workstation specs

Lynne Desrochers · November 22, 2011, 03:09:31 PM

I'm doing more shopping, this time for workstations. Here's the latest thing I had quoted by Dell, can anyone offer any suggestions how to improve? Anything to change? Thank you all in advance!

1 OptiPlex 780 Minitower Base Standard PSU
1 OptiPlex 780, Core 2 Duo E8400 with VT/3.0GHz,6M,1333FSB
1 4GB,Non-ECC,1333MHz DDR3,2X2GB,Dell OptiPlex 780/380
1 Dell USB Entry Keyboard, No Hot Keys, With Detachable Palmrest, English, OptiPlex
1 256MB ATI RADEON HD 3450 Graphics Dual DVI and TV Out,Full Height,OptiPlex 780 Desktop and Minitower
1 250GB SATA 3.0Gb/s and 8MB Data Burst Cache,Dell OptiPlex 780/580
1 Windows 7 Label, Optiplex, Fixed Precision, Vostro Desktop
1 Windows 7 Professional,SP1,No Media, 32-bit, Optiplex, English
Dell Back-up and Recovery Manager for Win7, MUI,Optiplex, Precision, Latitude
1 Dell MS111 USB Optical Mouse,OptiPlex and Fixed Precision
1 No Systems Management MEBX Firmware Removed, Dell OptiPlex 780
No RAID, Dell OptiPlex
1 16X DVD+/-RW SATA,Data Only,Dell OptiPlex Desktop or Minitower

Jim Jensen · November 22, 2011, 04:48:52 PM

I just ordered a Precision instead. When I just looked at the Optiplexes, I see 790, but not 780 and they have different processors included. So what I see is more display adapter choices with the Precision (including support for more than 2 monitors - up to

, plus the choice to add Adobe Professional to the MS Office bundle for not much more. Looks like you aren't buying Office with it though, so you may not have an interest in that.

Looks like the display adapter outputs are DVI, so you're ok there - I've noticed that on many of their cards now they are using Display Port adapters and if they don't include them with it, you can only buy 1 DP-VGA adapter (perhaps more if you call?). A buddy just bought one and he ran into this - he asked if he needed anything else with it and they said no, but he only received 1 DP-DVI adapter and couldn't find any locally. Ended up having to order another from Dell separately. So watch the video outputs and adapters when ordering.

Lynne Desrochers · November 22, 2011, 04:58:32 PM

Thanks Jim. I didn't include all the specs, it was the hardware I was most concerned about. It was from a couple of months ago, so I think it will have to be refreshed.
The Precision, huh? In the past I've always gone with the Optiplexes.
I've had an issue with the display adapter in the past, so I'll make sure to make note of what I'm getting.
Happy Thanksgiving. I'm most thankful for all the help i get lurking (and posting) on these groups. You all are great.

Jeff Zylstra · November 22, 2011, 05:23:22 PM

Quote from: Lynne Desrochers on November 22, 2011, 04:58:32 PM
Thanks Jim. I didn't include all the specs, it was the hardware I was most concerned about. It was from a couple of months ago, so I think it will have to be refreshed.
The Precision, huh? In the past I've always gone with the Optiplexes.
I've had an issue with the display adapter in the past, so I'll make sure to make note of what I'm getting.
Happy Thanksgiving. I'm most thankful for all the help i get lurking (and posting) on these groups. You all are great.

Make sure you use a sales rep, since they have access to all of the non-advertised discounts. Also, the end of the year is when they get all of the pressure to make their numbers and that's when the biggest discounts happen. You might want to ask if/when that is going to happen. Might be worth it to wait a few weeks, or it might exacerbate the issue if the hard drives that you need aren't available. Another reason not to order them over the internet, and to ask knowledgeable sales rep.

Jim Jensen · November 22, 2011, 05:32:44 PM

Quote from: Jim Jensen on November 22, 2011, 04:48:52 PM
I just ordered a Precision instead. When I just looked at the Optiplexes, I see 790, but not 780 and they have different processors included. So what I see is more display adapter choices with the Precision (including support for more than 2 monitors - up to , plus the choice to add Adobe Professional to the MS Office bundle for not much more. Looks like you aren't buying Office with it though, so you may not have an interest in that.

Looks like the display adapter outputs are DVI, so you're ok there - I've noticed that on many of their cards now they are using Display Port adapters and if they don't include them with it, you can only buy 1 DP-VGA adapter (perhaps more if you call?). A buddy just bought one and he ran into this - he asked if he needed anything else with it and they said no, but he only received 1 DP-DVI adapter and couldn't find any locally. Ended up having to order another from Dell separately. So watch the video outputs and adapters when ordering.

Ha just noticed the emoticon substitution - was supposed to be 8 and just happened to be next to the parenthesis.

Hans Manhave · November 22, 2011, 06:30:47 PM

I have a Precision workstation... Some day I'll get a new one unless the 'pad' computer craze continues. Then I'll get a humongous monitor system and will just work with holographic everywhere else. I'm still waiting on that mouse contraption that hooks up to one's hand and you just point at things with your finger.

Lynne Desrochers · November 22, 2011, 06:43:10 PM

Gee Jim I thought you were saying two to whatever you can imagine. Those emoticons really can say a lot.

Jim Jensen · November 23, 2011, 08:28:57 AM

Quote from: H2O12 on November 22, 2011, 06:30:47 PM
I have a Precision workstation... Some day I'll get a new one unless the 'pad' computer craze continues. Then I'll get a humongous monitor system and will just work with holographic everywhere else. I'm still waiting on that mouse contraption that hooks up to one's hand and you just point at things with your finger.

Call the Miami PD Crime Lab and ask where they got theirs. Their cop-labtechs on TV use them all the time.

Gene Foraker · November 23, 2011, 10:41:00 AM

The Core 2 Duo E8400 processor is old and obsolete. I think it is about 4 years old and probably not made any more. Is this a new machine or used, refurb? Wow, they still make a 250gb drive? OK for a TAM workstation, though. Also I 'd go with 2 sticks of RAM instead of one. Dual channel is then active.

Seriously, you could probably buy a used machine like this for $200 or less.

Lynne Desrochers · November 23, 2011, 10:59:38 AM

Thank you for your input Gene. I'll see what else is offered.

Gene Foraker · November 23, 2011, 11:11:23 AM

Sorry, I didn't mean to be harsh, but that is a Wolfdale processor which was replaced long ago by Nehalem which is now being replace by Sandy Bridge. I would think an i5 Nehalem processor is probably the sweet spot for an office today.

Lynne Desrochers · November 23, 2011, 11:43:43 AM

now that's the info i was looking for. It's fine to be harsh if you give a person some reward!

Jeff Zylstra · November 23, 2011, 11:50:04 AM

Good catch, Gene. I missed that, even though that is the processor we have in our older XP machines (2006/2007 vintage). The thing about processors these days isn't necessarily about gigahertz of clock speeds, but about how many things it can do at once, and about data transfer speeds. The newer I5 processors actually have a lower speed numerically speaking (maybe 2.6 Gigahertz compared to 3.0), but they are much faster.