You're in the market for a new computer, monitor, or you might be interested in upgrading a current system for your poker adventures.  I have prepared an article about the things you should consider before your purchases.  I have included a breakdown of all the important components and what you should consider. I will edit this post as technology changes or poker software change requirements. At the end of some of the categories I posted a suggested minimum, I based this on my current systems that range from 2-4 years old and current technology in the market. My suggestions are strictly for poker applications; if you plan on gaming or graphics work in addition to poker, double the suggested minimums.  I comfortably can 4-6 table on any of my systems, keep additional windows open, stream TPE videos, and chat at the same time. I will provide my systems and specifications following this exhaustive article.

PC or Mac?
     One of the biggest questions about computer purchases is what operating system to use. The most common is Windows, but Macs have gained a lot of popularity lately.  In poker, Window based computers have more options with software and peripherals. However, Macs are not too far behind. In deciding what is right for you consider your budget and what other uses you require for your computer.  I have both types of computers and play poker on both without any issues.  One important concept to consider for either system is 32-bit or 64-bit. Basically, 64-bit will allow you more options and RAM capacity.  All poker software will run on 32-bit systems without a problem, but 64-bit is becoming the standard.

Desktop or Laptop?
     Desktops are great if you want your computer to be stationary and can save you money. In most cases Desktops are easily upgraded. If you do not require a portable computer and plan on super multi-tabling then consider a Desktop. Desktops are usually current with the newest technology and have a lower cost than comparable laptops.
      Laptops are designed to be portable.  In exchange for portability you lose power and gain cost. However, the gap between laptops and desktops is thinning, so you can get a pretty powerful laptop, but it will still cost significantly more than a comparable desktop. If you need a portable computer and still want to multi-table you?re in luck, most current laptops support dual monitors. You can hook your laptop up to a second screen or HD television.

Desktop:                       Laptop:
Lower cost                   Higher Cost
More Power                 Power cost significantly more
Easily Upgraded           Hard to Upgrade
Poor portability            Very portable
Space hog                   Feng shui

CPU:
     Currently the market offers two flavors of processors: dual core and quad core.  The faster the speed and number of cores equals more power. However, the more power usually requires more energy, which could affect laptop battery life. It will also increase heat output on both types of systems. You do not need a lot of processing power for poker software. All my current computers run dual core processors and I have never experienced a problem with 4-tabeling or having a few applications running at once. However, if you plan on heavy gaming, multi-tabling simultaneously on different sites, and/or graphics work then consider quad core processor. The two major companies for CPU are Intel and AMD. Both are excellent CPUs! You can save yourself some money with AMD, the extra cost for an Intel processor is do to marketing.  Suggested minimum dual core 2.5 GHz.

RAM:
     One of the most important components of a computer is the RAM; to fully use the processing power of your system you need RAM. More RAM is always better and is fairly cheap to upgrade. The more RAM the faster your computer and greater the multi-tasking ability. Keep in mind though that a 32-bit operating system can only access up to 3.5GB of RAM. A 64-bit system can access a hell of a lot more. Also note that if your graphics card is integrated/shared it deducts from your RAM. RAM is also something that is fairly cheap and easy to install after market. I have upgraded all my computers without a problem and have bought my RAM from here . Suggested minimum 4gb.

HD:
     Like RAM larger is better for a HD, but there are some things to consider. For one, you want a HD with at least 7200RPM, the faster the speed the faster it can access stored information.  If you plan on using tracking software and plan on playing a lot, your database will grow at a steady rate, you want to make sure you have enough storage capacity. If possible, I highly suggest two HDs, this will increase efficiency. One HD can store the OS and software. The second can store saved data and database. Suggested Minimum one 500 GB HD.

Video Card:
     The video card is responsible for the output to your monitor(s); it handles maximum resolution and overall video performance.  There are two types of video cards: integrated/shared and dedicated.  Integrated/shared will use memory from your overall RAM for video performance, which deducts RAM that your computer can use. These types of cards are less expensive and are geared to general computer users. These will work fine with poker applications and software, but are limited for gaming and graphics work.  Dedicated video cards have their own memory built into the card separate from the computer's RAM. As a result overall computer performance is increased. These cards are best suited for gaming and intense graphics work. Many computers today can support dual video cards, which will greatly increase performance and open the door to extreme multi-tabling. Suggested minimum 512mb.

Monitors and Resolution:
     Resolution is dependent upon two things: your video card and the size of your monitor(s). For laptops you are limited to the size of the screen. However, if your laptop supports output to another monitor you could output to a higher resolution if your video card supports it.  If you can afford it, get a system that supports high resolution and adjust it to what you like- you can always adjust down the resolution. Certain applications in gaming and Adobe products usually require higher resolution.  If you plan on multi-tabling you will need high resolution to fit as many tables on the screen as you can.  When buying a monitor(s) make sure it supports the max resolution of your video card.  You can also hook your computer up to a HD television; this is a great option for laptop users. My primary poker computer is a laptop and I have it hooked to a Samsung HD television running 1440×900 resolution.  If you plan on going higher than 1920×1080 you will require a monitor that can support it, HD television are limited to 1920×1080.  Television are good for poker and basic computing, but poor for gaming, because of refresh rates, gaming requires extreme refresh rates, which are found in monitors.  There is a link attached to the topic for more information on resolution. The major poker sites require a minimum of 1024×768 resolution. Suggested minimum 1440×900.

13-15″: 1024×768 (2-4 Tables)
17-19″: 1280×1024 (4-6 Tables)
20″+: 1600×1200 (6-8 Tables)
19″ (Widescreen): 1440×900 (6-8 Tables)
20″ (Widescreen): 1680×1050 (8-10 Tables)
24″ (Widescreen): 1920×1200 (10-12 Tables)
30″ (Widescreen): 2560×1600 (12-14 Tables)
40″ (Widescreen Samsung HD TV): 1440×900 (6-8 Tables)-This is my setup

My setups:

Primary Poker computer:  Lenovo Thinkpad T60p dual core 2.0Ghz, 3.5GB RAM, Windows XP Pro, 200 GB 7200 RPM and 160 GB 7200 RPM HD, 256mb dedicated ATI video card, Samsung 40″ HD TV 1440×900.

Secondary:  iMac dual core 2.66 GHz 64-bit, Mac OS 10.6.6, 4.0GB RAM, Two 7200 RPM 320 GB HD, 256mb Shared Nividia, 20″ 1680×1050.

Macbook Pro: Dual core 2.26 GHz 64-bit, Mac OS 10.6.6, 4.0 GB Ram, 7200 RPM 200 GB HD, 256 MB shared, Nividia, 13.3″ 1280×800.

Laptop:  Asus M50s dual core 2.6 GHz, Windows Vista 32-bit, 3.0 GB RAM, 5400 RPM 250 GB HD, 512 MB dedicated Nividia, 15″ 1440×900 and Samsung HD TV 1440×900.