[krimson]

I think a good option in your case is finding a small local shop that allows you to customize your pc, and have them build it for you. You can usually find one with some 20-25 year old employee's who are in the know of how to build a good gaming machine for $2K.

I have found in the past that small local shops are good if you come across problems. Easy to get support from them, no hassles with mailing parts around, etc, etc.