I usually build my desktop systems but this time I think I just want to buy a complete system and get it done with. Any recommendations for a good source of cost effective DAW systems? Something in the range of $2000 - $2500.

If I were to buy instead of build, I'd probably get one of these: http://www.sweetwater.com/creation_station/

TomHelvey
If I were to buy instead of build, I'd probably get one of these: http://www.sweetwater.com/creation_station/

Those look nice but they don't seem to be customizable. I want more than 8GB RAM, an SSD for the OS drive and none of the extra crap they install (iTunes, iLok, LibreOffice etc).

You will not go wrong with Jim Roseberry at http://www.studiocat.com/

I had an outfit called Magic Micro build me this:
 
Intel Core i7-3770 Ivy Bridge
Gigabyte GA-H77-DS3H,
16GB (2x8GB) PC10600 DDR3 1333 Dual Channel
(2) 1TB Western Digital Blacks, 7200RPM SATA 3
Microsoft Windows 7 Pro 64bit DVD w/SP1
 
It can take 32 GB ram.  Total cost was under 1300.00

I just priced a customized ADK system and it came to exactly $2000.00, lol. Anyone have experience with those?
 
I'll also check out the other suggestions, thanks for those.

Mike Fisher
You will not go wrong with Jim Roseberry at http://www.studiocat.com/

I still build my own but I agree, If I weren't going to build I would contact Jim.
 
So many great reviews from the forum over the last 10+ years

From Studio Cat, I get the following:
 
- Case: Silent Mid Tower
- Power-Supply: 600w quiet
- Haswell CPU: 4790k @ 4.4GHz (8 threads)
- RAM: 32GB DDR3/1600
- OS drive: 250GB SSD
- Audio drive: 3TB HD
- Burner: 24x DVD/RW
- Video: GTX-760 (2GB, 4 monitors)
- Operating System: Windows 8 x64
 
For $2030 shipped. Not bad.

I bought mine from ADK. Great guys that have been doing this a long, long time. I'll be going back to them when I'm due for an upgrade.

I'll second (third?) the Jim Roseberry suggestion.  Went with him and couldn't be happier with my DAW.