There are four major things to look at:
1. Processor - i7 2600s are nice -- can probably use i5. Doubt you could tell the difference.
2. RAM - beteen 4GB and 8GB non buffered RAM for a desktop
3. Hard drive -- SSD, SSD, SSD, SSD (do you recall that time when you watched those little icons load in the system tray? Gone.) Never see them load again.
4. NIC card -- not wireless. Make it a Gb.
1. i7-2600s are nice but the hyperthreading has no benefit unless you use multithreaded applications like video encoding or SQL/Exchange Server. It's great on your "main" computer/server, but has virtually no use in an office computer.
2. Agreed. Get 4GB first, if you need more, (unlikely) get more. It's $20 bucks for 4GB sticks. I'm using 8GB currently (I have 16GB) because I have things running in the background, (SFTP server, VMs). Not things your average person runs.
3. SSDs are a godsend.
4. I think almost all of them are gigabit nowadays. You have to look hard to find a new desktop that doesn't have integrated gigabit. Another reason we recommend a gigabit switch is that it's only slightly more than a regular switch. Furthermore, it's getting harder and harder to find 100 mbit switches when you get 10 times the speed for 10/20 bucks more. Data demands are getting higher and higher. Makes no sense to go with the old stuff.
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