There are literally thousands of places to buy computer components.
Two good places to start would be http://shopper.zdnet.com and
http://shopper.cnet.com
Both are popular tech sites that offer price comparisons and reviews.
You could build a comparable machine for very little money, but I
would caution against building, buying, or selling desktop machines
with integrated components (especially sound and video.) These
"budget" machines are often woefully underpowered for a knowledgable
computer user, especially when it comes to gaming. All too often, a
novice computer user will purchase one of these and will later
discover that it will not run the application that they had in mind.
Also, from a retail point of view, it is hard to make money on
assembled computer sales. You will find it hard to compete with the
'name' brands, like Dell, Gateway and IBM. You will have to set your
prices extremely low to even make the sale, and when you factor in the
time it takes to assemble and load software, you will find your profit
margin woefully low.
Most of the 'local' computer shops I have worked for/dealt
with/consulted with all say that computer sales have little-to-no
impact on thier income. Most of these places make thier money on
support, repairs and upgrades, or side ventures like also being an ISP
at the same time.
Also, two of the major selling points on PC's right now are service
and support. People will expect you to provide some kind of warranty
and tech support for the products you build. For a one-person
operation, this can quickly become overwhelming and a major
money-sink.
I apologize if it seems I am trying to crush your dreams, but I have
found retail computer sales to be a very harsh working enrironment. |