Review: Dell OptiPlex 760

February 6, 2009

Multiple vendors announced systems based on the Intel Q45 chipset late in 2008. New systems with this chipset from Dell are branded as the OptiPlex 760 (tower, desktop, small desktop, and ultra-small desktop) and OptiPlex 960 (tower, desktop, and small desktop). The OptiPlex 760 will shortly replace the OptiPlex 755 line while the OptiPlex 960 is an upward extension of the OptiPlex product line.

Design and Changes

The OptiPlex 760 has the same general enclosures as the previous generation OptiPlex 755. As in the 755, there is significant variance in size, ranging from 1.16 cubic feet for the tower, 0.56 cubic feet for the desktop, 0.35 cubic feet for the small desktop, and a mere 0.21 cubic feet for the ultra-small desktop.

All OptiPlex 760 power supplies are 80 Plus certified, which is a strong indicator of improved power efficiency under various loads. For the first time, even more efficient 88% power supplies are also available. The OptiPlex 760 has received a Gold rating from EPEAT and is Energy Star 4.0-certified.

Configuration and Ordering Notes

Several notes when ordering an OptiPlex 760:

1. The OptiPlex 760 ultra-small desktop emphasizes Dell's position that their smallest desktops can use the same disk images as their larger desktops. However, the 760 ultra-small desktop retains the same limited expandability (no expansion slots of any sort) and higher-priced peripherals that were present in previous ultra-small desktops from Dell. Memory must also be higher density to achieve the 4.0 GB maximum. Information Systems & Computing (ISC) believes that the small desktop is a much better choice for many Schools and Centers trying to reduce the size of their desktop footprint - it has none of the ultra-small desktop's limitations and is only 0.14 cubic feet larger.
2. ISC suggests choosing the Energy Star 4.0 Category B efficiency option. This will preselect the 88% efficient power supply and does not prevent otherwise appropriate system configuration.
3. ISC strongly suggests configuring the OptiPlex 760 with a Core 2 Duo processor rather than the currently available Pentium or Celeron processors.
4. With the OptiPlex 760, ISC continues to strongly suggest a discrete video card instead of integrated video. ISC believes that most users will be well served by the ATI Radeon HD 3450 (which supports VGA and DVI) or the Radeon HD 3470 (which supports DVI and DisplayPort).
5. ISC suggests choosing Dell's higher-quality UltraSharp displays.
6. If a system is going to be in use for the full four-year life cycle, a four year warranty (which adds about $65 to the overall cost over a three year warranty) may be appropriate.
7. Many Schools and Centers at the University may wish to choose the "Keep Your Hard Drive" option, which allows the School or Center to retain a defective hard drive when receiving a replacement hard drive under warranty.

See ISC's Performance Desktop Purchasing Guide and Value Desktop Purchasing Guide for more configuration hints. As of February 2009, configuring an OptiPlex 760 to this specification can be done for approximately $1,000. The cost delta between an OptiPlex 760 and an OptiPlex 755 with the same general configuration (configuration can not be precisely duplicated because of basic system differences) is currently about $45.

Windows Vista Performance

ISC tested an OptiPlex 760 with a 3.0 GHz Core 2 Duo E8400, 1066 MHz 2.0 GB RAM, an ATI Radeon HD 3470 discrete graphic card, and a 160 GB hard disk drive. It received a Windows Experience Index base score of 4.1, with individual scores of:

• Processor: 5.6
• Memory (RAM): 5.9
• Graphics: 4.1
• Gaming graphics: 4.2
• Primary hard disk: 5.6

These scores suggest that Windows Vista Service Pack 1 performance will be good for most users of an OptiPlex 760 configured in this manner.

Analysis

The OptiPlex 760 is a significant update to Dell's mainstream enterprise desktops, with an improved chipset and more configuration flexibility. However, it remains firmly mainstream - users needing Intel's vPro or quad-core processors will need to move up to an OptiPlex 960.

When correctly configured to the specifications in the Performance Desktop Purchasing Guide or the Value Desktop Purchasing Guide, the OptiPlex 760 is approved for general use at the University.

--John Mulhern III, Lead for Client Technologies, ISC Technology Support Services (February 6, 2009)