I'd like to reasonably future proof for 3-4 years without going overboard on top of the line gear that'll never see it's full potential with me.
Who're currently seen as faster/more stable, intel or AMD? What are considered to be mid-high end processors these days? Are Quad Core still where it's at?
What's a good amount of RAM for Windows 7 where other than games I'm not going to be doing really intensive stuff? 4GB?
Who're the current leaders in graphics cards? Last I checked ATI were out in front but that changes all the time.
Just so I don't wind up accidentally getting a dud, who's considered a really stable motherboard manufacturer? I'm using a Gigabit one and I've never had a hardware problem so I'd like that trend to continue!
Last but not least, what's the advantage of 64bit over 32bit Windows7? Which is the better option in a new computer?
Thanks in advance!