Building a new computer?

Thanks Wonderwes for your help in the upgrade thread and for your start my own thread suggestion.

My computer is an Athlon 1.15 GHZ, HD 5400 with 1 gig of the older ram (sdram?) and a G FX 5900 video card.

I am ready to spend some money and get a faster up to date computer mainly for the purpose of playing poker with the use of PT, Gametime+ etc., browsing the internet and playing music.


I have read some things about people using two computers or two hard drives so that they can run PT and such on one and the poker programs on the other. Can this be done with two HD as they would be using the same processor? Or is this not even necessary?


Currently I am not playing enough tables to need dual moniter capabilities, but hope to be there soon so would like to include a video card to do so, but I will not be doing any gaming.


At what point does the drop off happen on the different components where price exceeds need?

If I have this computer built where is a good place to start?

I have been vague on what I am planning on getting because I am open to suggestions on all aspects, but I will help narrow anything down that needs to be.