First build, advice needed. $800+(?) budget

Approximate Purchase Date: Within the next 2 weeks

Budget Range: Hopefully $800 max, including shipping, but may have some flexibility.

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Surfing the internet, watching movies, HD video(youtube or whatever) Not a gamer

Parts Not Required: keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Newegg(but I do live in California, and sales tax can add up) Amazon

Country: U.S.

Parts Preferences: Leaning towards an Antec case, or any other well ventilated case, Intel CPU. Other than that, open to suggestion

Overclocking: Don't even know what it is.

SLI or Crossfire: You tell me.

Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080

Additional Comments: First thing....right now I have 2003 Dell Dimension 4400,P4 1.6GHz, 1GB RAM, so that should tell you a lot. Second, I'm not a gamer...at all. Can't say I'd never play a game here and there, but I don't need a gaming computer, so to speak. Most of the time I'm just on the internet. So far, I haven't used any programs that are extremely demanding. Right now I'd be happy if I didn't get the spinning hourglass because I opened up Word while my virus scan was running! That might not be totally accurate, but you probably get what I mean. It takes too long to "think" and actually do what I want it to do, compared to "modern day" computers I've seen and used. My other concern is a good video card, so I can watch HD video, or maybe even a Blu Ray, if I want. My computer now can't handle that at all. I'm pretty limited by the 4x AGP slot, and I did as much as I could do with a new video card and PSU, but it still sucks, lol! My BIOS chip is dying too, so it's the end of the road, and I'm not with the times.

So there you have it it. Of course, I want more than I need, because it's too easy, and not much more expensive to have more than you need, from my understanding,but I don't want to go to an extreme that is just unnecessary or ridiculous. I want it to be fast, be able to handle HD video, MAYBE a game, and so on and so forth. All that being said, is it senseless to build one to suit my needs, or is it always better to build your own, regardless of what you need? My understanding is that it is, because you simply get more for your money. My main concern as far as software would simply be Windows 7 and probably Microsoft Office Professional(ouch!), for starters. I like the challenge of building it too though, but it will help if I know it's really worth it. I might be build two, depending on how my wife feels about building one, as opposed to just buying one. She plays a few games, unlike me, but nothing super demanding. She has a Dell that is only a year newer, and a 2.7GHz P4, and it can't handle a newer Sims game she got, so she is basically in the same boat as me, more or less. I want as much as I can get for my budget, which I know isn't high, but I also don't want to cheat myself if my budget doesn't allow me to get at least the minimum I need. Put it this way.....I was considering going on Ebay and getting a factory refurbished version of this
http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/ima [...] -22-11.pdf for $898, plus tax,
or even this
http://www.walmart.com/ip/HP-Pavil [...] ce=message
but I'm hoping I can beat those, or at least be somewhere in the ballpark of those. Anyway, and and all advice or help greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

You absolutely get more for your money if you build your own versus if you buy one pre-manufactured. You can also tailor-make your computer to your specifications. Which gives it that truer, personal approach.

An $800 build will be able to run that and then some. Actually a $600 build can handle that.

Try something like this:

Case: Fractal Design Arc MIDI - $99.99
PSU: Corsair CX600 - $59.99
Motherboard: Asrock Z68 Extreme 3 Gen 3 - $121.99
CPU: 3.30GHz Intel Core i3-2120 - $129.99
RAM: 8GB G.Skill Ripjaw X 1600MHz 1.5V - $46.99
HD: 1TB Samsung Spinpoint F3 - $159.99
Optical: Lite on DVD Burner - $17.99
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 6850 - $149.99

Total: $794.96

Thanks! That's pretty similar(but cheaper) to a wish list I had from a suggestion of a friend, with the exception of the G.Skill RAM. She said she's had two arrive DOA, and she prefers Mushkin, but the price was about the same. Plus, if I can get all that at Amazon, there is no sales tax!

This is the list I had http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/ [...] r=18357525

This is what I might be going with after all......a little higher than my original budget.
http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/ [...] r=19488066

Not exactly sure on which case just yet.
It's one of the two GPUs listed, probably the 550 ti
Most likely going to switch the ASRock motherboard for an ASUS.....been reading the ASRock is considered low end.
Probly start with a 500Gb HDD instead of Terabyte.....save a few bucks right now, add another 500Gb later.

Already bought that RAM.

Curious what anyone else thinks.