Windows 7 is $100
PSU for under $70
A decent case is $50
Monitors are frequently on sale and under $200 for a 22-24"
A
good motherboard is less than $150 (Most ones on manufactured computers are crap.)
8GB of RAM for $160
DVD Drive is $20
You can get an amazing processor for under $200.
Keyboard and mouse together should be under $40.
1TB harddrive for $60.
That's around $1050 (high estimate), while completely splurging on RAM, monitor, and PSU. Not to mention all of the components are going to be higher quality than anything you'll get on a pre-made.
Seriously.
Just look at the monitors with over a $40 rebate.
Do that for all the parts I listed, and you'd probably spend less than $900.
Here's stuff I've bought/a friend has bought recently that's applicable to you:
Case + 3GHz Quad-Core CPU for $170.
Motherboard for around $115
8GB of RAM for $170.
650W Corsair (Basically the best brand you'll get.) PSU for $70.
That's $525. A good 1TB harddrive brings that up to $600. Windows 7 makes it $700. DVD drive makes it $720. Keyboard and mouse: $760.
You're going to buy a premade computer, and then rip out and replace the most expensive stuff. What premade computer has a good quadcore CPU, 4+GB of RAM, and is under $600? And the stuff you're replacing is going to cost close to $200 anyways. If you're somehow ending up making a system that's more expensive than a premade on the higher-end of specs, you're doing things terribly wrong.
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