Best PC Build for me ($1000-2000)

Well i installed AoC the other day and the game refused to run acceptably on even the lowest settings so i decided its time to upgrade. My current computer is a laptop so upgrading isn't an option. I built a pc around 6 years ago but i had help from a pc guy but he is no longer available to me. I'm looking for some support and help getting walked through the process.

First, can you guys confirm that building a pc is always cheaper? Last time i looked into desktops i was told something along the lines that since companies like dell order in bulk their systems actually can come out cheaper.

Assuming this isn't true i need to set a price range. What is the amount i need to spend to get the most bang for my buck? I don't believe anything from the old system is salvagable except the speakers so i will need to buy it all. I was looking somewhere in the range of 1000-2000. The lower the better of course. I'd like to be able to play any games i want for at least 2 years with upgrades. Definetely want upgradability.

Number one thing is games for me. I also watch and transfer alot of movies on external hard drives so firewire would be nice. I have 1TB of external hd space so a big hard drive isn't necessary.

Any help you guys could give would be great.

Do you want a monitor as well?

Anyway, here's a build taken from some other thread, made by user lalangan. It seems ok so I'ev changed it only a little.

Case - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119077

Power - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139004

Motherboard - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128059

CPU - this - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115037

RAM - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231098 (buy another 4GB if you want to use 64 bit Vista, however for gaming good old XP should be okay)

Graphics - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127325

CPU cooling - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186134

There are lots of add-on Fire-Wire card on newegg for less than 15$, so that shouldn't be a problem.

Your graphics card could be easly upgraded (in fact should be if you want to play everything at max settings for next 2-3 years). Unfortunately, for CPU such is not the case, becouse Intel is planing to use new socket for its next-gen Nehalem line). I'am sure, however, that you CPU would be still suffiecient for gaming after all those years, especially if you dare to overclock it.

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When dealing with budget boxes, companies like Dell, HP. and Gateway can often do better than a self-built computer, simply becuase they not only throw in a lot of things for free, but are often being sold at below cost to make room for new stock, and are also partially paid for by the bloatware that comes with the system. The higher-up you go however, the more money you'll generally be saving by going with a self-built rig.

$1000 is doable, but I'd recommend a budget closer to $1200-$1500 for a really good rig. With a lot of peripherals, even $2000 is not overkill, but that's throwing in things like a racing wheel and a seriously high-quality monitor.

Upgradability is a bit sketchy right now. Intel is switching socket soon, and AMD honestly doesn't have any good processors for a gamer on the market. If you get a good quad-core chip right now you should be fine for two years however, and a decent graphics card should likewise last about 2 years (my X1900XT is coming up on its 2-year anniversary, and still runs nearly every game I have on high settings with a bit of AA enabled, except a few titles like Crysis).

Given your needs, I'd say around $1400 would be a good target budget. I'd spend a bit more, but I'd be shopping for a $700 monitor and $300 case, which isn't something everyone needs.