My advice is build it yourself. I'm about to start my third build, and there's nothing quite like stepping out in armour which you put together yourself. There's loads of info on the forums, plus a load of friendly troopers with a wealth of experience in this, meaning you won't be going it alone.
I know at first it's a lot of money, so hacking into all your plastic bits is a bit daunting (I felt the same way!), but just have a go at it. You'll get to know your suit a lot better, too.