Yeah, listen to Joe. I built a computer, and I'm running only an AMD Athlon 1.8GHz. However, I have 1GB of RAM, though the video card has 256MB for itself....Also a GeForce 5200 FX. All my flight sims run smoothly! Yeah, I'd say mostly focus on the CPU speed and RAM (you'll want it for your photos). And, obviously, the video card... As for AMD/Pentium, personal preference. Some people will tell you though that either are faster, but don't worry about it. Good luck, Andrew