The HP rp5700 Business Desktop PC - How to create computer workstation heaven Review

The HP rp5700 Business Desktop PC - How to create computer workstation heaven

Like the Dell OptiPlex line, the HP rp5700 workstation desks models are designed with their target audience to be huge. You need a desktop that will perform reliably, and when all else goes wrong, make sure that everything is still there so it doesn't have to be your fault. Also like Dell, HP is doing its best to put its best foot forward, and have consistently achieved excellent EPEAT Gold and Energy Star 4.0 recognition. The addition of small business interest in warranty terms that last a lot longer than the average home PC, and the choice of Dell to support this product for at least the next 5 years. Now an extended business warranty does not seem like an unrealistic expense, when the rp5700 has room and configuration expansion to spare, as well as corporate-think lowest common denominator standards the rule of thumb, keeping it very usable and supported for a considerable length of time.

The pricing for such stability in an unstable world is around $1300 x how ever many you want. While I am sure that you can beat this pretty easy if you found some desktop PCs that fell off of a truck, but the HP rp5700 is a well thought out computer workstation, and business smarts is worth money. The only drawback with its construction is that the small form factor casing will not allow for full sized PCI card expansion. Though many peripherals are now USB driven, the ability to slap in a PCI card just seems that it ought to be standard.

An Intel Core 2 Duo Processor and 2 GB RAM make up the basic framework of this business PC, and 160 GB of RAID1 data storage keeps it all safe from harm. A dual Layer DVD+/-RW makes for a nice new business "expected" piece of hardware, and though the casing is still very businesslike, it is not staid or boring.

While usually a technical decision, the business need to have hardware support for an extended period of time, paired with HPs decision to support this business workstation for the next 5 years might make it overlooking my fetish for full size PCI cards and sign on the dotted line.

Back to Workstation Systems REVIEWS