Product Reviews

Look closely at these two PCs from Fujitsu Siemens, because they represent the future of the humble business PC. The E5916 may have the same chassis as the E5600, but beneath the white exterior lies a colossal change in the Esprimo's core specifications. It's tempting to think of Intel's Core 2 Duo CPU only in terms of raw performance for power users, but the Core 2 Duo is also at the heart of Intel's vPro technology.

Core specifications

Business PCs are usually some way behind the cutting edge in terms of speed: the average office user doesn't need something that will cut through a complicated Photoshop action in microseconds, after all. But the justification for vPro is that a system remains responsive to the end user and IT services simultaneously. Both our review systems used an E6600 with a core speed of 2.4GHz, backed up with 1GB of RAM. In our application benchmarks, they both managed an impressive 1.44.

The E5916 and P5916 share more than just a CPU, though - inside those different chassis, they're identical in terms of specifications throughout. The motherboards are built around Intel's Q965 chipset. This is crucial, as it complies with both Intel's Stable Image Platform Program (SIPP) and vPro. It means any PC built around the chipset will work with the same core drivers and software, so you can potentially provide an entire floor with differently specified PCs using the same disk image.

The chipset also delivers Gigabit Ethernet and Intel's ICH8R chip, so you can add another hard disk to create a RAID array. The supplied 80GB disks are big enough for most businesses, while the optical drives are DVD combo drives.

Neither of the motherboards has an IDE controller, so both the hard disk and optical drive are SATA components. The obvious drawback to this is fewer available SATA ports, but the plus side is smaller cables, better airflow and simpler maintenance.

Both these systems also have a smart card reader on the front and come supplied with a smart card. Using the BIOS, you can specify which smart card is paired with which machine, creating a system that won't boot without the correct physical token. Security is further bolstered by embedded TPM chips.

Fujitsu Siemens hadn't finalised the full range at the time of review, but you'll be able to buy vPro Esprimos with a wide variety of specifications from retailers. Companies placing larger orders will also be able to specify custom configurations from corporate-orientated retailers such as PC World Business.

Esprimo E5916 SFF

The E5916 is the smaller of the two chassis, and while the desktop form factor may be a little out

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of vogue, it's easily slim enough to perch a monitor on top of. It's also all but silent in use, thanks in part to the Core 2 Duo.

There are two PCI slots at the back of the motherboard, as well as a PCI Express 1x slot and a PCI Express 16x slot for graphics cards. In practice, getting much use out of these will be tricky, as they're only half height. A converter that allows you to mount two full-height PCI cards horizontally will be available, but Fujitsu Siemens hasn't yet committed to when. Elsewhere, expansion is equally difficult: there are two free SATA ports on the board, but nowhere to install another hard disk. Adding to the 1GB of RAM isn't as tough, thanks to two free DIMM slots.

Replacing parts should be easy enough. Push a button on the side and the lid of the chassis is released, sliding forward and lifting off. Once you're in, everything is tool-free, so getting components out and installing new ones won't take more than ten minutes.

Although you can't easily upgrade its graphics or storage (without replacing the existing hard disk, at least), the E5916 is still a practical choice. You can still replace or upgrade both the RAM and CPU, which may be more important on a business PC, and the silent running and ease of access leaves the E5916 ticking all the right boxes.

Esprimo P5916 mini-tower

The P5916 is similar to a standard desktop offering. At 390mm high, it's better off under a desk than next to a monitor. The obvious plus to the increase in size is its expandability. As with the E5916 the chassis is tool-free; the side panel is released via a spring-loaded catch on the side. Once the panel is off, you're greeted by a cage designed to hold the pre-installed hard disk, as well as having a space for another. The drive cage unscrews and swings out sideways, revealing an uncluttered interior.

Not only is there a spare drive bay in the cage, but also options at the front of the PC. One 3.5in bay and one 5.25in bay, both external, mean you could add another optical drive as well as another hard disk or memory card reader. Elsewhere, there's a full complement of full-height PCI slots, including two traditional PCI slots, a PCI Express 16x slot and a PCI Express 1x slot.

It's unlikely that a large-scale business will require this much upgradeability from an off-the-peg machine - there's little call for multiple hard disks and discrete GPUs in the average office. Although the key features of vPro are moot when it comes to small networks or standalone systems, the P5916 still offers SoHo users an attractive mix of flexibility and relatively low cost for the power on offer.

Conclusion

With identical prices, it's a straight choice between the diminutive size of the E5916 or the superior upgradeability of the P5916. The question for businesses, however, is whether either of them is really appropriate: vPro is a great idea in theory, but until it's proven, there's little reason for a business PC to have such an overwhelming abundance of power. Unless you can see a tangible benefit to your business for vPro technology (visit www.intel.com for more), we recommend sticking with the A-Listed Esprimo E5600.