Whether you assemble your own computer from scratch or simply want to make better-informed decisions while at the computer shop, the following suggestions may help you along your way. We've assembled these recommendations made by software test engineers, tech support personnel and software developers who work closely with many different types of multimedia software. We hope they help you make the right choice.

Motherboards
First, you will need a motherboard that is compatible with the type of 64-bit processor you wish to use. (Note: This does not necessarily mean you will need a new motherboard. Many of Intel's 64-bit Pentium 4 processors, for example, will work in current (32 bit) Pentium 4 compatible motherboards. However, a BIOS upgrade may be required which your motherboard manufacturer can provide.) Now that the official release of Windows XP x64 edition has occured, most, if not all, motherboard manufacturers are now shipping 64-bit compatible motherboards. Contact your preferred motherboard manufacturer to see what they have to offer and to guarantee compatibility.

Processors
Second, you will need an x64 processor. Both Intel and AMD offer a variety of 64-bit capable processors.

Operating System
Next, you will need to install Windows XP Professional x64 Edition

Hardware
Since the mass market is on the cusp of embracing 64-bit technology as a standard, you may have some hardware on your system that does not yet have 64-bit driver support. (Note: as in Windows XP 32-bit, many drivers are embedded in Windows XP Professional x64. For this reason, we recommend a dual boot system with both Windows XP (32 bit) and Windows XP Professional x64 edition. This dual setup will allow you to use any hardware or software that may not yet work under the 64-bit environment. Please note: The 64-bit OS requires all drivers to be 64-bit. Please contact Microsoft for details.

For your convenience, we have compiled a complete list, current at the time of this document's writing, of all audio and MIDI hardware with x64 driver support.