Is now a good time to upgrade my rig?

[tibilicus]

Hi tech guys,

I'm currently considering investing in a new PC, preferably a small form factor as I will be travelling between countries a lot next year and the smaller the rig, the less hassle getting it through customs at the airport. I haven't been in the loop with tech for months now and was wondering if now is a good time to purchase new hardware? Are we expecting any major developments in processors or gfx cards around the corner or am I good to go?

[Lemur]

The usual caveats apply: There's always something big around the corner. Computers depreciate faster than commemorative plates. Etc.

Main question is whether you want to build your own or have someone else connect the wires.

Pro-built SFFs range from the nice-but-expensive Fragbox (http://www.falcon-nw.com/desktops/fragbox) to the more-reasonable Revolt (http://www.ibuypower.com/Store/Revolt_R570).

If you're going to build it yourself, you have a wide range of cases to choose from. Here's a recent five-case roundup (http://lifehacker.com/5994570/five-best-small-form-factor-pc-cases).