How to optimize speed for a developer's PC working with .Net technology?

I want to maximize/optimize the speed/power for a Desktop PC used for developers working with .Net technology - i.e. at the mo开发者_运维百科ment the latest ones at the moment are SQL Server 2008, Visual Studio 2010, IIS 7, Expression Studio?

But I'm not sure what needed to be taken into account, e.g. CPU, RAM, Mainboard, Hard disk, Case, Power Supplier, ect. And nevertheless, the properties of each of those PC components, i.e. 1) the CPU's number of cores, speed, and others; 2) the RAM size, bus, and others; ect.

If you know about those, please share!

Thank you!

SSD. No question.

Whack in plenty of RAM; depending in you needs, 8GB on x64 should be OK.

CPU is nice, but unless you're doing lots of CPU-intensive work, IO is the pinch, not CPU.

And a good GPU if you are doing graphics, especially if in an emu (the WP7 emu is particularly demanding)

Generically, and in no particular order:

• Lots of Memory - to take best advantage you'll want to use Virtual Machines so you'll need a lot of RAM (8Gb and up)
• Lots of cores - you're inherently running multiple apps concurrently so even if the individual applications don't take advantage of the multiple cores the system will benefit.
• Fast disks - compiling/building is diskbound
• Finally a decent graphics card - doesn't have to be state of the art by any means but there's a speed/cost sweetspot on latest but one or latest but two GPUs that will get you a lot of speed at a relatively budget price. Don't forget you want to drive at least two monitors (the option for a 3rd would be nice, but there are other ways!). WPF - used in Expression and VS2k10 amongst other things - and Aero in Windows 7 take advantage of the GPU

Look at your budget and look at one or two steps back from the bleeding edge (or for processors from the top of the range) and you should be able to do quite well.

Everything else will dictate the demands of power supply etc.

Strictly I shouldn't mention the quantity of RAM as that's a time specific answer (8 is good now, more will be appropriate later).