POJack,

The original system is a nice one and will play the newest games without a hitch. Loaded pointed out some very good issues however, getting a Northwood P4 would be well worth it. As for Alienware, well, anything from is going to be good, but for a price. They're basically the premium in gaming pcs, next to Falcon Northwest and custom builds. As far displays, I too do not prefer a flat panel. To me they're still not as sharp as my 21" trinitron CRT. Plus, they cost quiet a bit more as far as size goes.