Ok, here is a different way to consider the problem. 1) the CPU generally speaking is not upgradeable. Doing so requires throwing away the old one (or giving away to another machine). Also, motherboards don't always accept the newest and greatest processor that you buy when it is 2 years old. So, a CPU is a 1 time purchase with no upgrade path. 2) RAM is upgradeable generally speaking. The speed/type is not (motherboard/chipset dependent), but the quantity is. If you have to sacrifice CPU or RAM, get the CPU now, get 'enough' ram and then upgrade later if need be. 3) While RAM prices will go up slightly over time for obsolete speeds/sizes (try finding PC100 memory that is new versus used), for the next 1-2 years, any current ram will get cheaper usually. i.e. buy 1gb now, buy a 2nd gig in 6 months if need arises and price permits 4) Buy the RAM in the biggest memory size you can reasonably afford. If your system supports 2 sticks, don't buy a 512mb now, this will limit your system to 1.5gb later (usually). Buy a 1gb stick. Likewise, buying a 'prebuilt' system means that if you buy a 1gb machine you will probably get screwed by only getting 2x512 versus 1x1024. So, do your homework if you are buying a prebuilt system. Dell and others unfortunately charge a hefty premium to give you the memory in 1 stick versus 1/2 of the total in each of 2 sticks. 5) Know the motherboard. Cheap machines that are prebuilt generally have space for 2 memory cards, most boards limit you to 1gb per stick (2gb sticks are very expensive and boards supporting them are not nearly as common). Hence your system will be limited to 2gb. If you plan to build your own, buy a board with 4 slots and if possible make sure the memory can be inserted 1 at a time (versus in pairs) and they don't have to be the same size. 6) If given a choice, do your research on memory speeds. Don't bother spending a premium on overclocked memory, but know the difference between pc2700 and 800mhz, etc. Great info at www.tomshardware.com. Faster RAM may be good for you (make sure the motherboard supports the speed RAM). 7) Consider hard drive speeds. SATA is better than IDE generally and 7200rpm beats 5400rpm. good luck Ryan