Build or 'out of the box'/'off the shelf'?

I have been heavily researching having a box built for ‘high end’ editing - though initially I will be learning on consumer level material.


This is my first attempt at such a thing, & I am new to the world of video editing (digital film etc).

To date, the configuration I have arrived at is the following:

CPU: Intel Q660 quad core 2.4 GHz
Memory: 2G DDR2800 (2)
Graphic card: ATI 4850 512M
Harddisk: 640G SATA (2)
Motherboard: (Gigabyte) Intel P45/LGA 775
OS: XP Pro
Editing software: Premiere Pro CS3 or CS4 (eventually).



If anyone would oblige me, I would like to know:

i) Is the designated CPU correct?

ii) Is the overall configuration ‘good’ or can it be improved?

iii) Is it possible to get this ‘out of the box’ from a company like Dell with the same configuration & presumably much the same price?

iv) Is it better for me to purchase a ‘high end’ video editing unit ‘out of the box’ or have it built?


Thanks very much.