Im currently doing my dev work on an 8 yr old ASUS. Decent brand. While I cant attest to it being able to play modern heavy 3D games, its quite sufficient at everything else. If you're like me on a super tight budget, may consider a second hand unit.
If i was getting something new on a budget and wanted to be able to play games, id consider something like this for 800
For sub 500, compromising some on memory, graphics power and slower framerates on latest games...
