Inside this impressive enclosure is a powerful specification. Intel’s Core i5-660 is a relatively new chip, and its 3.33GHz clock speed is augmented by the familiar Hyper-Threading and Turbo Boost. It’s evidently a powerful part, returning a score of 1.99 in our application benchmarks. That’s more than enough to handle the most demanding business software. Elsewhere, the specification is more ordinary.
A 320GB hard disk is sizeable enough, Intel’s integrated graphics are capable of handling basic desktop computing, and there’s a DVD writer in tow. Given there’s 4GB of RAM inside, we were slightly baffled to find Windows 7 Professional 32- bit edition installed; in this configuration the OptiPlex 980 can access only 3.4GB of the machine’s memory. But, thankfully, Dell lets you choose a 64-bit version of Windows at no extra cost when ordering.
What you want
There’s also a full range of customisation options available if this specification – which costs £689 exc VAT and is one of the cheapest available – doesn’t take your fancy. Downgrading to a Core i5-650 will save you £20 exc VAT, and a range of more powerful processors are also available: a Core i5-750 adds £29 to the cost, a Core i7-860 an extra £103, and the Core i7-870 £340.
Elsewhere, it’s possible to upgrade to a 500GB hard disk for £17 or a 128GB SSD for £269, double up to 8GB of RAM for £92 or add 16GB of memory for an extra £404. A wide range of graphics cards are also available: although we don’t anticipate much demand for the Nvidia GeForce GT330 and ATI Radeon HD 4550 options, there’s a trio of entry-level professional cards from Matrox that can be fitted. And, needless to say, the impressive three-year, next-business-day warranty can also be upgraded, with an additional two years costing £39 exc VAT, and more advanced levels of support also available.
Dell has left no stone unturned here, and there’s plenty to get your teeth into on the software side too. Dell has spent plenty of time getting the BIOS right, and has eschewed the traditional keyboard-operated utility for a cursor-controlled environment. It’s far easier to use than the average BIOS, and packed with sensible settings: the front and rear USB ports can be disabled along with the TPM chip, PCI slots and Wi-Fi, and it’s possible to choose how secure your administrator password is with a range of character and length options.
The software within Windows 7 Professional is less impressive, with utilities to handle basic network and security duties. It’s more than you’d see on most business machines, but can’t compete with Lenovo’s ThinkVantage Toolbox for breadth or versatility.
Nevertheless, this minor complaint pales into insignificance beside the Dell’s superb case design, attention to detail and performance – and, suddenly, £689 exc VAT seems like a bargain. If small-form-factor systems just aren’t versatile enough, then the OptiPlex 980 is as good as it gets.
Warranty | |
---|---|
Warranty | 3yr on-site, 3 yr return to base |
Basic specifications | |
Total hard disk capacity | 320 |
RAM capacity | 4.00GB |
Screen size | N/A |
Processor | |
CPU family | Intel Core i5 |
CPU nominal frequency | 3.33GHz |
CPU overclocked frequency | N/A |
Processor socket | LGA 1156 |
HSF (heatsink-fan) | Dell proprietary |
Motherboard | |
Motherboard | Dell E93839 |
Conventional PCI slots free | 2 |
Conventional PCI slots total | 2 |
PCI-E x16 slots free | 2 |
PCI-E x16 slots total | 2 |
PCI-E x8 slots free | 0 |
PCI-E x8 slots total | 0 |
PCI-E x4 slots free | 0 |
PCI-E x4 slots total | 0 |
PCI-E x1 slots free | 1 |
PCI-E x1 slots total | 1 |
Internal SATA connectors | 4 |
Internal SAS connectors | 1 |
Internal PATA connectors | 1 |
Internal floppy connectors | 1 |
Wired adapter speed | 1,000Mbits/sec |
Memory | |
Memory type | DDR3 |
Memory sockets free | 2 |
Memory sockets total | 4 |
Graphics card | |
Graphics card | Intel GMA X4500HD |
Multiple SLI/CrossFire cards? | no |
3D performance setting | N/A |
Graphics chipset | Intel GMA X4500HD |
DVI-I outputs | 0 |
HDMI outputs | 0 |
VGA (D-SUB) outputs | 1 |
DisplayPort outputs | 1 |
Number of graphics cards | 1 |
Hard disk | |
Hard disk | Western Digital Caviar Blue WD3200AAKS |
Capacity | 320GB |
Hard disk usable capacity | 298GB |
Internal disk interface | SATA/300 |
Spindle speed | 7,200RPM |
Cache size | 16MB |
Hard disk 2 make and model | N/A |
Hard disk 2 nominal capacity | N/A |
Hard disk 2 formatted capacity | N/A |
Hard disk 2 spindle speed | N/A |
Hard disk 2 cache size | N/A |
Hard disk 3 make and model | N/A |
Hard disk 3 nominal capacity | N/A |
Hard disk 4 make and model | N/A |
Hard disk 4 nominal capacity | N/A |
Drives | |
Optical drive | Samsung TS-H563G |
Optical disc technology | DVD writer |
Optical disk 2 make and model | N/A |
Optical disk 3 make and model | N/A |
Monitor | |
Monitor make and model | N/A |
Resolution screen horizontal | N/A |
Resolution screen vertical | N/A |
Resolution | N/A x N/A |
Pixel response time | N/A |
Contrast ratio | N/A |
Screen brightness | N/A |
DVI inputs | N/A |
HDMI inputs | N/A |
VGA inputs | N/A |
DisplayPort inputs | N/A |
Additional Peripherals | |
Speakers | N/A |
Speaker type | N/A |
Sound card | N/A |
Case | |
Chassis | Dell proprietary |
Case format | Full tower |
Dimensions | 187 x 445 x 410mm (WDH) |
Power supply | |
Power supply rating | 350W |
Free drive bays | |
Free front panel 5.25in bays | 1 |
Rear ports | |
USB ports (downstream) | 10 |
eSATA ports | 1 |
PS/2 mouse port | yes |
Electrical S/PDIF audio ports | 0 |
Optical S/PDIF audio output ports | 0 |
Modem | no |
3.5mm audio jacks | 3 |
Front ports | |
Front panel USB ports | 4 |
Front panel memory card reader | no |
Mouse & Keyboard | |
Mouse and keyboard | Dell wired keyboard and mouse |
Operating system and software | |
OS family | Windows 7 |
Noise and power | |
Idle power consumption | 35W |
Peak power consumption | 89W |
Performance tests | |
Overall application benchmark score | 1.99 |
Office application benchmark score | 1.62 |
2D graphics application benchmark score | 2.10 |
Encoding application benchmark score | 1.88 |
Multitasking application benchmark score | 2.37 |
3D performance (crysis) low settings | N/A |
3D performance setting | N/A |
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