Look at Buy.com before you buy anything, they have re-manufactured Dell’s for cheap.
I am using one to type this.
What is “remanufactured”? It can be a new unit returned for problems or a scratch and dent or a unit that comes back off lease. A computer can only be sold as “new” once. After that it becomes a remanufactured item. The OEM or authorized shop then brings the unit back to “as new” condition with the software as loaded and is resold for much less than new. In most cases, the remanufactured PC or laptop comes with a full warranty. What you need to do is look at the specs and software that's loaded into your new unit. That's where you can save a lot of money. You can also save money on upgrading the memory or disk drive.
I have really got some great deals with remanufactured machines by shopping around. If you are interested, send me a PM and I can share a lot of hard won knowledge with you.