So true, Tormie.  With 3D, those are the by-lines.  

My slant on this came as a result of a hardware failure mentioned in this thread. Since I had to build something new, I decided to look at (at the time) a high end gaming platform based on an AMD cpu.  I compared the benefits of both the P4 and AMD's for the type of stuff I do, and decided the sacrifice of not having a P4 for office related stuff was worth it for the benefits of the graphics features of the AMD cpu.

I didn't get Poser until I had this machine up and running, so I cannot compare how it performed on a P4 (my last machine, which has been resurected) and the AMD.  Besides the comparison would be slightly skewed now as both machines use different graphics cards and memory.

A month or so ago, I added another Gig of memory for a total of 3 gig.  It did make some difference.  

Poser does not use dual core processors.  Although this is a disadvantage within Poser, I can and often have my modeling program or others capable of using both cores open along side Poser at the same time.

By the way, some time after my last post here, I discovered that the hard drive failure was really an unpublished incompatibility between the hardware firewall on the motherboard and chipset in the particular line of hard drives I was using.  Since discovering this and switching HD lines, no problems.

Well, maybe you can even use the windows XP professional x64 edition on that AMD machine  

  OMG

My experience is so different from yours,  but this is a place to be honest so here goes.

I was a Graphic Artist in the printing industry but I got a job with government in 1975.
In those days, you did it  -in INK on PAPER.

because I had experience in the Army Corps of Engineers I ws choosen to go to NASA
to take a coarse computer graphics, because were getting access to satalite Imagery.

Those were mainframe computers
but then in 1985 when desktop computers first became available
I got the first one -in the building.  it was called a Mac-II.
I soon revolutionized composition for our printing operations
and  since everyone got to SEE  what i created  (because it was being printed)
employees  were all going crazy wanting to do what  I did.

Most of them got PCs  some got Macs and soon I spent more time
installng new Macs  than I did  doing graphics.

Soon we had 63 PC technicians, and ONE  Macintosh technician  (me)
I was sent to Apple school -every year.  The technicians started having meetings
And  I was dismayed when I entered the room and everyone stood up.
They all spoke of my legendary ability  and thought I should speak for them.
When they tried to speak with me about technical issues  I gave an "all- knowing"
smile and excused myself.

I had no  idea in hell what they were talking about.  I was glad to get the pay raises
but the truth was even  an idiot like me can make a macintosh -do fantastic
and the reason they were swamped break downs     and i wasn't
didn't have a thing to do with me.

I had the Macintosh machines  running uniex and limux and Windows
faster than Windows machines can run Windows.
We never to worry about a virus or a worm
and with 54 mac machines running I got a service call
maybe once a year and usually for something  -STUPID.

In my home we have 3 Macintosh machines running
and my Daughter has an iPhone.

my wife  and daughter havn't asked me a computer question
-in a decade.  I HOPE THEY Don't !

I'm glad you guys are smart enough  to do all this stuff
b ut  Thank God  I don't have to !

I'd never be able to do it.

*aehm* I understand your true love for Mac leahamn but we have no advertising of commercial product on Posetteforever    

You're right, but the problems are that a decent Mac machine costs a lot when now even the cheapest PCs are able to run heavy programs like Poser. It's the same for cars, if your car is branded BMW or Benz it will cost more and more of a very similar car with another brand. I've a mp3 player that make the same exact things of an Ipod but it's not so cool when I take it out of my pocket. I don't buy Macs because even if they are wonderful machines I think that they don't worth the pile of money they cost. Speaking again of cars, I know that a Ferrari (probably) run faster and turn better than my Dodge   , but I simply can't buy it.

I've heard of it before.

me too