the3dgm

evil_genius_180, here is a couple of options to consider:

Get a factory refurbished machine, usually for less than half the price of the original at places like e-bay or u-bid. I picked up a Gateway Machine that came with 1 gig of ram, WinXP Pro, a 500 gig hd and all the usual stuff, 15 in 1 card reader, etc, added a graphics card and loaded it with ram, etc and I'm still under $325 including all shipping and taxes.

Or try a New machine from places like that or even the manufactures that are bare boned and simply add what you need. You'll save money either way in the long run.