Performance PC Buyer's Guide:
Recommendations for Fourth Quarter 2007-2008
Specifications effective April 28, 2008
The following are current recommendations for new administrative desktops and other University users with demanding computing needs. Performance PCs meet the necessary requirements for a four year life cycle and generally cost between $1,250 and $1,750.
Important Note: these recommendations are designed by Information Systems & Computing (ISC) as a quarterly complement to the University's yearly desktop recommendations -- not as a replacement for them. They will always meet the current standards and may at times exceed them, particularly later in the academic year.
These specifications reflect current system configurations being offered by Apple, Dell, and Lenovo.
Recommended Configurations for Performance PC Desktop Workstations
Specifications effective April 28, 2008
Specifications will be reviewed and updated quarterly as appropriate (10/1, 1/1, 4/1, 7/1) |
|---|
| |
Windows |
Mac OS |
| Hardware |
Processor |
Core 2 Duo E6550 (2.33 GHz)
or Athlon 64 X2 4200+ (2.2 GHz)1 |
Core 2 Duo (2.66 GHz)1 |
|---|
| Memory (RAM) |
2.0 GB |
2.0 GB |
|---|
| Hard Disk |
160 GB2 |
320 GB2 |
|---|
| Monitor & VRAM |
19-inch LCD3
256 MB discrete video card |
20-inch LCD3
256 MB discrete video card |
|---|
| Sound |
Built-in audio & speaker |
Built-in audio & speakers |
|---|
| Miscellaneous |
DVD±R/CD-RW drive |
DVD±R/CD-RW drive |
|---|
Network
Connection |
10/100/1000BaseT Ethernet |
10/100/1000BaseT Ethernet |
|---|
| Operating System |
Windows XP Service Pack 2
or Windows Vista4
see important notes above & below |
Mac OS 10.5.x5 |
|---|
| Support Period |
Until July, 2011 |
Until July, 2011 |
|---|
| Estimated Price |
$1,100 to $1,3506 |
$1,4006 |
|---|
Performance PC change history
Footnotes:
- A more detailed University-centric perspective on AMD and Intel processors is available from ISC's Processor Guide.
- Systems that use network storage for their entire life cycle can use smaller (i.e. 80 GB) hard drives.
- See ISC's Monitor, Display, & Video Card Guide for more information. ISC strongly suggests that users of Performance PCs who intend to upgrade to Windows Vista sometime during the workstation lifecycle purchase a configuration with a discrete video card.
- Windows XP Professional Service Pack 2 is supported and recommended. It is an appropriate choice for new workstations running the Windows platform because of its emphasis on security, superior driver support, stability, connectivity, and supportability. It is also the only version of Windows XP to implement the "No Execute" security capability supported by all current Intel and AMD processors. ISC does not recommend, but will support Windows XP Home Service Pack 2. Windows XP Home is missing important networking and security features, such as domain-based authentication, that are critical to many Schools and Centers in the University.
Windows Vista (Business, Enterprise, and Ultimate editions) is also supported and recommended for general use, though it is not currently compatible with all University applications. ISC does not recommend, but will support Home Premium. Home Premium is missing important networking and security features, such as domain-based authentication, that are essential to many Schools and Centers in the University. ISC will not support Home Basic. Home Basic is missing many important networking, maintenance, and security features that are critical to many Schools and Centers at the University. See the University's main Windows Vista page for more information and advice.
- Mac OS 10.5.x is the only supported and recommended choice for new Macintosh systems, as Apple's newly released systems always require the latest version of the Mac OS. It features superior driver support and security. See the University's main Mac OS 10.5 page for more information and advice.
Apple's Boot Camp technology offers the promise of added flexibility in the future for users who need to occasionally use Windows XP Service Pack 2 or Windows Vista. It should not be used to turn a Macintosh into a full time Windows system. Boot Camp also requires that both the Windows and the Mac OS operating systems be patched and maintained.
- Pricing is generated using the online configurators available from Dell and Apple and is for general reference only. Support providers often will be able to generate significantly more competitive pricing.
Performance PC manufacturers that ISC has had good experience with include Apple, Dell, and Lenovo.
These specifications are sometimes revised in mid-quarter when major changes in configurations from Apple, Dell, and Lenovo become generally available. When this happens, the revision date is highlighted in red and both operating system categories are repriced.
If your school or center is considering a significant quantity of Performance PC purchases, ISC strongly recommends a consultation to weigh the pros and cons in today's rapidly changing environment (contact John Mulhern III in ISC, mulhernj@isc.upenn.edu; 573-3567).
desktop recommendations
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