Buying a computer for Christmas is always fraught.

How do you know which machine to buy and what is good value? How do you make sense of the specifications and part numbers? Should you specify your own computer and have it custom-built?

Evolution and local computer engineer Peter Horbaczewskyj, from Hotkeys at Burgess Hill, have taken a look at hundreds of components and created the sort of computer most people only dream about.

A reliable, versatile motherboard is an excellent base for any good computer system.

We chose the latest Intel 850 chipset-based motherboard and an Intel 2GHz 400mhz Pentium 4 Processor with 256-KbL2 advanced cache transfer which offers top-line performance and manageability.

Then we added two 128Mb Kingston Technology PC800 D-RDRAM RAMBUS RIMMS, providing 256Mb of memory to make those Christmas games run comfortably.

If you are building your own machine on an 850 chipset motherboard, remember you have to install the RAMBUS RIMM chips in pairs and you may need to buy two KVR-CRIMM continuity RIMM chips to ensure functionality if you only use a single pair of memory RIMMS.

The ideal machine can be upgraded easily and has room for additional goodies.

Our motherboard was hous-ed in a Hi-Tower computer case that has a more front slots and drive bays than a standard mini-tower.

Access to components is really easy, although the end-result is a slightly taller machine than the average desktop.

We then installed and connected a Seagate Barracuda Ultra ATA 80Gb 7200 RPM hard drive to get optimum performance with minimum disc noise. The Barracuda offers more speed and less noise than any comparable drive with up to 100-Mb/sec burst data transfer rate.

Speed and size isn't everything but, if you need to handle the huge files, then every little helps.

You shouldn't forget Digital camera files can be absolutely massive, so budget for plenty of storage.

Our sound card of choice was a Creative Labs Audigy Platinum EX because it offered the advanced features we needed at a very sensible price. Creative Labs developed the SoundBlaster card standard, which seems to work with every piece of software I have ever tested.

The video card was a touch tricky. We didn't need a full- blown graphics machine but wanted one that could handle video games properly and manage Photoshop image tweaking without complaining.

We finally settled on the new Radeon 8500. With 64Mb DDR memory that offers dual monitor and video output support, DVD video playback, Digital Flat Panel (DVI) support and support for 3-D resolutions (32-bit colour) up to 2048x1536, this card did everything we wanted.

We installed a standard 1.44Mb floppy drive, a four port Belkin USB card, a 250Mb internal Iomega Zip drive and bought a box of 250Mb Zip discs to deal with document backups.

Having installed a copy of Windows XP, the dream machine was complete and ready for the bolt-on goodies that make computing fun.

We decided on a Canon Digital Ixus camera complemented by a photo-quality printer from Canon to capture and deliver Christmas in all its glory.

We added a AOC17-inch TFT flat-screen monitor (1,280 by 1,024 pixels) to complete the ensemble. The monitor takes up only a fraction of the space of a conventional VDU and offers completely flicker-free viewing. Great for watching DVDs in your lunch break.

The cost of our dream computer was £3,045.54, complete with all the added extras.

Performance is absolutely sparkling. The Intel Pentium 4 chip powers through the toughest tasks while the audio quality of the SoundBlaster Audigy is phenomenal.

Peter had the last word. He said: "All the components we chose work really well together but this isn't a machine for the faint-hearted. Building and configuring a powerful computer is a complex task, so make sure you get some good advice before you start."

The components used in the Evolution dream machine are all available from Mat-

mos Computer Systems of Haywards Heath. Tel: 01444 482091.

Peter Horbaczewskyj can be contacted at Hotkeys on 01444 871778.