If you want a fast PC for the money, look at cyberpowerpc.com Their customizations and prices are great. I got a "gaming" PC but I'm not a "gamer" -- I just like fast. They have gaming laptops too but I can't speak to those.

I bought mine from there two years ago. Just replaced the motherboard and added a 6Gbps SATA II drive today. Sometime soon, I'll replace the processor with something like the Intel Core i7 990X.

This year, I've bought two family PCs, both HP's each for under $350, but I don't think that's what you're looking for. I got each of those set up on my home network, all excess software removed, using my network printers, etc. in under 45 minutes.