Hey guys--I have built two custom jobs for people in the past three months, along with completely rebuilding my personal system recently (runs Morrowind smooth as silk, absolutely no slow-downs, even on loading). One of the systems went to a friend in NY and we had no problems at all. Shipping is not that bad, really, especially when I get like 40% discount on UPS where I work.
The best site for components that I have found is
www.newegg.com hands down. They offer the best pricing (P4 2.4G for $160 with free 2-day FedEx is a good example) I have found anywhere on the net, and their customer service is flat out great. Using components from NewEgg, I could easily build a gamer's dream system for well under $1000, even including a NEW 19" flat-tube monitor. I could even install your current hard drive in the new system (if you sent it to me) or simply walk you through putting it in the new box (as I did for my [nearly computer illiterate] friend in NY), which would allow you to keep all your files with no issues at all.
Drop me a line if you are interested and I can price one out for you.
--Greystone
greystone@carolina.rr.com