Compaq Deskpro EN - Multifailure PC
Jul 12 '00
As a computer technician for an S&P500 financial institution, I am partially responsible for the computer hardware of at least 500 users. All are Compaq Deskpro's, with the vast majority being EN series PC's.
I am not considered an expert by Epinions.com (yet), but I would have to say that my experience with the Compaq computer line surpasses most folks you'll read here.
The DeskPro EN is primarily used as a business solution, though it is available through various sources for home users as well. This review will focus on the smallfootprint EN. There are pro's & con's for this desktop PC, but I can say without a doubt that I would not recommend or own an EN. The reasons?
First and foremost is faulty design. The small footprint desktop version has poorly designed ventilation, which can contribute to CPU failure in spacial circumstances where airflow is minimized. The fan pulls air from a cockeyed position inside the case. The exhaust has to travel more than 1/2 way through the case, which disallows cooling of the air. Furthermore, the fan is not positioned so that it can effectively pull heat off the CPU's heatsink.
Second, and most annoying in my opinion, is the case cover. The cover is removed by pressing in on tabs located on each side, near the front of the cover. While the cover is removed easily, reseating it properly is a royal pain. The tab buttons tend to "stick" in the open position (tab in). The cover has to be laid on the chassis, then the tabs must be pushed out, by reaching under and inside the top. Next, the cover must be gently dropped into position. Last, and this is the trickiest part, the case cover must be slide towards the rear of the chassis and "snapped" into place. What usually happens is that the tabs flip in again when the cover is being seated or closed. One good workaround is to place a little piece of tape on the tabs to hold them out or closed.
Next, is the system board, the PC's major component. Although most PC's are made this way, the all-in-one nature of the system board makes it impossible to replace a failed NIC or graphics accelerator without replacing the entire system board. Since card slots are at a premium, replacing on-board devices with card devices is something to really think about.
Add-in cards & upgrades are almost nil. There are only two DIMM slots. Cards are limited to two PCI slots. An aftermarket CD-ROM drive (with a tray) is not an option due to the outer case (bezel) design. The same applies to aftermarket or generic 1.44M floppy diskette drives. They won't fit the EN case's bezel.
Another thing - For the life of me, I can't figure out why Compaq chose to use Fujitsu hard drives in many of the DeskPro EN series PC's. Fujitsu has a long standing reputation of offering cheap, unreliable hard disks.
The silver lining of these clouds are few, but significant from a technician's point of view. The system board can be removed and replace in two minutes or less (no screwdriver needed) -- which is a good thing considering how often I replace parts in these PC's. Likewise, the hard drive, floppy drive, Compaq brand CD-ROM & riser card can also be removed without the need for a screwdriver. The power supply requires the removal of two torx screws, but that is not a daunting task. Attaching seating screws to replacement parts will require a torx driver. Compaq also thought enough to attach extra screws to the system chassis, should you loose the originals.
Overall, when the EN is in a well ventilated area and not under heavy program use, it should perform pretty well. It's fairly easy to replace parts when it does fail (which can be often). However, don't plan on upgrading it. And make sure you buy any extended warranty offered, too. If not, it's likely to end up as a boat anchor as soon as the manufacturer's warranty expires.
As a side note, I would advise against the purchase of Compaq V70 and V75 monitors, at any price. The failure rate on these displays is ridiculously high.
NOTE:
Various configurations are available, so not comment is offered on specific models with the EN family.
I hope the reader will find this review to be useful in their decision to purchase a home or office PC. If you would like further comment on any aspect of the small footprint EN, please email or post a comment with your rating of this review. THANK YOU for your time and honest evaluation.
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Epinions.com ID:
Levelheaded
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Member: CharlieJ
Location: Beautiful Southeast, USA
Reviews written: 15
Trusted by: 2 members
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