I don’t know how big an issue cost is for you, but for those of us who watch every penny, be aware that certain companies tax certain states. I never use Tiger because they tax my state, I use NewEgg. But I’m sure the opposite applies for others, depending on where they are.
If you decide you want an already built one, try sites like Ben’s Bargains or Slickdeals.net, putting in a buy alert for what you want. My last laptop I saved over a third off the sale price by smart shopping. I basically got over a $1K machine for 500.
Good info! Thanks