Buying PC for Cabinet - does this sound like a good deal?

[USSEnterprise]

How about an Alienware? They are kinda fast.

[pointdablame]

How about an Alienware? They are kinda fast.

and absurdly and unrealisticly expensive.  I can build TWO systems of similar specs sometimes for the prices those fools charge.  Don't even THINK of getting an Alienware.  They are very good systems... but nowhere near worth the prices sometimes.

[USSEnterprise]

I know that. I like building them myself. It comes out cheaper. They are just good for fantasizing about. 

[RTSDaddy2]

Well, some closure to this insanity...

After talking to many people, both here and in my circle of friends, I decided one thing - the decision ultimately rests with me.  Every day it was the same thing: on one side I had people who hated emachines / Compaqs / Dells, etc. and on the other side I had those who heartly embraced them.

We decided to go with an emachine Media center PC with a AMD 64 processor, 1 full GB of DDR, and an ATI 200 Raedon Xpress graphics card.  We figured "what the heck?"  It's supposed to be a home entertainment system and we can afford this package right now.

I must say, for the moment, in spite of all the naysayers, I'm very pleased with it's performance today - Killer Instinct looked SHARP!  Those ATI cards ARE worth the money (course, that GB of video memory didn't hurt...recall, I was running it on a NVIDIA with 64 MB DDR originally).

Basically put, it's a computer - they're all computers...and it's a matter of choice.  We're happy with it, and with the rebates (yes I know, an ugly word) we got into it at a nice price.

Thanks again to all those who offered up their opinions.  Your thoughts were not taken lightly!