I hope I chose the right forum for this question. I'm looking to purchase a new pc, am currently using an hp m8120n, quad core 2.4g w/3gig ram. the only thing I changed was a new ps and better graphic card, 1g nvidia

I'd like to get another hp but am having diffaculty choosing the right model. I mainly surf the web and do extensive photo editing with cs5. Until recently my 2180 was adequate but I recenlty noticed a lag so I put it on my friends windows 7 64 bit with only 4g and a standard video card.

Was thinking about something like qua core 64bit, 8g ram or better and a decent video card.

My question is could someoone recommend a configuration from hp or what to look for. TIA

Well, I am not one to recommend specific models so can't help you there. But before any one can suggest something, you need to specify your budget.

roughly $1500.00 give or take

Are you competent enough to build your own PC, or competent enough to follow instructions on how to build one? You will get much better value for your money if you do so, as all pre-built PCs come with a price premium, and you can get equal or better performance by doing it yourself.

Originally Posted by AngelSpirit

as all pre-built PCs come with a price premium

No, sorry but that is not true. Dell, HP, Acer go to the component makers and buy (or commit to buy) 1 million hard drives, 4 million sticks of RAM, 1 million cases, power supplies and motherboards, and 1 million OEM licenses of Windows at HUGE volume wholesale discounts that home or local custom builders cannot come close to matching. Even after profit margins are added in the costs, pre-builts from the big makers are less expensive. Plus there is the big advantage to pre-builts that you have just one phone number to call if having troubles.

you can get equal or better performance by doing it yourself.

Now that is very true! I always tell my clients that I cannot match the pre-built's prices, but I can build a better system in every category.

And because self-builders often are able to bring keyboards, mice, speakers, and monitors to their new builds, they can reduce the cost of the initial build.

Plus, the learning experience and confidence you gain by selecting and assembling yourself is, IMO, immeasurable.

If the initial build is done right, a self-built can evolve over time with new upgrades the user can do him or herself, thus over time, a self built can be less expensive.

The downside is if anything goes wrong, the self-builder is responsible for troubleshooting and repairs.

My apologies. I think I mixed up "price" with "performance per price".