I would agree custom built is the best (from raw parts ofcourse) meaning dont call dell and say this is what i want in my comp i would say go to a shop and pick the parts that you want and then assemble it like that. Now if you dont have a whole lot of computer knowledge and want to go with an off the shelf deal i would say go with either a new HP or an E machine but thats only my opinion. i like the e machines cuz they come loaded for cheep and i like hp cuz they are extremely reliable and they have excelent customer support. I have never really checked out an alien ware so i cant give any opinion on em but they sound like they are really good from what other ppl have told me about em. NEVER buy a gateway they are less than oem standards thus making them inexpensive but i can tell you first hand just how horable they are every gateway is junk straight from the factory youll get anything from bad HDs to shit motherboards from those assholes! I cant say that dell is all that bad but they aint the greatest either kind of an inbetween brand. IBM is VERY good quality shit one of the best brands out there they have been around since the start after all. I think that anyone who knows anything about computers will tell you not to buy an apple hell i dont even consider them to be computers more like a cheep rip off of a computer and quite possable the worst of the lot.
Well thats my take on things and with that i say opinions to each his own
