I usually build my PC-s under 800 USD, dunno, I think I could build a miracle machine with 1600, try smaller store for better pricing, usually parts are the same quality ! Brand names are not important when it comes to periferals, only mobo and CPU are important (Seagate along with IBM are the best choice for HDD indeed!). I have 512 Mb of ram and I'm happy with it, I can run Silo, Bryce and PaintShopPro all together and surf the web at the same time, no visible slowdown, I would rather buy 1 gig ram which is double faster then 1.5 Gig which is slower, more does not always mean better ! :) And one more thing: ASUS is the best mobo I know of, even do it is not the best one in the world, it is the most DEPENDABLE, trust me, i'm buying them for years !!! :) They never die ! :) Monitors are all good quality these days, do not let Sony confuse you, Samsung is that good too, I have 17 inch Samsung LCD for 2 years now, works 24/7, purring like a kitten, still, great monitor and fearly cheap ! :) Hope I helped some ! :) Cheers.