[SGVLUG] the "ultimate build of the month"...

[Thomas Emerson]

 OK, it is well past time to consider the next "upgrade" for my main
desktop - it is only a single-core machine!  (it was, however, built
more-or-less per "spec" according to a linux journal "ultimate rig"
article at the time...)

I don't normally overclock - seems to be more trouble than it is worth...

but I am looking for recommendations on boards, memory [brands, timing,
etc.] and perhaps video cards - focus on video editing (either under
linux or windows, though I might even consider a "hackintosh" build so I
can run final cut, which I hear is pretty good)

has anyone done any video work on vitrualized hardware?  Is it
(sufficiently) doable, or is this still a place where working "with the
bare metal" still reigns supreme?  If it works, what is the
recommendation for the base layer?  Zen?  vmware?  something else?

I've got a sufficient amount of disk space for the typical project I
might undertake, so this is less of a concern.  If you have a compelling
argument for a particular brand or model of hard drive/SSD, though, I'm
willing to listen.