My laptop is more powerful than that (core2duo 2.4ghz, 6GB ram, 500GB HDD) and it barely opens logic lol. Took 5 mins the other day. Plus I wouldn't buy a model that old in the present day, my laptop is 5 yrs old now. So it would probably be similarly aged. If you were looking for a mac, I think Hobberz bought one similar to this - http://store.apple.com/au/product/FC309X/A That has some alright specs On the PC side of things, something like this would be pretty powerful: http://www.centrecom.com.au/catalog/aur ... ml?sort=2a All you would want to look at getting with something like that would be an upgraded sound card (Can't recommend any myself, ask some of the other producers what they use). That site i linked sometimes sells custom build desktops that cheap that I can't build it that cheap myself, so sometimes just tell people to buy from there. And that also comes with a 20" monitor that price So if that desktop is 1k with a screen, if you hunted around enough you could build a similarly specced desktop for under 1k. I'd probably get a 120GB ssd instead of a 60GB though, once you start loading plugins and stuff on 60gb won't go far. Then add your soundcard in and we are coming in around on budget. General things I would recommend that alot of people overlook when doing a custom build: -Spend a bit extra and get a good case - this will allow for plenty of extra hdd slots for upgrade ability in the future. Also will feel alot more sturdy and things will fit better. Also a case with the largest fans you can get is good. Larger the fan = lower rpm = quieter machine. A case with a fan at the bottom of the front of the case and higher up at the rear makes for good ventilation and crossdraft (as hot air rises, derp) -Get a power supply that is more powerful than you need - again, you will save in the long run doing upgrades, you can re use it. Also a common issue is people use power supplies that aren't strong enough and they will start getting random restarts. Underpowered PSU can be the cause of this. Also buy a PSU with a large fan as they are quieter -Get a motherboard that has room for extra harddrives (same reason as the case), and make sure it supports your CPU/RAM and all other parts you plan to install -If your choose to get liquid cooling, it is good, but make sure the guy who is helping you knows how to install it, nothing worse than a noob breaking a part before its even in the machine In summary, building a desktop is about more than specs IMO. You will get alot longer life out of it and be happier in the long run if you follow what i just said. C: Thing most to consider when deciding though is what software you want to use, as that really decides what computer you get. Hope this helps