Im gonna hijack my own thread for a sec...
Does it matter what name brand computer? Is one better than another if the processor and vid cards are the same?
The problem with a name brand computer is that when it comes time to upgrade they make it very difficult. The PSU's are just enough to power what's inside, the motherboard restricts options and they may use proprietary sizes or connectors. They are designed so that what you buy is what you get and when it's time to upgrade you toss that system aside and buy a new one.
If you can plug parts together you can build your own system. You need the following parts:
Case, pocessor, motherboard, RAM, power supply, video card, hard drive, optical drive, operating system and possibly a sound card, floppy drive and/or aftermarket CPU fan/heatsink (only if you want to overclock the CPU).
Assembly takes about 3 hours for a first timer or someone who wants to do a good job of cable management inside the case. Operating system install, programs installed and data transfer will take about another 3-5 hours depending on how much you have.
All parts are available on-line at newegg.com and tigerdirect.com. In the end you'll have a better system at a lower price which will be easier to upgrade when the time comes and when it does you'll know exactly what you need to do to get more out of it.