Allergy or cold? It's a cold

I was pretty sure when I started coughing last week that the sudden discomfort in my chest came on too abruptly to be allergies or asthma. But it took a few days to get to the unmistakeable dripping-nose misery that I wasn't sure. The nose thing hit last night, and there is now no doubt - this is a cold. But not an especially bad one, I think. Nose is actually feeling better today (I think). I was worried when it started in the chest, but so far it hasn't gotten bad at all. Honestly, I feel good enough today to go skiing. But I'm not going to. That would be stupid. My bronchi are over-sensitive to cold, and I DO NOT WANT a winter chest cough.

Thinking about a new computer

I'm very afraid that the next one of my essential things to break down will be my computer. It's not like it hasn't been emitting squeaks of exhaustion and despair for months now. I've already spent way too much time trying to cleanse, upgrade, and debug it. There's just been too many new devices, demanding games, random pieces of freeware, and mismatched drivers flowing through it over the past four and a half years. For a computer that age it's not doing too badly. I could live with the RAM maxing out all the time, and the almost daily hangs and the fact that I still cannot install XP Service Pack2. But I'm getting the hankering to play a new game, and this poor old thing can't handle the game I have in mind.

So... I'm looking for advice on what to get. Mac people, you can leave the room now. I don't want to hear about how much better your stuff is. I'm happy for you that you've found your electronic soulmate, but I don't want a Mac. Here's what I do want - a computer that:

* Supports the same classic Windows interface I am so comfortable with, runs Office 97, and works with my essential shareware apps (i.e, NO VISTA).
* Supports all my peripheral devices (like I said, no Vista).
* Will run my old games (at least the ones that currently run on XP).
* Will not become RAM-bound in the next 2 years (I'm getting the max amount of RAM that I can jam into the thing this time!)
* Will play kickass first-person shooters for at least the next year or so with all the graphics turned up high (doesn't have to be the fastest possible CPU, but I want a top of the line graphics card )

LOOKING FOR SUGGESTIONS ON...
* Components. I'm not sure if anybody reading this is into high-end gaming, but if you are, what's the graphics card I can't live without? What about CPU - AMD or Intel?

* Who can build it for me? Once I figure out what I want, I can always order it from Dell. I did that in 2000 and was happier with the results than I was with the overpriced Alienware I bought in 2003. But I know that a lot of people sneer at Dell and recommend going with local businesses or individuals. Any recommendations?

* Just how hard is it to build your own from scratch? I've installed components in existing systems, but really wouldn't know where to start to build one from the ground up. Anybody with experience in that area that could help me, or point me to instructions for novice computer builders? I once rebuilt an engine using the book, "How to Keep Your Volkswagen Alive." I'd need something at least that simplistic and detailed.

Well, okay, maybe not quite top of the line

After a couple of hours poking around online, I realize that I don't exactly want a top of the line video card in my hypothetical new computer. It appears that the high-end video card right now is actually a pair of cards at a total cost of $800-$1000. ooookay. Maybe I'd be happy with the 2nd best video card. Or maybe just ONE of the geForce 8800s.

General Nano does have a nice-looking gaming system on their site that includes a single 8800 for a mere $1350, $1430 with 4G of RAM. They've even packaged it with the machine-killing hot new game Crysis, thereby implying that this system actually has what it takes to play Crysis with the graphics cranked to highest levels (although they don't actually say that). The only thing wrong with it is that there is no way to order it online with XP instead of Vista. I'm guessing that they will sell it with XP, since serious gamers seem to be leading the charge to boycott Vista right now. I sent The General an email asking if they would sell me an XP system.