HP Compaq 8200 Elite USDT

The HP Compaq 8200 Elite USDT ($869 direct) is a fine choice for businesses who work primarily over the Web or a network (such as in the database, information analysis, or Web design fields). It lacks backward compatibility with old-school hardware like PCI cards and peripherals that connect via serial ports, but it compensates with speedy quad-core processing and forward-looking components. It's ideal for either a startup or an enterprise department that has finally thrown off the shackles of legacy hardware.

Design and Features
The 8200 Elite USDT is small enough (2.6 by 9.9 by 10 inches, HWD) to hide under a desk or in a cubbyhole, but it still retains some full-size components, like its Intel Core i5-2500S processor. Though the system is compact, there's still a little room inside. The system has two SO-DIMM slots for memory (one is filled), and the system has an MXM graphics card slot. MXM was designed for use in laptops and other small-form-factor machines as strictly an interior solution (it offers no external ports); it really hasn't taken off the way designers thought it would in the mid 2000s. Here it's used for configuring 8200 Elites with discrete graphics. On one hand this means that ultra-slim desktop (USDT) and ultra-small-form-factor (USFF) machines like the 8200 Elite can be equipped with optional discrete graphics at the factory. On the other, third-party MXM graphics cards are difficult to find, so you probably won't be upgrading the systems after purchase. The MXM card slot in this review unit is unoccupied, so the system uses the i5-2500S's integrated Intel HD 2000 Graphics.

Its compact size means that the 8200 Elite USDT doesn't have any other internal expansion room. You (or likely your IT folk) will have to add extra functionality using the system's ten USB 2.0 ports. The only legacy ports are the PS/2 ports for the keyboard and mouse, and a VGA port for the monitor. If your business has stopped buying VGA monitors, the only alternative is DisplayPort. There are also no HDMI, USB 3.0, or eSATA ports. There simply isn't room—a tradeoff you must make for such a compact system. The serviceability of the system is average: The system's lockable case door comes off quickly, but you'll have to remove the optical drive to get to the hard drive. In contrast, the Editors' Choice ($1,180 direct, 4 stars) is much easier to get into and service.

The desktop comes with two laptop-style drives: a 2.5-inch 250GB hard drive and a tray-loading DVD burner. This setup has plusses and minuses. The hard drive can be swapped out for another solution in some configurations, but both the spinning hard drive (320GB) and SSD (160GB) options are relatively small; competing systems can be configured with full-size hard drives ranging from 500GB to 4TB in capacity.

The 8200 Elite USDT can be configured to your liking during the ordering process, but our review unit came with a standard set of preloaded programs, mostly in the form of installers. Installers are a good way to go, because they avoid the headaches of preinstalled programs but give end users or IT folk the option of using them. These programs include HP's Power Assistant, HP's ProtectTools security software, and . As it does with most enterprise PCs, HP supports disk imaging for the 8200 Elite line, from the USDT seen here all the way up to tower PCs in the same family.

Performance
A 2.7GHz Intel Core i5-2500S processor, with built-in Intel HD Graphics 2000, and 4GB of DDR3 memory made the HP Compaq 8200 Elite USDT a quick performer on our benchmark tests. For example, the 8200 Elite motored through our Handbrake video test in only 1 minute 21 seconds and our Photoshop CS5 test in 3:16. These results are in a dead heat with those of the Lenovo ThinkCentre M91p (1:21 Handbrake, 3:12 CS5), though behind those of the class-leading (but more expensive) ($1,905 direct, 3.5 stars) (1:11 Handbrake, 2:57 CS5). That said, the 8200 Elite should last your company the three to five years it takes to write off the capital expense.

The HP Compaq 8200 Elite USDT is certainly a capable compact desktop for your medium-to-enterprise-sized business. It's powerful enough to fulfill your day-to-day needs, particularly if you're a Web-based business or frequently work with more traditional databases and Excel spreadsheets, and it can even handle light-to-medium graphics tasks. It's reasonably easy to service, but the Lenovo M91p will be even quicker for your IT folks. The Lenovo also uses cheaper and more capacious desktop-class hard and optical drives. Both systems are roughly equivalent performers, but the HP costs a few hundred dollars less per unit. That said, the Lenovo M91p's build quality, backward-compatibility with legacy PCI cards, and serviceability give it the leg up to stay as our Editors' Choice for large/enterprise-class businesses.

BENCHMARK TEST RESULTS

COMPARISON TABLE

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