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General discussion

Linux pre-install desktops: comparison

by fantasyboyTaro Jul 12, 2013 11:04PM PDT

Ok a Linux laptop can be great, but laptops because of their design constraints are inherently unable to perform as well as a desktop. So where does one go to buy a really hot high powered Linux desktop computer?

Well to answer that question we must first define what we mean by high powered. For the purposes of determining what vendor has the best combination of features and price/performance we decided to define a high powered desktop and possessing the following:

1) A fast quad core processor 3+ GHZ or faster
2) 16 Gigs of RAM
3) A fast 1 TB disk drive 10000 RPM
4) Optical Drive RW-CD/RW-DVD
5) WIFI (because I don't want to deal with cables)
6) Plenty of USB ports
7) Card reader

First off its surprisingly difficult to find vendors with pre-installed Linux options. Dell has virtually dropped out of the Linux market and now only seems to offer a sole Linux laptop and zero home desktop options. However we did find the following vendors with Linux desktop offerings:

1) Bad Wolf Corporation
Wolf Station V - $799
A new comer in the Linux PC world. And the only vendor with a system that not only net but exceeded our requirements. This system literally blows the doors off its competitors in terms of price and performance. Its also cute and sports a interesting LCD display screen that reports on system resource usage. Its also something of a throw back in that it lays down horizontally instead of vertically like your typical tower system.

2) System 76
Wild Dog - $1079
A perennial favorite of the Linux community. System 76 offers several models to choose from. The one I priced was a Wild Dog system with a 3.4 GHz i7 processor and the other options as specified above. While not as price competitive as the Wolf Station V, System 76 has been around quite a while and has a good reputation. This is a solid choice, however they are $200 dollars more expensive and did not list the 10K RPM drive as an installable options.


3) ZaReason
Fortis Extreem 2 - $1290

Trailing in a distant 3rd ZaReason is the California based company. We priced the Fortis Extreem 2 and found a pretty bloated price tag. The system was configurable with all our desired options except, again, the 10K RPM drive.

4) Los Alamos Computers
LAC Linux ThinkCentres M91p - $1351
In forth place and providing the least bang for the buck is the LAC M91p. This system is not only the most expensive, but also the one with the fewest features that matched our initial specifications. This system lacks both the 10K RPM drive and a card reader. While they do claim to offer a 3 year onsite warranty, one can only wonder how that could possibly honor that outside their New Mexico home.

Summary

The hands down winner in price/performance is the Wolf Station V, by Bad Wolf Corporation. However, if you are wondering "Who" these guys are or "Why" should I buy a system from them? Just remember that HP, Dell, Apple all started out unknowns at first. It is the market place that will ultimately decide the fate of a new comer like the Bad Wolf. Having said that, they do provide a 30 day money back guarantee which should help take the uncertainty out of the descision.

Detailed System Specs

Bad Wolf Corporation

WolfStation V - $799
AMD Quad Processor 3.8 GHz
16 Gigs RAM
1 TB 10,000 RPM SATA Drive
Optical Drive CD-RW/DVD-RW
WIFI
Card reader
1 year warranty

System 76

Wild Dog - $1079
Intel I7 quad process 3.4 GHZ
16 Gigs RAM
1 TB 7200 rpm drive
WIFI
Card reader
Optical Drive CD-RW/DVD-RW
1 year warranty

ZaReason

Fortis Extreem 2 - $1290
AMD quad processor 3.6 GHZ
RAM 16 Gigs
1 TB 7200 rpm drive
WIFI
Card reader
Optical Drive CD-RW/DVD-RW
1 year warranty


Los Alamos Computers
LAC Linux ThinkCentres M91p - $1351
Core i7 2600 3.4 GHz quad core CPU
16 gigs RAM
500 gig 7200 rpm SATA HDD
Dual layer SATA DVD burner
WIFI
3 year on-site warranty

No configuration option for Card Reader

Discussion is locked

1 Posts
- Collapse + Expand Details
- Collapse -
Certainly not Los Alamos?
by r. proffitt Forum moderator Jul 13, 2013 2:08AM PDT

A quick look around finds they may be spamming.

And the last machine looks to be a RIP OFF price. http://www.amazon.com/Lenovo-ThinkCentre-4480B3U-Desktop-Computer/dp/B006FKF8EC/ has it for about half price for this outdated machine.

That i7 is now generations behind.

That is not the place to shop it seems.
Bob

Back to Linux forum

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