No, not really. In fact I REALLY want an AMD system (price performance can't be beat), but it seems as though every AMD based forum I visit is full of "problems" (which I guess is what we should expect in a forum?<g>). As such, I have a bit of unsettled fear when considering an AMD system.
0) I have zero desire to OC, and it seems as though the AMD systems are built to be OC'd. Maybe it is the OC'ers that "expose" these problems. And that there are few, if any, "issues" when not OC'ing.
1) the whole CPU vs. heat thing thing that Tom has an artilce on scares me quite a bit. But I really don't expect CPU fans to "die", so this isn't much of an issue.
2) I had my heart set on a VIA KT266A system, but the recent PCI bus bandwidth issue seems to be another nail in the coffen. I understand that this bandwidth is "rarely" used by the common user (though the SB Live issues might be related), but it still has me worried a bit. I can never seem to get true "facts" about VIA systems in any forum. Messages always seem to be filled with rumors and wild ass guessing. Again, this is a bit unsettleing.
3) So, I dumped the VIA idea and went full force (pun intended) at researching a nForce system. Unfortunately, there is only one on the market right now, and the whole chipset seems to be quite immature at this time. Though, I believe it to be more "stable" and "reliable" than the VIA systems. If there were 3-4 vendors with nForce systems, maybe these "concerns" would disappear.
As such, I want to follow a couple of Intel based forums for awhile to determine if they, too, have issues I should be aware of before I make a purchase. I don't expect to have the money for a new system until March/April (if at all) so I have plenty of time to find the "best" system for my money.