Hardware/OS compatibility?

I'm preparing to have custom-build shop do PC to my specs, and I will be supplying most of the components. Let's say I wanted PC with three dedicated hard disk drives (one for PC-BSD, one for Linux Mint, and one for XP Pro). I've been told on other forum that its essential I pick CPU, motherboard/chipset, graphic card, etc., that "supports all three operating systems"...but on another forum one says to "forget hardware support" and make sure "PC-BSD, XP Pro, and Linux Mint all have drivers for each component in your build." I'm dazed and confused! Can anyone straighten this all out? I'm trying to get up procurement list of components to create PC that will run all three operating systems at optimal performance.

 

My advice is to read the motherboard user reviews on sites such as Newegg.com and CompUSA.com carefully. They often contain real world experience (good and bad) on what OS and memory will (or won't) work with a given motherboard.

When installing XP, almost all boards require an install with at least SP1; some require a disc with SP3 preinstalled.

Mfr. spec pages can be helpful to a point; however many are vague on OS issues.

Ditto for video cards and other hardware. If you cannot find video card user reviews that answer your question, go to ATI.com and NVIDIA.com and search for available driver downloads for the respective OS versions.

Generally, most Intel and AMD CPUs aren't picky about the OS (although to be on the safe side I'd stick with a CPU that's been on the market at least a few months).

Good luck on the build. Hope this info. helps.