Here's probably a pretty boring question if you have. Do you think there's a savings from using their recommended vendors to acquire your separate pieces or do you think trying to consolidate with fewer vendors will save you money when you factor in shipping (since so many will offer free-shipping if an order is large enough)? It looks like a pretty tedious estimation process to answer so I figured I'd try asking y'all before spending a whole dang day with my calculator taking notes and creating user accounts.

I kinda did, but only as a way of compiling a list of potential components with prices.  I think you still have to check other vendor prices, as the data isn't always recent, and of course there are always sales going on.  I still found the data worthwhile as there were a couple of items listed that I hadn't thought of... It actually steered me into a new direction.
 
After doing the math, I ended up doing a "poor man's" upgrade:  I kept my mainboard, cpu and ram - they were still fairly recent - and replaced 3 of my 5 HDDs with SSDs, along with an external 2-bay RAID backup with 4TB WD Black drives. 
 
I still got a zippier system that does everything I want -- as well as a synchronized backup system for peace of mind. 

I used it like JonD said- a good reference to assemble a set of parts that will work together and have features I want.  I purchased the parts from New Egg and Amazon according to availability and price.  Check and then check again that your plan is complete and made of compatible parts. 

I always do new builds on this site. It's a huge help. I pretty much always used NewEgg and Amazon though when buying parts. The few times that other vendors had a lower price, they made up for it in shipping costs. It was just easier to get it all from one or two places, especially since I have Prime. During Christmas season I also signed up for 3 months of NewEgg's premier service since it was a trial. Just cancelled it the other day when they refused to help me with a videocard issue since I sent in a rebate which required taking the PoP off the box due to being time sensitive. I now have to send the card in which has a 3 week turn around and they won't do an Advance RMA. Never buying AMD/MSI again >_<

Thanks man, I think you just confirmed my theory. :-) Time to build a new DAW! 

If you have a Microcenter nearby you may want to check their prices. Usually their prices are better than NewEgg. You can pick up the parts in store so no shipping charges. YMMV as to sales taxes.

I used to live in Boston and the one there is amazing. But none nearby.
 
Ended up getting it NewEgg/Amazon combo. Amazon had better numbers for the MOBO and GPU and I've got Prime so whee free shipping! The rest with NewEgg was also free shipping so new i7-4790 build for $900 (so far). Maybe for comedy relief I'll vlog the build. :-)
 

Good luck and happy computing! :)

I  use Newegg much of the time and will even pay a bit extra for what I perceive to be better overall service compared to a competitor...I also get emails from a smaller vendor here in the states located in Texas called Directron. Don't write off the smaller vendors...sometimes they can have great deals.I have dealt with them as well.
 
I doubt that anyone who builds for a living wants to tell you who they use if they found a better vendor. I could be wrong.
 
When I look at the technology I'm amazed that the average person can buy it for some of these prices.

For a small fee Jim Roseberry will provide a parts list made up of components he knows work together as that's what he uses to build his machines. Jim will also provide you with info that will help you setup various test to burn in your computer and make sure all is well.

The computer in my signature is a result of a consult with Jim that I had about 2011 sometime. Ts been the most stable me powerful PC I've ever owned. It was spec'd just a bit behind the fastest processor at the time at the sweet spot where value for money and performance cross over.