Virtual desktops may be "almost" as fast as the real thing, but native performance is still native performance...

I usually have to spend some time on Tom's Hardware: http://www.tomshardware.com/ That allows me to work out what I want, then I do a price comparison to find out what I can afford. It's a nuisance, and most computers nowadays don't come with a decent graphics card, so if you're a gamer, that takes even longer to research.