Recommend me a desktop machine

ataraxia · 2009-05-05 00:43:58

I'm in the market now for a new desktop box. So far the best candidate I've found is the Dell no-OS machine. Anybody have a better suggestion, for more bang for the buck, and good build quality? (I've heard bad things about Dell's build quality.)

What I'm looking for:
- not a laptop
- not for gaming
- will only be running Arch
- 64 bit
- powerful enough that I won't be looking for a newer one any time soon
- max $1000 including cost of 24" flatscreen
- US vendor
- no "build your own" options, I only want fully assembled PCs

sand_man · 2009-05-05 04:04:21

Why not build your own? It's cheaper.

mikesd · 2009-05-05 04:25:56

Last couple of desktop machines I have used I built myself. You know exactly what is inside them and don't get any weird surprises with hardware. Having said that it is hard to beat a pre-built machine for convenience and cost. I have owned two Dells, one desktop and one netbook. Both seem to be good machines. Where I work Dell is our primary supplier and we have found their machines to be good especially if you choose from the business line. Latitudes and Optiplexes. I would buy one again.

Bogart · 2009-05-05 11:08:42

I have a Dell Studio Desktop bought about 3 months ago and I'm quite happy with it. With Linux everything works out of the box (no problems with things like card reader or microphone or anything else), so if it's for running Linux I think that Dell is a Linux friendly brand (as well as HP, but I would usually avoid Asian brands). Some notes:

- I'd choose an Intel based machine for running Linux. If you're not a gamer, would also opt for the integrated Intel graphics, preferably the latest X4500HD (G45 chipset). I have that one and it works good. If later you need more power you can always add a discrete card.
- Build quality: I didn't open the machine to look inside. From the exterior things are ok. Just the CD/DVD tray looks flimsy and the cover makes noise when you open and close it.
- I expected it to be more silent, but I can't say it's a noisy computer either. You just hear clearly that it's on.
- Mouse and keyboard looked a bit cheap when I first saw them and thought I might have to buy better ones. But then after a couple of weeks using them I got to like them, they're comfortable to use so I keep them.

I didn't buy a screen, so can't say about quality, but I think Dell screens are decent. I didn't have any problem with anything either, so can't say about support (and I'm in Spain anyway, so it would be different).

As I said, I'm happy with it and would recommend it to any Linux user (though the Studio line comes with Windows only, I think. But there are some Vostro or Optiplex that come with Linux or no-OS that also are based on Intel G45 chipset too).

dunz0r · 2009-05-05 11:15:17

I always build my own. It's not very hard and instead of weird stuff you can go for low cost, high quality(buying from known brands but not top of the line). Also you can put money where it matters for you(for me it's diskspace).

moljac024 · 2009-05-05 11:23:52

You really should build your own, you have more control.
You're applying those principles to your operating system choice since you're here at Arch instead of Ubuntu or the likes, so why not apply it to hardware as well ?

Last edited by moljac024 (2009-05-05 11:25:33)

ataraxia · 2009-05-05 11:49:28

I apply the "build your own" to software since I know it and care about it. Hardware is mostly mysterious and not fun to me. If you break your software you just reinstall it. If you break your hardware it will cost real money to fix.

If I knew what all those new kinds of buses, memory, CPU slots, etc meant and knew what they were good for and how they work together, I'd build. The last time I actually cracked open a case and worked in there was when plain PCI was the newest thing in PC hardware and most boxes still had all ISA slots.

RobbeR49 · 2009-05-05 17:47:46

If you don't want to build your own (which I would also recommend), maybe you should try out one of the more specialist manufacturers instead of the Big companies like Dell, HP, Sony, etc. I would assume these companies probably tend to use better components and have better build quality. A lot of them like concentrate on gaming systems but some make models for more general use.

Just a quick google search turns up Cyberpowerpc, Puget Systems, Velocity Micro, Polywell Computers, and I'm sure there are a lot more.

Last edited by RobbeR49 (2009-05-05 17:47:55)

lastchancetosee · 2009-05-05 18:02:15

I build my own PCs, but from among the pre-build stuff I had the best experience with DELL (at least here in Germany, but I guess they don't produce for specific markets). Well-build machines (they even think about directing the air-flow, imagine that!), prices OK, components OK.

ataraxia · 2009-05-05 18:22:36

Ok, since I'm clearly being overrun by a horde of "build your own" partisans here, what would you do on that front?

Where to buy from? Newegg and TigerDirect are the ones I know about, are they still the best?
What's got good bang for the buck?
How do I even begin to separate the good from the bad?

I'm not asking people to do my research for me, but if you already have some ideas, fork 'em over.

.:B:. · 2009-05-05 18:59:56

Newegg is pretty popular in the US it seems (and they're coming to Europe in the future it seems, which would be yay!).

Anyway - I recommend building your own box too. You can set your price tag, and look what you can get for it. I would *not* pick an Intel system.

Before the flames start, I have an Intel-based laptop, and my next one will probably be Intel too (unless AMD puts something out that excels in battery time and beats Intel on that front). All my desktop boxes are AMD. I just built a server/HTPC and put in an AMD motherboard.

AMD, on a desktop, is more bang for buck than Intel. Intel is very strong in the high end range, but their chipsets are expensive - no matter whether you go with a low-end Celeron or their latest i7 quad. AMD's CPUs almost never outperform Intel's, but nevertheless the recent Phenom II's are a good pick (and a cheap pick, compared with Intel's counterparts). The price for an AM2+/AM3 motherboard is a lot lower than the price for an Intel one. Intel's onboard GPUs are pretty crappy (either that, or they have bad drivers ), while AMD has in their 780G/790Gx chipsets an entry-level HD3200/HD3300 (respectively) that can do 1080p if you want, with CPUs as 'weak' as the 4850e or 5050e. Some of those boards also have dedicated memory (soldered on) for the graphics chip (although they can still eat your regular RAM, their 'core' memory will be more or less dedicated).

Imho AMD's offerings are the ones to go for; not expensive, relatively powerful (really, how much power do you need for a desktop anyways), good integrated graphics (certainly beat the hell out of any Intel one), and yes, Intel has FOSS drivers (which is one of the reasons I picked an Intel platform as a laptop), but AMD has opened up so there's hope on the horizon for good drivers - enter radeonhd. In the meantime, if you want 3D, you can still use the Catalyst drivers which are now updated more frequently than before. Intel may have the drivers already, but AMD's stance towards FOSS when it comes to graphics is unequivocal now, unlike before - and if you're patient enough you'll benefit from that.

ataraxia · 2009-05-06 01:39:31

Since I've moved on to evaluating building it myself, I'll start a different thread.

Arch Linux

#1 2009-05-05 00:43:58

Recommend me a desktop machine

#2 2009-05-05 04:04:21

Re: Recommend me a desktop machine

#3 2009-05-05 04:25:56

Re: Recommend me a desktop machine

#4 2009-05-05 11:08:42

Re: Recommend me a desktop machine

#5 2009-05-05 11:15:17

Re: Recommend me a desktop machine

#6 2009-05-05 11:23:52

Re: Recommend me a desktop machine

#7 2009-05-05 11:49:28

Re: Recommend me a desktop machine

#8 2009-05-05 17:47:46

Re: Recommend me a desktop machine

#9 2009-05-05 18:02:15

Re: Recommend me a desktop machine

#10 2009-05-05 18:22:36

Re: Recommend me a desktop machine

#11 2009-05-05 18:59:56

Re: Recommend me a desktop machine

#12 2009-05-06 01:39:31

Re: Recommend me a desktop machine

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