[Cyrax9]

Ok, I have a DVD-ROM game, and DVD-ROM exclusive movies, the don't work in the DVD-ROM drive, plain and simple. If you're getting the Drive just for games, make sure it's the very first thing you test, Alienware will fix anything EXCEPT your DVD-ROM drives.

You might be able to find a 5.1 speaker set-up that has a "flat" 5th speaker, these are no larger than the DVD-ROM drive's front pannel, and they work ppretty well, I think I saw one that coul be "mounted" on to your monitor, but I don't know how good it is.


Since this isn't your main Computer, te 60GB hDD is fine, but you'll kick yourself if you don't leave room to add another one when you fill it with 50-million Multi-player games like I'm doing right now.

As for the ethernet card, I don't have this PC networked, but I have another POC that runs the Exact same Cable Modem, and was benched at a snails pace on an ethernet adapter, compared to USB, but since you''re throwing LAN parties, the ethernet card is a given, I used a USB port because I needed the extra PCI slot for my Video Capture Card, which was put into a slot that I rpped a 56K mode out of, I've still got the 56K modem in case I ever lose my cable connection.

Also, make sure you buy a SURGE PROTECTOR!!!! IF you're using your network, make it an APC Back-UPS surge protector, these are better than what Alienware offers, and they have a lifetime warrenty, I fried two of the non Back-UPS variety, and got a replacement, for free, and didn't lose any data on my PC.

The ones I fried were the craptacluar model though, and my PRO8T2 surge protector's have taken a beating and have never broken, Gateway and DEl ship these with their High-End Servers and I've found them to perform admirably on my Alienware PC, sao if you can find an APC unit, buy it. I'm thionking abut geting the $60.00 PRO8TV model, which, as the name suggests is a professional unit with two "always ON" outlets, a phone-jack supressor, and a cable supressor for "TV's" and "Cable Modems". It's one step up from the PRO8T2 that I have, but if you're running a netwrok, you need something that protects your high-speed line.

Also, since you saved some cash with the Video card, consider buying a Hardware MPEG-2 Decoder if you have a Big-screen TV, and want to show off your UT skills when you Frag the poor SO next to you, if you really want to deal their ego a blow, record the shot onto a VHS Tape, or a DVD, I'm buying a $1000 DVD Recorder for my TV this summer, and it's going to replace my VBCR for recording TV programs, just don't think about copying DVD's from Blockbuster, it's got a copy-protection unit built in like any other Recorder, and will only "copy" your DVD's that you've already burned, it also acts like a TiVO, so it's worth the hefty Price tag. THe DVD Recorder/PLayer is made by Panasonic, and if you want to realy have a multi-media room, this belongs in it.

If you haven't picked one out already, buy a printer, some are dirt-cheap, and will work just fine. I hope this helps.