Originally Posted by Warmskin

Well, the actual price on System #1: i7-975, GTX275, 12GB DDR3 is ~$300 cheaper than System #2: i7-950, GTX295, 6GB DDR3. I know - hard to believe. I know I don't really need all this power right now, but I'm just trying to buy a PC that I don't have to upgrade in a few years. I'm sick of that hassle. The real problem is this: I've read so many horror stories about buying on line and returning defective merchandise that I just don't want to hassle with that. I was looking first at actually customizing at Velocity Micro's (VM) site and then I found that the Fry's in the my area is going to have system #1 available soon for quite a bit less money than the custom made VM (Sys#2). *Both* PCs are VM. If I buy from Fry's I can just take it in for any needed repairs. My experience with their tech dept. in the past has been positive. I'd get my machine back in a few days. If I buy direct from VM's site, and if something goes wrong... well, I don't really want to put myself through that. Their 'on site' (someone comes to my house) repair option is at *their own discretion*, and I've heard they usually *don't* send anyone. I'm just at the point in my life (I'm definitely what you'd call an 'older gamer') that I want as few problems as necessary. And money is not quite as much a concern as when I was younger. Oh, it's a concern alright - just not what it used to be... .
Thanks to all for your responses.