Performance PC Buyer's Guide:
Recommendations for Fourth Quarter 2003-2004
Specifications effective April 1, 2004
The following are current recommendations for new administrative desktops and other University users with significant computing needs. Performance PCs meet the necessary requirements for a four year life cycle and generally cost between $1,400 and $2,200.
Important Note: these recommendations are designed 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 and Dell. Purchasers of Apple products need to make a choice between older configurations (the Power Macintosh G4 or iMac/G4 17-inch) and new, more expensive configurations (the 1.8 GHz Power Macintosh G5). ISC strongly suggests not purchasing the Power Macintosh G5 1.6 GHz - it is significantly decontented compared to the Power Macintosh G5 1.8 GHz and will be a marginal performance desktop by its third or fourth year.
Recommended Configurations for Performance PC Desktop Workstations
Specifications effective April 1, 2004
Specifications will be reviewed and updated quarterly as appropriate (10/1, 1/1, 4/1, 7/1) |
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| |
Windows |
Mac OS |
| Hardware |
Processor |
Pentium 4 (3.0 GHz)
Athlon XP (2.16 GHz/3000+)1 |
PowerPC G5 (1.8 GHz)1 |
|---|
| Memory (RAM) |
768 MB |
768 MB |
|---|
| Hard Disk |
80 GB |
80 GB |
|---|
| Monitor & VRAM |
17-inch CRT
(19-inch CRT, 15-inch LCD, or 17-inch LCD optional)2
64 MB VRAM |
17-inch CRT
(19-inch CRT, 15-inch LCD, or 17-inch LCD optional)2
64 MB VRAM |
|---|
| Sound |
Sound Blaster compatible audio & speaker |
Built-in audio & speaker |
|---|
| Miscellaneous |
CD-RW/DVD-ROM combo drive
optional ZIP drive3
1.4 MB floppy drive |
CD-RW/DVD-ROM combo drive
optional ZIP drive3 |
|---|
| Network Connection |
High-bandwidth |
10/100BaseT Ethernet |
10/100BaseT Ethernet |
|---|
| Low-bandwidth |
56 Kbps V.92 modem4 |
56 Kbps V.92 modem4 |
|---|
| Operating System |
Windows XP Professional5 |
Mac OS X version 10.3.x6 |
|---|
| Support Period |
Until July, 2007 |
Until July, 2007 |
|---|
| Estimated Price |
$1,4007
$1,650 with 17-inch LCD |
$2,4507
$2,850 with 17-inch LCD |
|---|
Performance PC change history
Footnotes:
- A more detailed University-centric perspective on processors is available from ISC's Processor Guide.
- While 17-inch CRT monitors continue to be standard, there's an increasing amount of good choices in the display market. See ISC's Monitor & VRAM Guide for more information.
- ISC recommended a Zip drive as a standard option for five years. This year, changes in usage patterns (including an increasing move to CD-RWs and flash media) have led us to make them optional. Schools or centers may choose to continue to specify Zip drives for backward compatibility or ease-of-use reasons.
- Systems that remain on the Ethernet-connected portions of the University campus for their entire life cycle do not require modems.
- Windows XP Professional is generally the best choice for the Windows platform because of its superior driver support, stability, connectivity, and supportability. ISC also sees Windows 2000 Professional as an acceptable choice, though it is no longer state-of-the-art and Microsoft's support for it relative to Windows XP Professional is expected to decrease significantly in FY 2004. Schools or centers that choose to use Windows operating systems other than Windows XP Professional and Windows 2000 Professional should be aware that Microsoft is rapidly retiring these operating systems, so support will almost certainly not persist for the full four-year life cycle.
ISC does not recommend Windows XP Home. 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. In addition, Microsoft will not support Windows XP Home for the same extended period that it will support Windows XP Professional.
- Mac OS X version 10.2.x/10.3.x is generally the best choice for the Macintosh platform because of its superior driver support, reliability, and connectivity. Schools or centers that choose to use other versions of the Mac OS (such as Mac OS 9.2.x) should be aware that Apple is aggressively retiring support for Mac OS 9.x, so support will almost certainly not persist for the full four-year life cycle.
- 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 IBM.
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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