If you want to be ready for the future, the FX is probably the better way to go. 64bit and dual core (at least FX-60). Vista and the 64 linux distros are being made with those technologies in mind. Nothing (or relatively little) new is being made for the P-M and 32 bit architecture. Sure there will be a 32 bit Vista and those of us with 32 bit CPUs are safe for a long, long time, but there will be fewer breakthroughs for our older systems than for the newer ones.
As for raw processing, maybe a pin-mod P-M can keep up with a stock FX-60 in current games and single threaded applications, but newer games and multithreaded apps are coming. Don't forget that the pin-mods are not guaranteed and you should also be able to overclock the AMD-FX. Certainly not like a liquid cooled desktop, but I bet you could squeeze some extra out of it if you needed to.
If cash was not a factor, I would look to FNW or Voodoo--AW is a good alternative if you like the style and want to save some bucks. Sager or similar save you even more. They are all clevos--just some have better paint.
It may sound like I don't like my XPS, which isn't true. I love it, but part of the reason for my purchase was price. Another part is the strong community here with a butt-ton of good info. If I could justify buying the FX before, I would have but the price was almost double what I paid for my XPS. I think there are a few people here who got their 9300 for less than the price of the FX-60 processor alone!
