Computers are what run society. Computers are needed for just about everything you do. From buying a cup of coffee to playing the next big video game, a computer is what we use to achieve many things. There are some people who are into the newest, most expensive piece of equipment out there, and there are others who just like to do basic things such as surf the web and listen to music who will take anything that "works fast". To find your ideal computer, you first need to evaluate what it is you like to do on computers. There are tests out there that determine such things, but all you need to do is ask yourself, "What is it that I do or would like to do?" and build off of your own answers. Compile a list of what you enjoy doing and buy or build your own computer based off of it. Below are recommendations for what a person might find suitable based on different likings:

Media and the web: Consider buying a prebuilt computer with an Intel(c) Pentium(c) 4 processor and 512MB RAM with a simple 64MB video card and a 150GB hard drive. Something simple like that would be what many "techies" would consider consumer grade and would be ideal for media and the web if that would be all you were going to do.

Moderate gaming, media and photo editing: Something a little higher grade would be ideal for someone who likes a game now and then, along with a little bit of photo editing. My ideal system for somebody like this is an AMD(c) Athlon(c) 64 X2 3800 processor with 1GB RAM and a bit heftier 128MB graphics card such as the nVidia(c) GeForce(c) 6800 with a bigger 300GB hard drive A setup like this would allow you to play most of the latest games, while listening to music at the same time. Or edit a photo to perfection, post your newest blog and chat with a friend. This is an all around good computer that will work to do just about anything you need.

Extreme gaming, movie making, photo creating: This is where you need to spend the big bucks to get what you want. If you really want to pwn everyone on Halo(c) PC, or kill everything in sight on HalfLife(c) 2, you'll need to shell out a bit of cash. The most ideal gaming computer would have something like an AMD(c) Athlon(c) 64 FX-62 processor with an Asus(c) A8N-SLI Deluxe motherboard with dual nVidia(c) GeForce(c) 7900GT video cards in SLI mode, 4 GB PC400 RAM and a huge 500GB hard drive. This is not for the feint of heart, nor the light of wallet. A computer that has everything listed above will cost more than your weekly allowance and is meant only for those who make more money than the rest of us and also have too much time on their hands.

DISCLAIMER: What I showed you above caters to the most common activities done with a computer and is what I would consider best for those areas of interest, but may not necessarally what is best for you.

I said it once and I'll say it again. The type of computer you buy is based solely on your interests. Somebody who does the internet and music shouldn't be using something an extreme gamer is, or vice versa. As yourself the question and continue on from there. That is the easiest, most intuitive way for you to decide what type of computer to buy. Also, make sure to read up on the equipment you might purchase. That's one thing many people don't do and they end up buying the wrong stuff and are either not satisfied or what they've got is too powerful for what they do.