I'm looking at Rift: SL and have heard it's much less forgiving than WoW on minimum system requirements.

The recommended reqs are:

Recommended:
OS: Windows XP, Vista or 7
Processor: Core 2 Duo 2.2 GHz or better
Memory: 4 GB
Desktop Graphics: Nvidia GTS 250 or better
Notebook Graphics: Nvidia GTX 200M series or better
DirectX®: 9.0c, June 2010 update
Hard Drive: 15.0 GB available
Sound: DirectX 8.1 compliant card
Other: Broadband internet connection (DSL, cable modem or other high speed connection)

My desktop and laptops are 4-5 years old.

Can anyone recommend a good rig in both desktop and laptop configurations? My budget is about $500.

Thanks.