Just a word of warning. Off the shelf computers: Dell, HP, etc. etc. are notorious for having a P.S. that is just barely adequate to handle the load. Add anything else: memory, extra video, etc. and it is likely that the supply will be too small. Though the computer will still work, your supply will overheat and other problems will crop up. Plan on installing a larger supply. That's one of the advantages of BIY, you only have to buy one supply, the right one. It is always a good idea to get a supply that is a little overrated for what you currently have in the computer.
Re power supplies, see the helpful post from orionn in this thread: http://www.elitetrader.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=222322&perpage=20&pagenumber=3 The experience with P.S. noted by orionn mirrors my own. You computer will run even when the supply is not adequate or going bad, but it will have quirky problems.
What made you give up on desktops? What advantage do you see with the laptop besides portability? Seems laptops have more problems and generally do not last as long as a desktop...oh, and they cost more money.
Ditto that. Nothing but Dells here. I recently bought a Quad Core and what a machine! It can do some heavy lifting. Really happy with it. The OS (Vista), on the other hand, is a piece of crap. I gotta upgrade to 7 fast. If I surf the internet with that machine, which I rarely do, the machine simply won't work unless I run a Cookie Cleaner and a Virus Scan to get rid of Adware. Vista is a total POS.
As to the notion of "Dell's whimpy PSUs".... If you buy a budget model computer, you're not only getting a cheap mobo but it's likely you also get a minimal power PSU.... saving on costs wherever they can to compete for price points.... just like other budget makers. However if you get a PROPER computer for trading and running multiple monitors, like something from the Precision Line, you're unlikely to have PSU problems. Not only would a Precision have a server class PSU (supposedly), Dell uses 375W and 525W models.... both of which are adequate unless you run high powered video card(s). I've had probably a half-dozen PSU failures over the years... only one of which was on a Dell... a Vostro... a budget model. Bottom Line... Don't buy a Vostro, Inspiron, even Optiplex
Half dozen out of how many systems? Are you managing 100 systems? What's the average lifespan of a PSU that fails?
I've had probably 25 systems over the years. Used to be when a PSU failed, I'd go to some local shop or Best Buy and pick one up.. easy to replace. Nowdays, I keep a spare PSU handy for quick replacement should it become necessary. As for my own experience with Dells and PSUs... I've had only one Dell from one of their "budget lines" (Inspiron, Vostro, and Optiplex... they don't bill Optiplex as a budget computer, but I've seen enough of those mobos to know they are really cheapos marketed as something better.) Before I upgraded all of my stuff about 3 years ago, I'd had Dimension 8300s which were about 7-8 years old... no PSU failures in any of them. I gave one to a friend and he's still running it... 11 years young. From what I've read in comments about Dell PSUs, they are generally "above average" in quality and life. If you want a QUALITY computer at a good price... get a properly priced one from Dell's Precision Line. All of the rest of their desktops are merely average. (And "average" isn't really all that great. I estimate about 80% of the world's desktops from all makers fall into the "cheapo-average" class... with mobos costing about $20... fine for your kids or parents to surf the net and email... but I wouldn't rely upon them in a rig I use to trade for a living.... and it's not that they're "terrible".. they just have certain limitations and quirks... and less reliability/longevity.)