given your past building experience and local support options I'm actually going to recommend you buy pre-built. after looking at what Asus and Acer are charging for their 'gaming' desktops, and what graphics cards they are including in their other towers. I have to flip my recommendation. Those are laughable.
so ya. build your own.
I would also point you towards the hardware leader board on pcper.
Also, don't cheap out on the power supply. Don't buy something massively over spec-ed for your system. But having a crap power supply can cause no end of frustration.
on the topic of over clocking: I wouldn't bother with it
The GTX 560 or 570 should be more than enough graphics card (fully maxed settings in COH and not a stutter in site. actually I lie. you will still see stutters on mothership/hami raids, but that is network related, not graphics card).
8gb ram should be more than enough memory.
-Terry
-----
"so listen up boy, or pornography starring your mother will be the second worst thing to happen to you today"
TF2: Spy
so ya. build your own.
I would also point you towards the hardware leader board on pcper.
Also, don't cheap out on the power supply. Don't buy something massively over spec-ed for your system. But having a crap power supply can cause no end of frustration.
on the topic of over clocking: I wouldn't bother with it
The GTX 560 or 570 should be more than enough graphics card (fully maxed settings in COH and not a stutter in site. actually I lie. you will still see stutters on mothership/hami raids, but that is network related, not graphics card).
8gb ram should be more than enough memory.
-Terry
-----
"so listen up boy, or pornography starring your mother will be the second worst thing to happen to you today"
TF2: Spy