I highly recommend that you get a brand name like TechWorks. RAM prices change weekly and what you see in print may not be the latest price. The vendor will be sure to tell you if the price went up, but not necessarily if it went down. It is very helpful to have two drives, one for applications and one for storage and scratch. A computer artist usually needs a vast amount of permanent storage space, and also needs to send out files.
CDs are the most permanent and most universally readable form of storage.
CD-R is now the cheapest form of storage. CD-R discs hold apx. For archival storage I use Kodak InfoGuard discs, which are regarded as the best quality available. Not doing so with slow down the work. You will also need to regularly run a disk maintenance program to correct problems that may develop in the directory.