I wouldn't go for gaim, its more than an IRC client plus, its based off GTK which you wouldn't quite enjoy.
You can go for the paid
mIRC, it has lovely customizations and scripts to its credit. Alternatively you can try the more modern Hydra IRC.
Or if you'd like to mix it up with your Firefox Web Browser, get the Chatzilla add-on. Its heavy and crashes at times though.
And if you still would like to know more yet, head over to comparison tables.