i would say $1000 is a bit tough to get a computer that's good at 3d graphics and ps. depends on how serious you are about it though, as ones around that price will do it but ones for a bit more will do it better. the combo of a core 2 processor and a decent graphics card can make it expensive pretty quick. this one is pretty decent but is a bit over budget when you add the monitor. you can customize to make a little cheaper though
http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/system/infsligtc2d.asp?v=d
regardless of what you get cyberpowerpc is where i've found some good prices on good systems so check them out. i'd go with a core 2 processor and the best graphics card you can afford within budget
i'm in a similar situation as you, not a true gamer but want the ability and want to do 3d rendering, ps, video editing, things like that for fun. what i put together from cyberpowerpc follows, ended up being $2103 but then some rebates they had going at the time put it around $2000. def some places to save money but prob still $1500
<table x:str="" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 371pt;" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="494"><col style="width: 371pt;" width="494"> <tbody><tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17"> <td class="xl23" style="height: 12.75pt; width: 371pt;" height="17" width="494">Component</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17"> <td class="xl22" style="height: 12.75pt; width: 371pt;" x:str="CAS: CoolerMaster Stacker 830 Tower 420W Case W/ Side-panel Window " height="17" width="494">CAS: CoolerMaster Stacker 830 Tower 420W Case W/ Side-panel Window </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17"> <td class="xl22" style="height: 12.75pt; width: 371pt;" x:str="CASUPGRADE: 12in COLD CATHODE NEON LIGHT [+10] (BLUE COLOR) " height="17" width="494">CASUPGRADE: 12in COLD CATHODE NEON LIGHT [+10] (BLUE COLOR) </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 25.5pt;" height="34"> <td class="xl22" style="height: 25.5pt; width: 371pt;" x:str="CPU: (Sckt775)Intel Core™ 2 Duo E6600 CPU @ 2.4GHz 1066FSB 2x2MB L2 Cache EM64T [+140] " height="34" width="494">CPU: (Sckt775)Intel Core™ 2 Duo E6600 CPU @ 2.4GHz 1066FSB 2x2MB L2 Cache EM64T [+140] </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 25.5pt;" height="34"> <td class="xl22" style="height: 25.5pt; width: 371pt;" x:str="CD: (Special Price) 16X DVDR/RW + CD-R/RW DRIVE DUAL LAYER (BLACK COLOR) " height="34" width="494">CD: (Special Price) 16X DVDR/RW + CD-R/RW DRIVE DUAL LAYER (BLACK COLOR) </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17"> <td class="xl22" style="height: 12.75pt; width: 371pt;" x:str="CD2: 16X DVD ROM (BLACK COLOR) " height="17" width="494">CD2: 16X DVD ROM (BLACK COLOR) </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17"> <td class="xl22" style="height: 12.75pt; width: 371pt;" x:str="CABLE: None " height="17" width="494">CABLE: None </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17"> <td class="xl22" style="height: 12.75pt; width: 371pt;" x:str="FLOPPY: NONE [-5] " height="17" width="494">FLOPPY: NONE [-5] </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 25.5pt;" height="34"> <td class="xl22" style="height: 25.5pt; width: 371pt;" x:str="FLASHMEDIA: INTERNAL 12in1 Flash Media Reader/Writer [+10] (BLACK COLOR) " height="34" width="494">FLASHMEDIA: INTERNAL 12in1 Flash Media Reader/Writer [+10] (BLACK COLOR) </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17"> <td class="xl22" style="height: 12.75pt; width: 371pt;" x:str="FAN: CoolerMaster Liquid CPU Cooling Fan System Kit + 2 EXTRA CASE FANS " height="17" width="494">FAN: CoolerMaster Liquid CPU Cooling Fan System Kit + 2 EXTRA CASE FANS </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 25.5pt;" height="34"> <td class="xl22" style="height: 25.5pt; width: 371pt;" x:str="HDD: Single Hard Drive (74GB Gaming Western Digital Rapter 10,000RPM SATA150 8MB Cache WD740ADFD [+87]) " height="34" width="494">HDD: Single Hard Drive (74GB Gaming