It will probably cost slightly more to build your own but you make sure the parts you are putting in are good ones: over the last however many years I have been fixing computers for people I have lost count of how many graphics cards, cpus, cooling systems, power supplies (a bad one can and will often take a whole system with it), network cards/modems..... I have had to replace or mod (new fans to new bios) to get working properly. This is not only from the fly by night builders (ironically they are usually better) but big names like dell, time, tiny, HP, sony.....
As for actually building it computers have become fairly idiot proof to build over the last few years (10 years ago I might have been able to insert a power lead to the motherboard upside down: not any more, it is marginally above square peg in square peg hole these days) and provided you read the instructions (mainly as some newer graphics cards have two power inputs or an extra one).
As for graphics cards I am yet to be convinced by directX10 so the 7xxx series is looking nice still.
As for actually building it computers have become fairly idiot proof to build over the last few years (10 years ago I might have been able to insert a power lead to the motherboard upside down: not any more, it is marginally above square peg in square peg hole these days) and provided you read the instructions (mainly as some newer graphics cards have two power inputs or an extra one).
As for graphics cards I am yet to be convinced by directX10 so the 7xxx series is looking nice still.
