WATCH OUT! THE BIG MOMMAS ARE HERE

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Eyeing that cool P-4 that's just released? Remember though, that along with the processor you will need a matching motherboard.

Ask any contractor on how he goes about constructing buildings and he will tell you that the most important aspect is to have a strong and solid foundation before commencing any construction activity. The same is the case when buying or assembling a PC. The foundation of any PC is the motherboard; everything else is built upon and around it. Not only is the stability of the PC dependant on the motherboard, but the overall performance of the system also depends upon it.

With every new line and type of processors that get introduced in the market, you also see an entire range of motherboards to complement them. Intel alone has introduced nine chipsets in the last couple of years. Add to this the innumerable alternative chipsets that manufacturers such as VIA, SiS, AMD and ALi keep churning out every few months, and you bet it's a state of utter confusion.

But then what happens is that most of us hardly bother or care about the brand or chipset the motherboard is. We only realise the problem when we plan to upgrade to a faster processor. Then it strikes us that even the motherboard will have to be changed and this would entail a huge cost.

Keeping ahead of the technology curve may involve investing thousands of rupees into your computer system each year. But there are ways in which this constant upheaval of hardware can be curtailed. It all starts at the motherboard level and choosing the right technology and feature set can ensure that your PC is ready to tackle the next generation hardware.