Western Digital Rapter 10,000RPM SATA150 8MB Cache WD740ADFD [+87]) </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 25.5pt;" height="34"> <td class="xl22" style="height: 25.5pt; width: 371pt;" x:str="HDD2: 250GB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 8MB Cache 7200RPM Hard Drive -- Recommended [+82] " height="34" width="494">HDD2: 250GB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 8MB Cache 7200RPM Hard Drive -- Recommended [+82] </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17"> <td class="xl22" style="height: 12.75pt; width: 371pt;" x:str="IEEE_CARD: NONE " height="17" width="494">IEEE_CARD: NONE </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 25.5pt;" height="34"> <td class="xl22" style="height: 25.5pt; width: 371pt;" x:str="KEYBOARD: PS2 MULTIMEDIA INTERNET CONTROL KEYBOARD (BLACK COLOR) " height="34" width="494">KEYBOARD: PS2 MULTIMEDIA INTERNET CONTROL KEYBOARD (BLACK COLOR) </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17"> <td class="xl22" style="height: 12.75pt; width: 371pt;" x:str="MOUSE: Logitech Optical Wheel Mouse (BLACK COLOR) " height="17" width="494">MOUSE: Logitech Optical Wheel Mouse (BLACK COLOR) </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 25.5pt;" height="34"> <td class="xl22" style="height: 25.5pt; width: 371pt;" x:str="MONITOR: ViewSonic Q9B 19" COLOR TFT Active Matrix SXGA LCD Display Monitor (Black) (Original Black) " height="34" width="494">MONITOR: ViewSonic Q9B 19" COLOR TFT Active Matrix SXGA LCD Display Monitor (Black) (Original Black) </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17"> <td class="xl22" style="height: 12.75pt; width: 371pt;" x:str="MONITOR2: NONE " height="17" width="494">MONITOR2: NONE </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 38.25pt;" height="51"> <td class="xl22" style="height: 38.25pt; width: 371pt;" x:str="MOTHERBOARD: (Quad-Core Supports) Intel DP965LT P965 Chipset LGA775 Supports Core 2 Duo CPU FSB1066 DDR2/800 Mainboard w/GbLAN,USB2.0,IEEE1394&7.1Audio [-4] " height="51" width="494">MOTHERBOARD: (Quad-Core Supports) Intel DP965LT P965 Chipset LGA775 Supports Core 2 Duo CPU FSB1066 DDR2/800 Mainboard w/GbLAN,USB2.0,IEEE1394&7.1Audio [-4] </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 25.5pt;" height="34"> <td class="xl22" style="height: 25.5pt; width: 371pt;" x:str="MEMORY: (Req.DDR2 MainBoard)2GB (2x1GB) PC6400 DDR2/800 Dual Channel Memory [+180] (Corsair XMS2 Xtreme Memory w/ Heat Spreader [+45]) " height="34" width="494">MEMORY: (Req.DDR2 MainBoard)2GB (2x1GB) PC6400 DDR2/800 Dual Channel Memory [+180] (Corsair XMS2 Xtreme Memory w/ Heat Spreader [+45]) </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17"> <td class="xl22" style="height: 12.75pt; width: 371pt;" x:str="MODEM: NONE " height="17" width="494">MODEM: NONE </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17"> <td class="xl22" style="height: 12.75pt; width: 371pt;" x:str="NETWORK: ONBOARD 10/100 NETWORK CARD " height="17" width="494">NETWORK: ONBOARD 10/100 NETWORK CARD </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 25.5pt;" height="34"> <td class="xl22" style="height: 25.5pt; width: 371pt;" x:str="OS: Microsoft Windows XP Media Center 2005 Edition w/ Free Upgrade to Windows Vista™ Home Premium [+15] " height="34" width="494">OS: Microsoft Windows XP Media Center 2005 Edition w/ Free Upgrade to Windows Vista™ Home Premium [+15] </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17"> <td class="xl22" style="height: 12.75pt; width: 371pt;" x:str="PPU: NONE " height="17" width="494">PPU: NONE </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17"> <td class="xl22" style="height: 12.75pt; width: 371pt;" x:str="PRO_WIRING: None " height="17" width="494">PRO_WIRING: None </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17"> <td class="xl22" style="height: 12.75pt; width: 371pt;" x:str="PRINTER: None " height="17" width="494">PRINTER: None </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17"> <td class="xl22" style="height: 12.75pt; width: 