Thank you very much. I told my father about what you suggested and he had some good ideas for cheaper computing that would still make me happy. Basically, he pointed out that all the 'new, sweet, awesome' games I would only need to play on the desktop. The laptop only needs to run the simple games that I like. Basically I have modified my view such that I am looking at likely getting a gaming desktop, like the one you suggested as well as a simple laptop, probably a dell since I trust and like dell. I will reply back with specs as soon as I find them.

Here is my preliminary system... my parents are willing to go 50-50 on it w/ me (especially since I just won a $3000 computer science award at my school):

Desktop:

http://canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=4_65&item_id=045425

http://canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=26_722&item_id=047272

http://canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=24_311_312_612&item_id=040047

http://canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=43_557_559&item_id=036039

http://canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=6_112&item_id=023780

http://canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=33_443&item_id=045163

http://canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=179_1088&item_id=045627

~$1000

Laptop:

http://configure.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?oc=nb_xps13_f1_e&model_id=xps-13-l321x&c=ca&l=en&s=bsd&cs=cabsdt1

Windows professional, MS office Home and Business, Adobe Photoshop, i5-2467 (1.6GHz) 13.3" HD w/ Webcam, 4GB DDR3, 128 GB SSD, Intel HD Graphics 3000, 47 WHr 6-Cell Battery, Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6230

$1397

Total ~$2400

I am going to be near a Canada Computers store shortly... can you at least post back telling me if that desktop will be the sweet spot gaming performance machine that I was aiming for?

I am mostly worried that I will get all of the parts that I listed for the desktop, I'll try to put them together and they won't work, or I will be missing something. Would those parts work to make a fully functional computer?

Also, here is what I interpreted as your laptop suggestion, with some slight modifications, is it good?

Thinkpad T430:

• Intel Core i5-3320M
• Windows 7 Professional
• XP Mode english
• 1600x900 LED Monitor
• Intel HD Graphics 4000
• 4GB RAM
• Camera + Microphone (my parents want to be able to skype me)
• 500 GB 7200 RPM HDD
• 320 GB 7200 RPM 2HDD
• 9 Cell Battery
• Intel Centrino Ultimate Wireless Card (for poor internet speeds speckled throughout most schools)
• MS Office Home & Student
• Kensington Twin Head Cable Lock

Thank you so much for your help!

I don't see why you configured two hard drives

The dual hard drives thing is just something I am used to. My school made a dual-partition on our drives at the network (IE: we would have to be on the school network to change it) I got used to the idea of a C:\ drive for programs and a D:\ drive for files.

As for your parts, I assume they'd work (specwise they work)

Specwise is all I need for now. A friend of my father's puts computers together for a living, he will tell me if my computer will be fully compatible (my main concern is whether it will fit properly into the chasis).

don't necessarily dislike XPS's altogether

I won't

Thank you so much for your help. I will now prepare to buy the parts I need and put them together. Unless my father's friend points out some serious flaw in my parts I should be good to go.

I never thought of doing that! That is very clever! Thank you!

PS: I will not mark this thread as solved until the problem is solved, IE: until my computer is up and running, but thank you for all your help!

Ok, I finally have my laptop in my hands, but there is one slight issue... the intel 4000 graphics card is very poor. Do you know any way to improve the graphics capabilities of a laptop?