Product Reviews

Compared to the Dell OptiPlex GX620 MT, HP's version is a rather sober-looking desktop PC, fronted with chunky plastic. It's also the largest of HP's business offerings, around the same size as a standard ATX case.

The comparisons with standard PCs end there though, as the Minitower is much quieter than most consumer systems and far easier to work on. Again, everything about the chassis is tool-less. A catch releases the side panel, and adding or removing a drive is no more involved than sliding it into the robust plastic holder. The only thing not to be held in with a clever mechanism is the variable-voltage PSU.

The advantage of this system is its expandability. There are two spare 5.25in external drive bays, one 3.5in external bay and another 3.5in internal. The full-height PCI slots are a plus, and the Minitower is the only machine here that can be configured as a graphics workstation. 1x and 16x PCI Express slots are joined by a pair of PCI slots, and there's an optional riser that adds more.

While most people won't need a machine that can be upgraded, or require workstation graphics cards or extra hard disks, the Minitower demonstrates the versatility of the range.

HP dc7600 Series

If IT managers had their way, every PC would be precisely the same. With each new configuration, the time it takes to update software, install new applications and keep Windows up to date increases exponentially.

In the real world, of course, a single configuration isn't practical - employees have vastly contrasting needs, and under- or over-specifying on expensive hardware is a great way to haemorrhage your budget. Fortunately, Intel has an answer to the problem in the form of its Stable Image Platform Program (SIPP). Based around a single core component - the Intel 945G chipset in this case - it can be used as a common foundation to build upon.

SPECIFICATIONS

There are no fewer than 23 configurations of HP's dc7600 available, with differences as significant as processor series and as small as the optical drive. The key advantage is that a single disk image will work on all of them, so deploying 40 PCs will be far less painless than needing to keep a dozen disk images available for different platforms. HP can install a custom disk image on a dc7600 for around £12 per unit.

The dc7600 range varies in size from the diminutive Ultra Slim Desktop to the full-size Convertible Minitower unit. Internally, they vary in specification from a 2.8GHz Celeron 336 to the high-end 3.2GHz Pentium 4 640, although other options may be available through your chosen reseller.

The Small Form Factor and Ultra Slim Desktop machines have an ATX-style motherboard, albeit with a corner 'cut off' to allow it to fit the smaller case, while the Convertible Minitower machine is more of a standard desktop unit, complete with a full-size ATX motherboard. Each machine has two 512MB sticks running in dual-channel mode for a total of 1GB of RAM - plenty for most tasks. The hard disks are SATA units with a standard capacity of 80GB. However, you can specify a larger disk if you want.

SUPPORT

The dc7600 range has a three-year worldwide on-site warranty. It's next-business-day to minimise potentially costly downtime, but note that telephone support is provided for the warranty period only. For in-house maintenance, however, each machine is virtually screw-free, so opening them up to

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replace or upgrade components is incredibly simple.

HP is also taking a commendable approach to the environment. Each of these machines is virtually lead-free (the hard disks and optical drives are exceptions), and depending on the quantities involved, HP will recycle your old PCs when you buy new ones (www.hp.co.uk).

FEATURES

Both the Convertible Minitower and Small Form Factor machines have at least one spare internal drive bay free, so you can take advantage of the spare SATA ports. All the machines also have at least one PCI slot free, although the Small Form Factor only supports half-height PCI cards, and the Ultra Slim Desktop requires an optional horizontal riser card to install standard-sized PCI cards.

All these systems can be either vertically or horizontally mounted, and the SFF and Minitower have feet on the sides and base; the Ultra Slim Desktop has a detachable stand. A pair of USB 2 ports, as well as microphone and speaker jacks, are mounted on the front, and each machine has a speaker built in, although this is only adequate for Windows noises.

For added security, each machine has a Trusted Platform Module to supply hardware authentication over a network. A modular Smart Card Reader (£27) is also available to further bolster security.

There's the same standard PS/2 keyboard and mouse combination across the range. The keyboards were pleasant to type on, but note that the mice aren't optical.

HP recommends its 1740 17in TFT as an accompaniment to the dc7600 series, but unless you can negotiate a substantial discount, its poor performance leaves it looking expensive at £189. Even dragging a window around the Desktop resulted in noticeable smearing, and horizontal viewing angles are poor.

Like Dell, HP offers a zero footprint option with the Ultra Slim Desktop model, via the HP Integrated Work Center (£44 exc VAT, pictured above). The chassis screws on to the back of the stand, and a 17in or 19in TFT can be screwed on using a standard VESA mount. It's height-adjustable too. You can also purchase wall mounts for the Ultra Slim Desktop and SFF machines (£26 exc VAT), allowing you to hang your PCs on the wall for added security.

CONCLUSION

From most angles, the dc7600 range compares favourably with Dell's OptiPlex range - there's the level of support that we'd expect from a business vendor, a single disk image across the range, and a broad choice of components and options.

The best value machine in the dc7600 range is the Ultra Slim Desktop. Most office users won't need the upgradability of the other two, and the price is very competitive.

However, there are a few areas that allow the GX620 USFF to keep its spot on the A List. The most compelling is the price - if you buy the dc7600 closest to the specification of the Dell, the price rises to £585, which is a few pounds more than the smaller, more attractive GX620. While the dc7600 chassis looks consummately professional, we preferred the dark styling of the Dell machines, which lend them a touch of understated class.

HP's ordering system is less customisable, too. When buying a Dell OptiPlex, anyone - from the smallest one-man business to a corporation employing 30,000 people - can choose the exact specifications they require. With HP, your reseller must be part of the TopConfig program; this allows your account manager to specify the machines you want, and they will then be custom-built by HP. However, if your reseller isn't part of this scheme, you're left with the 23 ready-built configurations (three of which we review overleaf).

As such, it's difficult to give a blanket recommendation to the dc7600 series. However, the hardware - aside from the 17in TFT - is generally a match for Dell's, as is the support package. If your account manager can give you the right price, it makes a very strong alternative to the OptiPlex GX620 series, with special praise going to the Ultra Slim Desktop.