Suggestions for a good MACH Computer

[SMA]

Hey Guys,

Thinking that I would like to get a new computer to run mach on.  I want to operate at a kernel speed of 45khz and wondering if there are computers that are better at running mach than others.

As I understand the "pulsing" part of mach very little I do seem to gleam from it all that you do want your computer to be able to pulse at a certain rate and with a certain amount of strength. 

Even some direction as to were one could read and learn about this part of mach so I can figure out the best computer for the job.

Right now I find the Acer that i am using a little glitchy.  As well it takes quite a while to open MACH were as on my laptop it is very quick. 

S

[n6cnt]

The problem I ran into was finding a PC that still supported Parallel ports. Very easy to follow instructions explaining how to assemble a desk top can be found on internet.  So, I elected to assemble my own Desk Top with a Mother Board that had enough PCI slots to provide space for the required Parallel ports.  When I went to Gecko 540, which uses the latest additions to parallel port architecture, finding PCI Parallel port cards that provided the required support, was a challenge. The first two PCI cards I tried didn’t and it was a struggle. CNC4pc, http://www.cnc4pc.com/, was able to supply reliable PCI cards and things have been fine since.
To keep interference to a minim I installed a dual boot Windows copy of XP with only MACH3 and supporting programs installed.

[RICH]

Picking or assembling a computer is a problem. When i replaced my pc  the deal was that it would need to meet and work for it's intended use,
namely, CNC. So the vendor agreed and said he would change anything and everything and only charge me cost difference of parts until it did work.
That was included in the $65 i paid for them to put it together and install basic software. Can't  beat that and that is why I woud recommend stayng away from discount places where you think your getting a deal. I ran the driver test at the techinicains bench before it was brought home.   I still beat all the prices and had a better pc for the price than what the all the discount places could do.
So buy local and deal with a trusted outfit unless you know that what you are getting  or putting together works.
FWIW,
RICH

[Hood]

Even though I will be using an external controller (thus wont be using the parallel port), out of curiosity I  ran the driver test up to the full 100KHz on the motherboard I am using in the Bridgeport refit I am doing. It was the cleanest smoothest pulse I have ever seen on any computer at any frequency, I was impressed
The motherboard in question is an atom based mini ITX, the Asus AT5NM10-I

Hood