I put together one for my niece at ecollege a couple of days ago using the excellent Gigabyte Intel motherboard I used in my own build this spring. It's just a great board. I think it came up to $647 for hers. I know it's just a familiarity thing, but I tend to stick with Intel myself too.

There's several of them, Drac, which one did you pick - the G31M, the G41M, or the 73PVM?

The Gigabyte GA EP45-UD3L. I think you have to use the Custom Builder option to have it available. I'm sure the ones in the Value Series are fine too.

You're right, Drac - I tried clicking on Custom builder and I found it. But since I'm a wee bit leery of putting together a PC using custom builder, I stuck with the Value Series.

Ok, here we go - I've selected (Value Series, L panel, "Customize Button"):
CPU - 2.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Quad Q8400;
Heatsink/fan - took default;
Motherboard - Gigabyte GA 73PVM;
Memory - default - 2 GB;
Hard drive - default - 500GB 7200 RPM;
CD / DVD / CDRW - default;
Video card - 1 GB GeForce GTS 250;
Operating System - Win XP Home;
Case - Apevia Silver X Dreamer;
Power Supply - 500 Watt Antec Earthwatts EA500;
Networking - default;
Wireless networking - Wireless B/G PCI Adapter;
Sound card - default;
Speakers - none - will use these from current Dell Dimension 8200;
Floppy drive - 1.44 Floppy Drive (I never know when I might order a DOS game from Amazon.com/Ebay that comes on a 3.5" floppy disks);
Keyboard/mouse/card reader/accessories 1 & 2 - none;
Will use the keyboard, mouse, and CRT monitor from the current Dell Dimension.

Warranty - default;

price is now $827.

I'll let Jenny or Inland weigh in, but since you are strictly an adventure gamer , the Q8400 and the video card are WAY more than you need. The power supply is probably more than you need too. But if your budget is that much, there's nothing wrong with the configuration.

Pretty much agree with you Drac!

The cpu, a bit much. A dual core cpu would be better. The video card, ok to a point, if you were also playing some rpg's or some fairly new fps games,but a geforce 9800 would be a bit better for adventure games. The power supply would be ok. Better to have too much, than not have enough!

Cruise02, since you have that great new Mac Book Pro for your other applications, the configuration in your original post here is more than adequate for adventure gaming. Jenny100 and Inland have already weighed in and since this seems to have taken an all too familiar turn for me after months of it at MM, I'm going to leave any further advice to the mods here.

Are you saying that by the time AG's start requiring a quad core, this will probably be a good 10 yrs from now and time to buy a new PC?
Have looked for the GeForce 9800 on the EcollegePC site, but it looks like they don't have it.

Yep, I, too believe it's better to have too much than not have enough.

They have the 1 GB 9600 GT which is even overkill for your needs, but a good buy nevertheless.

Your other question about the CPU has been asked and answered many times over.

If adventure games ever need a quad core cpu, which I doubt highly, then what you have chosen would be ok. By that time, again if ag's ever need quad core, it would be time for a new pc. Quad core cpu's are used mainly by hard core fps players, & for those who do other applications, such as video editing.

There may be a geforce gts 250 with 512 mb of ram on ecollege pc's web site. Found one on newegg: Here

Just got an e-mail about your post Drac! Hi! I just saw the geforce 9600gt on the ecollege web site. The price difference between that, & the gts 250 1gb is about $60. With that small of a price difference, it would be better to go with the gts 250.

How are the XP drivers for the GTS 256?

The gts 250 you mean? I've heard lots of good things about them!! The drivers are stable, far as I know. As I understand it, the gts 250 is a reworked 9800 series. As I further understand it, the first 9800 series cards had problems with fluctuating clock speeds, & power issues, that caused the cards to get too hot & go bad as a result.. My 9800 gtx+ has no problems at all. Maybe I got lucky!

Thanks, I'll take out the quad core and keep the GTS 250.
But what's the difference between a dual core and a core 2 duo - won't AG's start requiring a 2.9 - 3 GHz Core 2 Duo in 4 - 5 yrs? My mac is a 3 GHz Core 2 Duo, and isn't it true that if I had kept Windows XP in it I'd be able to run all the latest/upcoming AG's in it for a much longer period of time than if I got the E6300 CPU in this new PC I'm hoping to buy? This was my motive in selecting the 3GHz Core 2 Duo E8400 CPU. I recall Robert telling me that the E6300 CPU will keep running all my AG's for yrs to come without breaking into a sweat - but I don't now how long it will be (estimate?) before the E6300 CPU becomes outdated - perhaps then it'll be a long enough time to warrant buying a new PC?

Here's my updated specs:
Ok, here we go - I've selected (Value Series, L panel, "Customize Button"):
CPU - 2.8 GHz Dual Core E6300;
Heatsink/fan - took default;
Motherboard - Gigabyte GA 73PVM;
Memory - default - 2 GB;
Hard drive - default - 500GB 7200 RPM;
CD / DVD / CDRW - default;
Video card - 1 GB GeForce GTS 250;
Operating System - none - will use the XP OS install disc that I used when I put XP on my mac;
Case - Apevia Silver X Dreamer;
Power Supply - 500 Watt Antec Earthwatts EA500;
Networking - default;
Wireless networking - Wireless B/G PCI Adapter;
Sound card - default;
Speakers - none - will use these from current Dell Dimension 8200;
Floppy drive - 1.44 Floppy Drive (I never know when I might order a DOS game from Amazon.com/Ebay that comes on a 3.5" floppy disks);
Keyboard/mouse/card reader/accessories 1 & 2 - none;
Will use the keyboard, mouse, and CRT monitor from the current Dell Dimension.

Warranty - default;

price is now $632.

and if I took out the Dual Core E6300 and added the 2.9 GHz Core 2 Duo E7500, the price goes to $671.

The way it's worded.

Pardon me - I don't quite understand?