I am just getting into programming and some 3-D art. my current comp (Gateway w/ 2.26 Pentium 4, 512 RAM, GeForce 2, etc... it's old) is bogging down with some of the tasks I am having it complete (compiling and rendering). I am saving up all I can and this looks pretty promising, especially because it can be easily upgraded as my requirements become more advanced. is this price reasonable and will it have the power to run the majority of development programs?

Just buy RAM and a new graphics card. A 2.26 GHz CPU is not slow. Get yourself 2GB RAM and a sub-$200 GPU and you're all set.

I agree with Seyi - that rig isn't much of an upgrade when you can save yourself some money for the same results. You'd be amazed at the difference a good chunk of RAM can make.

So the ram and card will be enough? The only problem I have with upgrading my existing system is the mobo is antiquated. It is not socket 775 and it is still using RDRAM in stead of DDR2. Is there some kind of kit or someting so that if I buy new ram (DDR2) it will work with an older motherboard or will the mere upgrade in ram (RDRAM) get a couple of years out of my computer still? Will the newer video cards be compatiable with my motherboard? It is an Intel Lexington MV85010A, or at least I think this is the correct serial #.

Your ram could be a problem, DDR2 is far easier to find and pick from, so it will cost less. As for the graphics card, it all depends on what type of expansion slot you have. I'm guessing you have an AGP slot.

If you wish to upgrade, you may actually be better off saving up more and just getting a completely new computer, that way you have two systems you can use.

eegads you have RDRAM??? Crap forget upgrading that for cheap. Sorry, no offense intended.

Ok well now I'd say def upgrade to DDR2 and Core 2 Duo, just for starters. Both can be bought real cheap these days, and with the C2D you can even get a lower clock speed and still see a performance boost - more money you can shovel into the mainboard and video card.