High Power Business Desktop PCs without pomp - The HP Compaq dc5850 review Review

High Power Business Desktop PCs without pomp - The HP Compaq dc5850 review

Priced at under $1000, the HP Compaq dc5850 is in a class that is usually known for cheap, plastic housings, basic if not limited performance scores and little upgrade capability. Luckily for the the dc5850, it is an exception to this rule. While a business desktop is usually upgraded by a replacement of the entire machine, the mini tower case (though also available in small form factor) and availability of expansion slots make the dc5850 a business PC designed for a long lifespan. By default, the Athlon X2 5000B is quite able to complete almost any routine business task that you can throw at it. 2 Gb of RAM, ATI Radeon HD3100 IGP, and SuperMulti DVD+/-RW with LightScribe capability bring the system to a well rounded platform that can double as a home theater or home office PC of acceptable quality. Being a business configuration, both the audio and graphics chips are integrated, but this can easily be changed with full size card additions if you want at anytime. While a small form factor model is also available, the capability to expand on the components contained, including full size PCI and PCIe cards make a me a fan of the minitower configuration, and would recommend it for anyone other than those that intent on buying replacement computers instead of upgrading in the future.

There is a standard three year warranty, that can be extended to 5 years an extra C-note.As with most mini tower or full sized business PCS, there is still room to add one more HD. While 80Gb might be an industry standard for sub $1000 PCs, with the price of data storage having dropped so low over the last few years, and the storage needs of the average user growing exponentially, I would have liked to see at least 160 GB or more.

If you have been looking at business desktop PCs for purchase, and never seem to find exactly what you are looking for, then the dc5850 might just be the perfect budget desktop for you to consider. I like this PC not for so much what is inside, but for what is not. If you love to tinker, and upgrading and expanding are your thing, then all of the open space that dc5850 offers allows you to take complete control over your platform, so that you can finally get exactly what you are looking for, without having to start from scratch. By itself, this is a very usable business desktop PC, but as a budget bare bones system, it is worth its weight in gold.

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