Hardware Compatibility

[PaulyWally]

I think I'm going to build a new computer, and will probably put Debian on it. Maybe Ubuntu, but so far, I've been happier with Debian in my (limited) experiences.

I was wondering if there are any resources available that help with hardware manufacturer selection (i.e. I've always read that nVidia video cards work better than ATI). Every thing I find on the net is far out of date.

BTW, I'm looking at AMD for a processor. Probably the 64 x2 6000 in an AM2+ slot so I can upgrade to a quad core in the future if I want. And I suppose I should add that I'd like to use it as a time-based media workstation. Audio, video, 3d rendering, etc.

Any directions/thoughts would be great! Thanks!

[bigtomrodney]

It's hard to get a definitive list of compatible software as often time names and chipsets change slightly or are relicensed to other companies etc.

In the laptop world the sure fire rule is go all Intel. CPU,Graphics, chipset and wifi. On the desktop it's a little more complicated as there are so many more combinations. Personally I've had good experiences with Asus boards, I always run nVidia cards (though maybe next year when the new ATI driver mature...). If you are using a Wifi card look for an Intel or Atheros based card for an easy life.

On a non hardware-compatibility note I've found the Intel chips better this generation than the AMD ones. Many of Intels dual cores are outperforming the AMD quad cores at this stage of the game. I'm an AMD fan myself and had intended buying AMD for my last build but the numbers for Intel were a lot better this time round and I went with an Intel Q6600. I just can't give it enough work

Back to hardware...if you have something in mind post it here and maybe we can throw a few opinions your way but as I said it's not an exact science.