Which Desktop Should I Buy?

I want to purchase a desktop computer right now, and plan to use Arch on it full time. I don't game, but I do want a very fast computer. I hear the Intel Core i7 is really fast.
Does anybody have a suggestion of which desktop or which brand I should buy? Factors would include (Arch) Linux support, price, and whether or not it has a default Windows installation (which would be a waste of money for me since I'll just wipe it).
I really like Dell. I have a 3 year old laptop and it works really nice, but most of Dell's desktops have Windows and the ones that have Ubuntu are pretty crappy.
Oh yeah, I want to try out Xen too. There are occasional Windows programs I'd want to use, and maybe other OSes. Not sure if there are specific hardware needs for that.
Actually, is it even a good time to buy a desktop? Is some new hardware going to come out? I assume the i7 is kind of expensive right now... maybe the economy would even lower prices in the future?
Thanks.
Last edited by MTsoul (2009-01-16 05:12:43)

Really, I don't think getting an i7 is worth it unless you're gaming (and even then the graphics card matters more), or rendering graphics or something. It'll cost way more when the difference between the i7 and, say, the Core 2 Duo is negligible as far as typical use goes.
Dell is good; they've got awesome customizability options. But if Windows inclusion is really that important to you (I mean, you'd just wipe Ubuntu, too, wouldn't you? -- and keep in mind that OEMs have massive discounts/deals with Microsoft, and "Windows tax" is NOT as steep as you think)...I don't know that Dell is the best choice.
Regardless, System76 is also definitely worth checking out. Great prices and lots of options, with guaranteed Linux support since they come with Ubuntu. I do not personally own a machine from them, but I certainly encourage you to have a look.
Last edited by weasel8 (2009-01-16 05:22:05)

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