Intel’s Optiplex GX620 business PCs sat on our A-List for just over a year – a testament to the longevity of a well-thought-out business PC. Indeed, a key purchasing decision for a business PC is a stable platform: if a system packs up six months down the line or if a new employee requires a new machine, you want the computer to slot into the existing environment as simply as possible. Dell achieves this by committing to a single software image for 12-18 months without changing anything.
The replacement 745 series brings with it many enhancements, but most obvious is compatibility with new technologies. The Intel 945G chipset-based GX620s were designed for Pentium D processors at best. The new 745 series is Intel 965-based and supports both Core 2 and Vista (as well as Pentium 4 and Pentium D processors). The 765 series also provides tight-integration with Ati X1300 graphics adapters (not just integrated Intel graphics) which gives more choice between DVI and VGA connections – for instance, previously someone might be limited to a single D-Sub-based monitor. Now they can simply use two monitors with two DVI connectors if required.
Like the GX620, the 745 series is available in a mini-tower, slim tower (called Desktop), small form factor (SFF) and ultra small form factor (USFF) sizes. The latter can again be mounted on the back of an LCD monitor for ultimate space saving. If someone suddenly requires a different size, you can simply pop the hard disk out of one and into another – the drivers are consistent across the range.
It’s a curious fact that while most industries are up in arms about machines taking over the jobs of human beings, when it comes to tech support, the more a work force is decimated, the more rejoicing there is – from budget managers, network admins and users alike. While we withhold judgement, all of these people should warm to Dell’s new automated and remote assistance features – including the remaining tech support engineers who will need to visit whinging users less often and so avoid becoming scapegoats for the failure of modern technology in general.
Dell’s proprietary, remote-management system has undergone a serious overhaul. Instead of several disparate applications being used for functions like after-hours software patching and inventory taking, everything is now under the umbrella of one console called the Dell Client Manager. Indeed, Dell is shunning Intel’s new vPro management system in favour of its own and it’s not hard to guess why. Using a system which conforms to its stable platform ethos means it doesn’t have to worry about any vPro changes that Intel may thrust upon it which could require regular bios updates.
Even before buying a system, Dell can reduce the support costs. Using its new Advance Configuration Service you can configure BIOS settings, hard-disk partitions and OS settings at point of sale (for $6.60 you can even have Outlook Express and Microsoft games removed from Windows).
On top of all this are new security features. TPM 1.2 modules are standard across the range but optional fingerprint readers and keyboards with Smart Card readers embedded (64-bit OS only) are available for water-tight authentication. Dell uses Wave’s Embassy Trust Suite for managing these features.
We welcome the focus on energy efficiency too. Dell reckons that a standard Core 2-based system with an LCD will save US$69 in energy over a year compared to its GX620 counterpart. This comes partly from Core 2’s low power but also via Dell’s new Energy Smart features.
Our test system was the Desktop version – see Dell.com.au for the differences in internal layouts. It’s very quiet in operation and is more stylish than its GX620 predecessor. It’s a fully-featured SKU though Dell’s online purchase options are extensive enough to reduce or increase the price dramatically. As it is, for $1899 you don’t get an LCD but you do get Dell’s excellent space-saving keyboard and a symmetrical optical mouse.
Inside is a Core 2 E6400 with 1GB of PC-5200 RAM (spread across two of the four DIMM slots) and an 80GB hard disk. This combined to generate a whopping 1.25 in our benchmarks - 25% faster than our high-performance reference PC. It won’t feel slow for a long time to come.
It uses a BTX form factor and can operate horizontally or vertically. A dual-layer DVD writer is included as is an all-format media card reader. It has two USB 2 ports at the front and six at the back. Headphone and mic ports are at both ends too. Gigabit Ethernet is present but PS/2 ports are absent. Legacy serial and parallel ports are included though. There’s no room to add more drives but two, low-rise PCI slots are available. The low-rise PCI-E 16x slot has an X1300 card with DVI port. Access to the innards isn’t the simplest but is mostly tool-less so engineers won’t be struggling. Dell’s standard three-year onsite next business day warranty is a big plus, too.
It’s a very good system, but it’s just one small SKU in a big world of the Optiplex 745. So while this individual PC may not suit your business’ needs, a very close relative of it certainly will and so we’re happy to see Dell’s Optiplex 745 family join the A-List.
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