Three Personal Computers
For Use in an NGO
XYZ Network is an NGO that helps domestic abuse victims among the elderly. They need to purchase a set of personal computers or PCs to be used by their employees at the head office. As such, a review of three suitable PCs will be provided, with a comparisons of the their individual features as well as their function in the NGO. Finally, a recommendation will be made based on the findings of the review.
1 Overview
XYZ Networks seeks to aid elderly people who are victims of domestic abuse. Assistance provided includes legal guidance, lodging assistance, medical and psychological support. The NGO is small in size and functions solely within its own city. It has a staff size of 8 members and numerous volunteers. They intend to purchase new personal computers for their on roll staff and would like recommendations as to which PC to purchase. For this purpose, a review of 3 personal computers has been made, their features compared and a recommendation put forth.
http://www.dell.com/us/business
2 Overview of three PCs
The configuration and features of the selected PCs are described below:
A) Dell OptiPlex 990 Desktop: The Dell Optiplex 990 is a 2nd Generation Core™ i7 processor PC with genuine Windows® 7 Professional operating system, 8GB DDR3 Ram memory, 500GB HDD (Expandable to 1000 GB), AMD Radeon HD 6450 graphic card, Blue Ray primary optical drive and several other features that make the 990 a start performer, albeit an expensive one. It has several ports including 10 regular USB 2.0 ports as well as two display ports. However, it does not contain any USB 3.0 ports. Although the PC is not designed for gaming, it does have sufficient configuration to make for an enjoyable gaming experience. The PC is backed by Intel vPro management and security systems to enhance efficiency and functionality. It is very small in size and can be mounted on top of a monitor to save space . It also has the Dell Energy Smart Power Management system that allows 90% power efficiency. Overall, the 990 is a PC fit for medium to large businesses as it is capable of handling large amount of data and transactions seamlessly. It can also be useful to high end home users and gamers. The Dell Optiplex 990 is priced at about USD 619 (VAT not included).
B) Dell OptiPlex 790: The Dell Optiplex 790 has an Intel® Core™ i3 2120 Processor (3.3GHz, 3M) with genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium operating system, a 64-bit 2GB Dual Channel DDR3 SDRAM 250GB 7,200 RPM 3.5" SATA, 6.0Gb/s Hard Drive with 8MB Cache . The PC allows you to choose different graphics configurations to provide a best fit for your work needs with dual separated graphics slots (dual PCIe x16, including one wired x4). It is so small that it can be mounted at the back of a monitor saving precious desk space and making for easier portability . Users also have the option to choose from Intel’s Core i3, i5 or i7 as the processor for the 790. It has advanced security systems like the security lock slot as well as Dells latest security management solutions pre-installed. The 790 is good for medium and large businesses. The price of the Dell Optiplex 790 is about USD 419.00 (VAT not included).
C) Dell OptiPlex 390: The Dell OptiPlex 390 has a configuration of Intel® Pentium® Dual Core G630 processor (2.7GHz, 3M), a genuine Windows® 7 Professional operating system with a hard disk of 250GB 3.5" SATA, 2GB DDR3 SDRAM memory at 1333MH . The 390 is known to be an affordable and practical solution for organizations not having IT heavy work processes. The PCs uniqueness lies in the availability of three different sizes with the same configuration and can be used both, as a tower or as a desktop . The PC has 2 USB ports as well as connections for a microphone and headphone. It is also equipped with a DVD rewriter. The design is very basic and it is obvious that it has been limited in order to keep the PC priced as low as possible. The 390 is priced about USD 369.00 (VAT not included)
3 Comparing the three suggestions
The Optiplex 990 is a high end desktop with state of the art featured aimed at functioning well in organizations where employees heavily reply on PCs to get their job done. In such large firms, it is expected that the PC would need to handle massive number of transactions and store large amounts of data. In addition, it will need to be highly secure and function seamlessly at all times. Considering that large medium organizations do not have IT budgets that are too stringent and can afford to pay more to get a better quality product, the price of the Optiplex 990 will not hold much bearing. However, smaller organization may have to think twice before purchasing it as they have restricted amount of funds that can be spent of technology.
When compared to the 990, the Optiplex 790 is nearly half the price. However, its configuration is also nearly 50% less advanced than its higher end counterpart. The 790 retains some of the more elaborate features such as the security management system, it can be purchased with a slower processor such as an i3 should the buyer have budget constraints. While is can be used by large firms, it is best suited for mid-level organizations that are conservative in the spending and would yet like to have an option to uprade their IT infrastructure in step with the organizational growth.
The Optiplex 390 is the least complex of the three suggested PCs. While it has the basic configuration required I an office set up, it has none of the frills that the other two models boast. It may come across as an unimpressive PC but it should be noted that it aims to provide maximum functionality at the minimum price. It has average security features but is as energy efficient as the other two. The PC is best suited for small firms that do not expect any major growth or business expansion in the near future.
4 Recommendation
Considering the size and nature of business of XYZ Networks, it is recommended that they choose the Dell Optiplex 390 for use in the office. Being an NGO, it has very limited spending budget and hence price is a very crucial deciding factor. In addition, it does not require a high end PC as the functions that will be performed using it will not be very intense. The configuration of the Optiplex 390 should suffice. In addition, the 390 has the same size options and energy efficiency as the 790 and 990, which is why it will be additionally cost effective. For these reasons, the Optiplex 390 would be best suited for XYZ Networks.
Works Cited
Cole, G. (2012, March 5). Dell Optiplex 390 review in Desktop PCs. Retrieved April 14, 2012, from PC Pro: http://www.pcpro.co.uk/reviews/desktops/373327/dell-optiplex-390
Dell. (2012). OptiPlex 390 Desktop. Retrieved April 14, 2012, from Dell: http://www.dell.com/us/business/p/optiplex-390/pd?~srd=true&sk=optiplex%20390&scat=prod
Dell. (2012). OptiPlex 790 All-in-One Ultra Small Form Factor with All-in-One stand. Retrieved April 14, 2012, from Dell: http://www.dell.com/us/business/p/optiplex-790-usff/pd
Dell. (2012). OptiPlex 990 Desktop. Retrieved April 14, 2012, from Dell: http://www.dell.com/us/business/p/optiplex-990/fs
Parmar, R. (2011, July 8). Dell Optiplex 990 Review. Retrieved April 14, 2012, from Techmagnifier: http://www.techmagnifier.com/276/computing/dell-optiplex-990-review.aspx
Techbyte. (2011, September 8). Review: Dell OptiPlex 790 desktop compute. Retrieved April 14, 2012, from The Telepgraph: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/yourbusiness/businesstechnology/8749368/Review-Dell-OptiPlex-790-desktop-computer.html
