Random thoughts:

1) What are you trying to get from the mfg "support"? Hardware repair, or software support?

If the latter, you are sort of hosed. Keeping Windows happy isn't something easily done over the phone, and you aren't going to be able to afford to have them simply send out a PC guy to do the day to day stuff.

If the former, I suggest you stick with Dell and buy their 4 year extended warranty and get all your hardware through them.

If you take care of the backups, and make frequent disaster recovery backups you should be set.

Basically, they'll send someone out, replace bad parts. Don't expect them to make your software work or deal with the backups -- just leave you with working hardware. Then, you restore your disaster recovery disc, restore backups, and you are on your way.

2) If you get your hw support via a mfg warranty, get all your hw through them. As soon as you start mixing and matching hw, they basically will tell you XYZ isn't supported, and you might as well not had the warranty in the first place.

3) If you need to mix and match, avoid Dell as you lose your warranty advantage, and Dell tends to use custom cases, wiring harnesses, power supplies, etc. And they tend to not provide expansion capability in their system, including power supplies just big enough handle their supported configurations.

4) Instead of using a RAID card, consider a Drobo external storage device:

http://www.drobo.com/products/index.php

Meant to be easy to use and provides easy configuration and maint.

5) If you aren't doing disaster recovery backups, start.

6) Make sure you get the Windows media with your system.

7) If you aren't getting sw support from the vendor, re-install your machines from disc as soon as you get it. They install lots of random junk and it will decrease performance and possibly increase your potential for sw issues.

8) Reset your expectations. Keeping these systems working well can be a challenge for professionals, and if you are not, and are getting part time support over the phone, it isn't going to be wonderful.

9) Install the absolute minimal amount of software possible.

10) Avoid Norton and McAffee virus checkers and get something more light weight like Vipre from Sunbelt Software.

Good luck!

-john