Ask HN: Desktop Linux Hardware Suggestions

I'm about to start a new job. They offered to supply a computer at my office. I'd like a cheap Linux box, but all Google's suggestions for a manufacturer (System76, ZaReason, etc.) are from articles that are several years out-of-date. I also wasn't wowed by the price point for these manufacturers -- they seemed to demand significant markups for things like SSDs above what they'd cost separately, when all they're doing is plopping the hardware in the box.

Is it silly to go the route of a non-mainstream manufacturer? I'd rather not get something pre-installed with Windows, both for security reasons and for the idiotic added expense.

Yep, a desktop. Thanks for the link to component reviews! I haven't had any luck finding Dell boxes online without an OS, though...

Maybe a Brix Pro since it has the top Intel GPU.

If the company is supplying the computer, it's a bit of a false savings to worry about $100 for Windows or an extra $100 for an SSD. It's not that wasting money is good, it's that the normal costs of doing business are the normal costs of doing business.

For a business computer, I'd strongly consider computers with business class warranties - e.g. 3 years Next Business Day on-site [or better]. It just doesn't make economic sense to fool around.

Personally, I'd go with Dell. Shopping is relatively easy and straight forward. For cheapness I'd look at refurbished/scratch-n-dent/previously-ordered-new from the outlet [which is not the same as DFS].

I've bought two personal machines that way. My Precision T7400 is pushing seven years old without a glitch, running out of expansion capacity or short of processing power. The Vostro I bought my son is pushing three years. Again, no substantial issues.

I have Linux running on Lenovo machines. One laptop, one desktop.

Everything works. I second the recommendation to buy it with a spinning drive and replace it with an SSD.