buying a pc. gaming capability needed

[Voltron87]

I'm looking into buying a new desktop PC. Right now I have a Toshiba Qosimo laptop which I am very happy with, it has a 15 inch 1280 800 screen and some gaming power. I can run most 2004-5 games decently on low settings. For what I paid and needed when I bought it it has done great. Right now I am looking into buying a desktop + flat screen monitor that can play new games well. My budget is anywhere from 2-3K. I would like to spend 2K-2200 because I am skeptical of the diminishing returns of spending $$ on technology but I am flexible up to 3K and if 300$ will really make my computer much much better I will spend it.

What makers do you suggest? Is Dell the cheapest option? I won't build my own because that takes more time than it's worth for me plus I want to have someone else deal with the problems. So... if someone could list me some well thought of and reliable manufacturers to browse and come up with some quotes that would be great. When I find where I want to buy then I can start worrying about options.