Monarch Custom or Dell XPS 400?

[ENDContra]

Im in need of a new PC, and I think I want to go the pre-built route this time. Theres a part of me that doesnt want to go with the Dell, but you its a pretty good deal right now ($1500 for an XPS with dual core Pentium and a 20" widescreen LCD). I was also looking at putting together a Monarch custom...the specs on the one I threw together were:

80418 Monarch Solidus Dual-Core Custom Desktop w/DDR2 (PCI-E)
Case: 100551 - No PS - Thermaltake VB1000BWS Soprano ATX
Power Supply: 100143 - PS 485W - Enermax Noisetaker EG495AX-VE S
Case Fan: 100887 - 120mm - Antec 120mm SmartCool Case Fan
Motherboard: 110646 - Abit AL8-V 945P 1066FSB Audio/GB-LAN/IEEE
Processor: 120440 - Intel Pentium D 820 LGA775 2.8GHz 2MB 800
Thermal Grease: 800018 - Shin-Etsu G675 Thermal Grease (Cools CPU
Memory: 140672 - DDR2 (533) 4200 - 2 GB (2 pcs 1GB) OCZ (O
Hard Drive: 150036 - SATA - Western Digital (WD2500SD) 250 GB/
CD-ROM/DVD-ROM/CD-RW: 160459 - DVD±RW - Pioneer DVR-110DBK Dual-Layer 16
Sound Card: 180212 - Creative Labs Sound Blaster Live! 7.1 24-
Video Card: 190392 - eVGA GeForce 6600 256MB DDR/PCI-E/HDTV-Ou
Add-On Card: 270702 - Fire Wire - Zonet ZFN2600 IEEE1394 Firewi Operating System: 210111 - Microsoft Windows XP Professional w/Servi

There are a few things I will add-in that I already have as well....HDTV tuner card and another HDD. Ive never overclocked, but I guess part of me likes that option, and of course you dont have it with Dell, as well as having a limited number of expansion drive bays (only 2 internal for HDDs).

 

[cheesehead]

Monarch all the way. Dell is a headache.
However, go for a 6600GT. The extra video card RAM will give no benifit to performance unless you're running multiple monitors at super-high resolutions; the 6600GT, which has a higher clock speed, can perform at least 20% better. However, the 6600GT would still be crippling your computer; a 6800GT would give you much better bang for the buck.
In addition, you really don't need more than 1GB of memory. Most games don't even use that much; only multimedia editing (VEGAS, ProTools), 3D creation/rendering (3DSmax), or CAD (Autodesk Inventor, Dassault's CATIA, AUTOCAD) require that much RAM.

EDIT:
After taking a second look at your system, I'd reccomend starting again from the ground up.
First, AMD is far better than Intel. A single-core AMD64 3500+ will outperform the dual-core 2.8 in every area, and will likely cost less. ASUS is the way to go for motherbards, but NVIDIA's Nforce4 chipset will allow you to add a second graphics card later to improve performance. (On you current layout, the 1066FSB motherboard is overkill anyway.) Also, most NF4 boards have integrated firewall.
Second, 1GB of DDR400 is just fine for a single-core system. 2GB might make sense, though, if you're running a dual-core AMD64, or a more powerful dual-core P4.
Third, I'd look at wether you really need a high-end graphics card. Nvidia's audio is actually quite good, and you're better off putting you money into the graphics card.
Lastly, a 6800GT or above is highly reccomended. Anything else, and you're shooting yourself in the foot. The X800 is also nice, but it does'nt allow you to add a second card later. (Only Nvidia PCIe cards can do that, and only the 6600 and above.)
Note:
The LE and XT variants of Nvidia cards are generally slower, as is the GT version of most ATI cards. The GT and GTO versions of ATI cards are generally much faster; the XT and Pro versions of ATI cards are also an improvement.