HP DX5150 – OEM plus AMD

Installation and Setup

It should come as little surprise that installing this computer is extremely simple. I don't know if my mother could do it, but just about anyone else in the family would have no difficulty. You unpack the box, plug in the keyboard, mouse, LAN and power connectors, connect a display, and power up the system. At that point, you'll be prompted for the Windows product key. A quick reboot, go through the activation wizard, and you're done. The total time required to unpack the system and get it up and running is less than 30 minutes, and most of that is spent arranging the parts on the desk.

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One of the nice things about this system is that, unlike many home computer systems from large OEMs, you don't get a ton of useless preinstalled software. (Businesses usually don't like that stuff, and they often have their own set of programs that they use.) HP includes some diagnostics utilities, some documentation, and drivers for all the installed hardware. You might find one or two pieces of software that you want to uninstall, but thankfully, there's no spyware or other junk software. While it costs extra, one piece of software that most companies will want to get is Microsoft Office 2003. You can get the Basic, Small Business or Professional editions for $99, $219 or $299, respectively. That's slightly less than what most places charge for the OEM versions.

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Being computer geeks, we naturally had to "pop the hood". The left side of the case is secured by a single thumbscrew, and after loosening that, it slides off. It can take a bit of effort at times, but it isn't too difficult, and the panel can be secured by a lock if desired. The internal layout of the system is clean, and there are several areas that provide for future upgrades. Available expansion options include one PCIe X16, one PCIe X1 slot, and two PCI slots; there are one free 5.25" and two 3.5" external bays - unless you choose to get a floppy drive - and there is also room for a second internal hard drive.

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Most of the case features are very easy to work with. Three plastic tabs secure the front bezel, and pressing them in allows you to pull that off. That exposes all of the drive bays. The drive bays have a quick release mechanism located on the left side of the case, and the DVD and hard drive come preinstalled with bolts that serve as rails of sorts. If you need to remove a drive, lift the plastic tab, slide the drive out, and in the process, disconnect the cables from the rear of the drive. Reverse the process to install a new drive. It's extremely simple to do, and you could swap a drive in less than five minutes.

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The power supply is a 250W model, which is on the low end of the spectrum. However, a conservatively rated 250W power supply may actually be equal to an aggressively rated 400W PSU. We didn't encounter any problems when we loaded up the system with a high-end graphics card and a couple of TV tuners, and of course, the onsite warranty means that you're covered if problems do develop.

The expansion slots are one of the few areas that require an actual tool: either a flathead screwdriver or a Torx bit. A single screw secures a plate that locks the four expansion slot brackets in place. After removing the screw, you slide out the plate and then you can access the expansion slots. Overall, the system is clearly designed for businesses: easy to open, maintain, and repair. A small IT staff could easily support several hundred of these systems, which is exactly what most corporations do.