Believe it or not, finding your dream computer is easy - once you know the 5 steps.

1) What is your budget?

2) What are you using the computer for?

3) What software do you need?

4) Do you need any other "Computer Electronics" - Monitors, Keyboards, Mice, Headsets, Wifi?

5) What type of warranty / guarantee are you looking for?

Let's review the 5 steps in a little more detail...

1) Budget - This is perhaps the most important thing.

How much money do you want to spend on your computer?  This really affects where you are going to be buying your computer. If you are planning on spending under $1,000, than you are probably best off buying from a mass manufacturer like Dell, HP etc. Their prices are very competitive, and most custom builders won't build for less than $1,000.

2) What are you using the Computer For? (This is the most important Question)

    Deep down, we all want to have "the latest and greatest computer" - it makes us feel more secure and cocky. The problem is that the latest and greatest computer includes parts that are outlandishly expensive - and at the end of the day don't necessarily provide "bang for the buck".

    When you add to that the fact that computer parts drop in price so fast, that in two months, your computer isn't "the latest greatest", it's only the second latest and greatest - you don't always want to go with the most expensive parts. (You often need an experienced builder / "techie" to help you figure out what is and isn't worth the extra money).

    Back to the point, I find that there are a couple of different types of computer buyers.

        A) The Gamer: The elite gamer is the most demanding computer user. (Us non-elite gamers are happy with what we have, as we don't use all of the power anyway). They often spend anywhere from $3,000 to $10,000 on a high end computer... getting everything as powerful as possible. The reason is because gaming takes a tremendous amount of power - it is possibly the most computer-taxing activity. Every split second counts, and all detail is important.
    They will have the highest end graphics cards(in SLI), on high end overclockable motherboards, with high system speeds that necessitate more expensive RAM, Power Supplies and Hard Drives, and powerful cooling. This combination drives the price of the computer waay up.

    (Note: Unless you know what FPS is, and care what the resolution of your screen is, you really don't care to spend more than, say, $4,000 on a computer... you simply don't get any additional benefit)

        B) The Graphic Designer / Video & Music Editor - If you are a heavy duty computer user, you know how frustrating it is when your computer starts bogging down on the computer intensive tasks. You want to have enough power to get the job done. You don't need split second timing like "The Gamer", but you also want everything done without any wait time.

    This necessitates having pretty high quality parts. In general, for most people in this category I recommend a good graphics card, a pretty high end CPU (You don't need the latest and greatest), and a decent amount of RAM (between 2 and 4 GB). You also want to have a decent amount of Hard drive space, and a good power supply. However, any good computer will have that included. Expect to pay anywhere between $1200 to $3500 on your computer.

        C) The "ADD" (you know who you are!), Semi Gamer, 15 Browser Window Person - This is the category that most of us (including myself) fall into. I play computer games casually, have tons of browser windows open and music playing all at the same time that I am taking a skype call.

       This necessitates having alot of RAM (like 2 GB - although I run on 1 GB as well). Make sure it's DDR2, otherwise your system will really slow down. You want a pretty decent CPU and graphics card to handle the games (and editing), and a pretty large hard drive to hold all of the things you create / buy / download (shhh!). I would say between 300 - 500 GB minimum. Especially with the cheap prices of drives these days.

    However, you shouldn't even bother going to any real high end stuff (expensive CPU's / graphics cards, high end power supplies etc.)

    Custom or Mass Manufacture? Custom sounds so cool doesn't it?? Well, this really depends on your budget. If you have over $1200, you definitely want to investigate what a custom build can do for you, as they are most often cheaper and better than what is mass produced. However, you also want to check what Dell and the like have available, as they can have what you need at a price that a custom builder can't compete with.

        D) Average Office and Home Computer User: If that describes you, that you don't really care about what is in your computer, you just need it to type your emails, surf the internet, write up documents etc... than you really don't need that much in your computer. So it really depends on your budget. If you are budget conscious don't feel bad about going to Dell or a similar site and just picking the cheapest computer - that should last you just fine.

    However, if you want to know what will work best for you, than you want to get a half decent graphics card, at least 1 GB of RAM, and a good CPU. This should get you all the performance you need... Just make sure you get good antivirus and antispyware software - so you're computer doesn't slow down.

       3) What Software Do You Need? - This question can bite you if you don't think about it before you start buying... Many Custom Computer Builders and Mass Manufacturers leave out important software, for example, the operating system (common among custom builders), or the Office Suite etc. You are then stuck with buying the software at ridiculously expensive prices.

    Many custom builders will offer you the software at a discounted price. The Manufacturers will as well... or you can find them Microsoft Office on ebay for way less as well... If you are a graphic designer, you probably own the software you like to use, and should just reinstall the software on your new computer. (Make sure to keep the installation disks!)

       4) What Addons do you want? - 

        If you are looking for ways to expand the enjoyment of your computer time, you may want to look into some useful hardware to add to your computer. These include Wifi routers and receivers, wireless keyboards and mice, Multiple Monitors, Larger Monitors, TV Tuners, HDTV Screens, Joysticks, External Hard Drives and headsets. (That doesn't complete the list, but it's pretty good for you to start.

    I find it to be alot of fun to have so many extra uses for one machine - my computer - especially when I'm (literally) always near it.

       5) Finally, What type of warranty are you looking for? Many people have expressed their frustration at buying a computer only to have it start slowing down on them months later. It is a very frustrating (and unfortunately common problem).

    The problem is that warranties are very expensive. Many Manufacturers charge a fortune for their warranties. Many Custom Computer builders - unless you go really high end, are hesitant to back up broken parts with a good warranty... Ultimately it can be very nerve wracking. The truth is, that you can often times find the solution with your own research (many times it's just some spyware and the number of programs installed on your computer). This really depends on how much you are willing to spend.

    Alternatively, you can find one of those rare custom builders that really backs up their products with a full blown comprehensive warranty.

    You are now a seasoned computer buyer! You know pretty much all you need to know how to buy your next computer. So go ahead, step fearlessly up, and get your "Dream Computer"!