It used to be a given that bigger was automatically better for business buyers. Getting a PC with a behemoth tower case was a way to preserve your investment: a year or two down the road, when new PCs were sure to be vastly more powerful than the one you just bought, you could simply open up the case, upgrade a few components and--voilà--you'd have an almost-as-good-as-new PC that would last for another couple of years.
But that's changed. In today's world, where 3GHz processors, 200GB hard drives, and 4GB memory modules are truthfully more than most of us will need for the foreseeable future, upgradability is less urgent. That's one reason--along with smaller work spaces and shrunken IT budgets--that small-form-factor (SFF) PCs are becoming viable alternatives to the traditional tower.
Today, there are plenty of SFF options. You'll see all-in-one models, such as the Apple 20-inch iMac and the Gateway Profile 5M, in which the monitor is built into the CPU (or vice versa). While all-in-ones are visually striking, they suffer from one pricey flaw: eventually, you will want to upgrade that CPU, and when you do, you'll have to trash a perfectly good TFT display.
An attractive alternative is something that HP calls the "all-in-two" design. The innovative HP Compaq d530 Business Desktop is a slim, space-saving CPU that, when held upright on its stand, can attach to the accompanying LCD. It also detaches so that you can take the CPU with you and upgrade it separately, if need be.
While small-form-factor PCs have historically offered few expansion options, the d530 offers enough cabin space inside for a full-size PCI card. The downside: the d530 can handle only one optical drive, which can be an issue if you want to add an extra hard disk or a DVD writer.
In the past, SFF PCs were underpowered compared to their full-size counterparts. Their cramped cases meant poor airflow, which forced system designers to limit processing power to reduce heat buildup inside the box. But that's less of an issue now, according to d530 product manager Andrew Medlin. He says that HP engineers have worked out a cooling design (he won't say what it is) that allows the d530 to use the same processors as those of HP's tower models.
Strangely, some SFF designs mimic the look of the tried-and-true tower or desktop--at one-third the size. The Dell OptiPlex SX270, for instance, is a tiny tower that packs as much processing punch as the big boxes do. Measuring just 10 inches high and 3 inches wide, it's suitable for just about any work space. And while the SX270 may lack the legroom for multiple internal drives and cards, its 11 USB ports allow even the most expansion-mad user to add components at will. Cooling may be an issue, however. The SX270 ran hot in our tests.
The IBM ThinkCentre S50, with its simple, modular design and tool-less case, goes further than most SFFs to make upgrades a snap. Its drive bays fold out at a 90-degree angle, providing full access to the motherboard. It's obvious that Big Blue's engineers paid as much attention to the S50's interior as they did to its small-footprint exterior.
Will petite PCs replace towers in the business world? Not likely--at least not right away. As IDC analyst Roger Kay puts it, "There are some folks who still want three drives." But if you don't, an SFF PC could be all you need.
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