower 700 that came with DVD/CD RW Samsung drive when new, alot of the eMachines I've seen used don't match mine in spec which has been surprising to me.

I swapped the stock Celeron 700 chip for a Pentium 3 at 750MHz and it ran without a hitch. My second PC is the bookPC variety [BK630e model] bought later but dating back towards 2000/2001, this isn't much of an upgrade option but gives me the benefits of a laptop and desktop in that it expands a bit more.
My newest PC is a HP Compaq SR1220NX and it is running my first copy of XP, right now, I don't have a full install XP disk other then an XP Pro copy I got from eBay without the needed license key (looking for one-hint) I am not so unsure of hardware matches then all the utilites and programs... basically, both Intel and AMD achieve the same computer functionality via different means?
Someone here advised me they felt the Celeron vs. Pentium was a big gap and that there'd be noticible slow-down I imagine. I have a Celeron D 340 in my Compaq, and no new PCI Express or AGPx8 card slots, which is one reason (the main one) I want a new mobo to be useful to me in more computing ability (video and games, etc... Not to mention Win Vista will require heavy graphics for the new interface.
I find the Pentium and Celeron both having 'D' processors as confusing as the other nomenclature!

BILL