No it is not neccessary to get an XP64 for those purposes. I recommend anything except a celeron, duron, or sempron. An athlon XP or pentium 4 will do just fine. You can replace your video card if it doesn't meet the requirements to play games. You should be able to get a computer for your needs under $400 (excluding monitor, speakers, keyboard, mouse). If you give us a budget range and what you're looking for (parts/ whole system) someone should be able to recommend something for you.