...this thread is officially HOT.

So here's a parts list with a Thermaltake PS and GeForce card:

So this part would seem to fit the bill, if the motherboard has 5V PCI voltage:
Rosewill 2x Serial & 1x Parallel Port PCI card Model RC303 - Retail

Please, PLEASE try to avoid Rosewill. NOT a quality manufacturer. They're one of those shops where the deals are too good to be true.

I once ordered a case of simple optical mice from Rosewill. 25 of them. I figured, cheap mice, no cleaning, how hard can it be? Most of our folks had old two-button ball mice; I thought it'd be a nice Christmas present for the office. Except, all but two of them (TWO!) ended up being defective. And they didn't die right away, either; each one worked for a while. But then, it was like 1 or 2 would die every week. No moving parts, mind you, but one after another... pfft, ptui, pleh.

And really, there are soooo many other options on Newegg (and all kinds of other places), it can't hurt you to go another way.

OK man. This PCI to parallel/serial ports card isn't needed that urgently. I suppose when I get into programming some microcontrollers then I'll need the serial ports.

Anyone have other suggestions for this PC? I know that the Newegg Memorial Day thing is coming soon too, but usually by the time I log on to the website everything good is sold out.

Most Arduino stuff can be done via USB, right?... but y'know I'm not saying skip the card, I'm just saying skip that manufacturer.

(Oh hey, here's a nice $40 card from SIIG which has two serial ports and one parallel; I do like SIIG)

Hmmmm. This motherboard only has two PCI slots. I expect my Audigy 2 ZS card will occupy one, and the other may be used initially by my current TV tuner card. The best option is probably an adapter cable or cables for serial/parallel ports instead.

Hardware ports are not absolutely necessary for microcontroller work. The Arduino uses USB.
USB serial adapters work for most things.
Using a parallel port for direct bit banging is probably the only thing you might need real hardware ports for. Even then there are workarounds.

I'm not going to mull this over much more. I'll probably order the parts list above tonight unless someone comes up with a good suggestion for alteration.

This configuration should serve me for 3-4 years, barring bloatware explosions in coming months.

Thanks Theo and Darus67 for your feedback!

So... here are some pics of my basement improvement and workbench projects!

My basement has an interior wall that separates a workbench/work area from a large main space. We've waterproofed and painted some of the area around the workbench, including painting of the floor.

Lots of wallboard teardown to dispose of! Anyone know a good, cheap place to rent a construction dumpster?