371pt;" x:str="PRINTER_CABLE: None " height="17" width="494">PRINTER_CABLE: None </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17"> <td class="xl22" style="height: 12.75pt; width: 371pt;" x:str="POWERSUPPLY: **Recommended** NZXT PF-500 500Watt Power Supply [+49] " height="17" width="494">POWERSUPPLY: **Recommended** NZXT PF-500 500Watt Power Supply [+49] </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17"> <td class="xl22" style="height: 12.75pt; width: 371pt;" x:str="RUSH: NO; READY TO SHIP IN 5~10 BUSINESS DAYS " height="17" width="494">RUSH: NO; READY TO SHIP IN 5~10 BUSINESS DAYS </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 25.5pt;" height="34"> <td class="xl22" style="height: 25.5pt; width: 371pt;" x:str="SERVICE: STANDARD WARRANTY: 3-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY PLUS 24/7 LIFE-TIME TECHNICAL SUPPORT " height="34" width="494">SERVICE: STANDARD WARRANTY: 3-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY PLUS 24/7 LIFE-TIME TECHNICAL SUPPORT </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17"> <td class="xl22" style="height: 12.75pt; width: 371pt;" x:str="SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO " height="17" width="494">SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17"> <td class="xl22" style="height: 12.75pt; width: 371pt;" x:str="SPEAKERS: (BLACK) Logitech X530 70Watts 5.1 Configuration Speaker System " height="17" width="494">SPEAKERS: (BLACK) Logitech X530 70Watts 5.1 Configuration Speaker System </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17"> <td class="xl22" style="height: 12.75pt; width: 371pt;" x:str="TEMP: NONE (AS SHOWN) " height="17" width="494">TEMP: NONE (AS SHOWN) </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17"> <td class="xl22" style="height: 12.75pt; width: 371pt;" x:str="TVRC: None " height="17" width="494">TVRC: None </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17"> <td class="xl22" style="height: 12.75pt; width: 371pt;" x:str="UPS: None " height="17" width="494">UPS: None </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17"> <td class="xl22" style="height: 12.75pt; width: 371pt;" x:str="USB: Built-in USB 2.0 Ports " height="17" width="494">USB: Built-in USB 2.0 Ports </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17"> <td class="xl22" style="height: 12.75pt; width: 371pt;" x:str="USBHD: NONE " height="17" width="494">USBHD: NONE </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17"> <td class="xl22" style="height: 12.75pt; width: 371pt;" x:str="VIDEO: NEW!!! NVIDIA GeForce 7950 GT 512MB 16X PCI Express Video Card " height="17" width="494">VIDEO: NEW!!! NVIDIA GeForce 7950 GT 512MB 16X PCI Express Video Card </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17"> <td class="xl22" style="height: 12.75pt; width: 371pt;" x:str="VIDEO2: NONE " height="17" width="494">VIDEO2: NONE </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17"> <td class="xl22" style="height: 12.75pt; width: 371pt;" x:str="VIDEOCAMERA: NONE " height="17" width="494">VIDEOCAMERA: NONE </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17"> <td class="xl22" style="height: 12.75pt; width: 371pt;" x:str="WNC: PCI Wireless 802.11g 54Mbps Network Interface Card [+19] " height="17" width="494">WNC: PCI Wireless 802.11g 54Mbps Network Interface Card [+19] </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17"> <td class="xl22" style="height: 12.75pt; width: 371pt;" x:str="WAP: NONE " height="17" width="494">WAP: NONE </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17"> <td class="xl22" style="height: 12.75pt; width: 371pt;" x:str="ZIP: NONE " height="17" width="494">ZIP: NONE </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17"> <td class="xl22" style="height: 12.75pt; width: 371pt;" x:str="_PRICE: (+2103) " height="17" width="494">_PRICE: (+2103) </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17"> <td class="xl22" style="height: 12.75pt; width: 371pt;" x:str="_view_: detail " height="17" width="494">_view_: detail </td> </tr> </tbody></table>
