Pros: Bought this b/c did not want to spend $1K on a quad core processor that could only be a dual core in "real life". Got 3.15 Gz after OC w/ Zalman cooler. Occ glitches (once every 3-4 months) with very high processing (i.e. boku multitasking), but works very well, even on my processor intensive applications.

Cons: see above

Pros: Very pretty. Finding programs in Start much better. OK Desktop search. Much Faster install than XP

Cons: UAC permissions--freaking annoying. Slow as molasses. Does not recognize more than 3GB (if 32 bit). Not all programs compatible. More crashes than XP. Compared to other versions of Vista, not too much with Ultimate.

Overall Review: MS really messed up with this one. B/c they were tauting DirectX 10 with Vista only, and eventual end of support with XP, I went with Vista. Ultimate is essentially Vista Home Premium + Business, and not to many advantages having it. Do yourself a favor, and get XP anyways, until they fix Vista once and for all

Pros: Nice interface. Nice additional programs. Faster load time than XP. DirectX 10 ready.

Cons: Cannot take more than 4GB. Slow; often crashes w/ large file transfers. UAC annoying.

Overall Review: I originally bought this b/c I thought I was going to use the systems in Business w/ the multimedia capabilies of Home. After one year of use, barely use either. Biggest gripe is that any memory after 4GB does not help this system, secondary to the 32 bit limit. If you plan on upgrading and building something now, go for 64 bit. UAC is also a pain--why do I need permission for everything to load and unload? Otherwise, ok Operating system; would have used a combo of XP 64 bit and Linux instead. One more thing; "Ultimate Extras" are definitely not worth the premium price compared to Home.

Pros: Very nice overclocker. Using a EVGA 680i, and Zalman fan, OC'ed to 3.15Gz. Others may get better numbers, but I don't have the guts to go further.

Cons: Only dual core (vs. quad core), but hey, no one has written quad core programs (or will in the near future).

Overall Review: First time OC'er, and this was a relatively easy setup (look on the web for guides). A must if you want to OC.

Pros: Good Memory. Never had issues with OCZ previously.

Cons: Main issue is not with OCZ, but Vista (32 bit). Vista will not show more than 2.8 GB

Overall Review: Had 2GB already in the computer, and upgraded with this to 6GB total. CPU-Z shows the 6GB, but Vista only shows 2.8. Speeds have improved, though. My suggestion: unless you have x64 Windows (or Linux), don't upgrade greater than 4GB. Some issue with PAE in 32 bit (this is written on many pages about Vista not recognizing >4GB). I thought this was done when we didn't have to use FAT16 drive systems!

Comments: Decided to write on this after one month of use. The good is that it gives a good image and gamers shouldn't be complaining. The options are enough for the average user. My only problem is within 2 weeks, I had one defective pixel on the side of the screen, and then another one 2 weeks later on the other side. Really only interfere when gaming in "dark zones" (like points in Half-Life 2). Seems like most others haven't had a problem, and on the whole, it serves my needs well.