Dell, Inc. targets its OptiPlex line of desktop computers for sale into the corporate, government and education markets. These systems typically contain Intel CPUs, beginning with the Pentium and currently with the Core i7 (as of late 2008), although Dell sells some models with AMD CPUs as well. They contain business-oriented components (such as Gigabit Ethernet, which Dell makes available only on its Precision, XPS, Latitude, OptiPlex and PowerEdge systems) and software. (Compare Dell's Dimension counterparts.)Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths
- Reliable conservative design.
- Long-term deployment : Low establishment costs.
- Modular body forms designed to fit into various business corporation or institution settings.
- Ease of use. Low maintenance costs. Ease of repair (tool free chassis).
- Most functions built into motherboard: graphics, sound and Ethernet as well as various I/O ports.
- Large organizations deploy them in quantity. Used units can be very inexpensive because supply exceeds demand.
Weaknesses
- Onboard video has limited memory. Not intended for graphics-intensive work place environments such as game design or computer modeling companies.
- Low profile desktop models have limited expansion capability; half height expansion cards and limited drive bays make them less future-proof.
- Motherboards, video cards and power supplies are often of proprietary design, especially on low profile models
Capacitor Issues
Older Optiplex models (mostly produced in 2003 and 2004), notably the GX270, suffered from frequent failures due to faulty capacitors supplied by Nichicon. These capacitors would bulge and leak, resulting in product failure after only a few years of use. As of June 2010, there is still ongoing litigation regarding this problem, alleging that Dell knew that the computers were likely to fail, and continued to ship them.
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