Interested in a Dell Optiplex?    

I purchased a used Dell Optiplex GX150SMT in April of 2005.  The case configuration I picked up is the Small Mini Tower (SMT) model.  As this was my first computer that was all my own, I was fairly excited when it came in the mail.  A half-dozen upgrades later, I wasn't quite as geeked, but I still have a grudging respect for that computer.  It ran well for being five years old...

Anyway, if you're looking at that model, here's a link to Dell's Support website.  This link should take you directly to the Technical Specifications:

http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/opgx150/en/ug/specs.htm

For those who'd rather learn about the GX150 here, keep reading!

Under my Dell GX150's hood:

The GX150 series uses the Intel Pentium III or Celeron processors, with either a Slot 1 CPU or a Socket 370 CPU.  The Slot 1 models max out around 1 GHz, although I've seen mods that will allow you to go beyond 1 GHz.  The Socket 370 models max out around 1.466 Ghz.  I've had a hard time finding a Pentium III above 1.2 GHz, but if you have patience you could probably find a faster model.  Of course, you'd have to find a bigger heatsink, and then the exhaust hood might not fit...
Also, it is important to determine what voltage the VRM (voltage regulator module) outputs (if your model has a VRM).

The GX150 Optiplex uses either PC133 (recommended) or PC133/100 memory.  Dell will not cover any damage done by non-approved memory, but I've used Kingston and Micron memory that wasn't Dell-branded without any problems.  If you upgrade with non-Dell memory, make sure you get memory that is CL2.5 or better.  This refers to the thickness of the board on which the memory chips are mounted.  The higher the number, the thicker the board.   Thicker memory sticks are less prone to electro-static interference.

The installed memory range varies from 64MB to 512MB, max.  I recommend maxing the memory out if you choose this model, because it makes a considerable difference in system performance.  Also, you can typically get two 256MB sticks of memory for around $50.00 or less on eBay.  For an upgrade, that is dirt-cheap!

The SMT models seem to normally come with a bottom-level nVidia AGP video card, usually 16MB or so.  REPLACE IT!!  There really isn't much you can run smoothly, graphically speaking, with that kind of video card.  The SMT model has a 4x AGP slot, 2 PCI slots on the mainboard, and 2 PCI slots on a riser board attached to the bottom of the mainboard.
PLEASE NOTE:  None of these slots are PCI-e,or PCI-express, if you prefer.  Do not confuse the two.

If you choose to upgrade the video card, always pick the AGP-type card if you must decide between two cards with roughly equal specifications.  The AGP bus is a dedicated video bus, while the PCI bus is shared with other devices, meaning you have a greater chance of having resource conflicts.  Also, the AGP bus runs at a higher frequency than the PCI bus.  So, even if both cards have the same amount of memory (i.e. 128MB), the AGP card will actually be able to process more information, making it the better upgrade.  If you're looking for video cards on eBay, look carefully at the item description, and the shipping cost.  Some sellers like to be purposefully vague in exactly how much memory the card has, or what the model number is.  Additionally, you really shouldn't have to pay more than $20.00 to ship a video card.  It's usually a lot less.  Some sellers will sell the card at a low price, then make up the difference in the shipping cost.  Above all, use discretion!

The SMT has externally accessible bays for two optical (CD or DVD) drives, although it usually ships with only one CD-ROM drive.  It also has bays for a combination of two floppy drives, two Zip drives, or one of each.  The hard-drive bay, which will accept two standard hard-drives, is only internally accessible.  The great thing about the Optiplex case is that all of the bays use screwless "rails," which makes replacing a drive a five minute job at most.  The add-in cards (modem, NIC, video, etc.) are held in place by a lever arm which clips them securely into place.  It rarely took me more than a minute to swap a card out.  That's fast.

The SMT usually shipped with a 200 watt power supply unit, or PSU.  If you plan on packing this case full of add-ins, upgrade it to at least 300 watts or better.  Otherwise, your computer's going to stutter like an old Volkswagen climbing a San Francisco hill...

Did I mention the over-all design of the case?  It's what I really love about this Optiplex series.  To open the case up, you lay the computer on it's side.  Press the two big buttons on either side, after which the case will swing open like a clamshell.  The motherboard and power supply are on the "bottom" half, and all of your drives are on the "top" half.  Brilliant!!

In Summary:

While the GX150 will never blow your socks off, it's a good, upgradeable, dependable workstation or server for anyone on a tight budget.  This machine will run Windows XP fine, or any recent version of Linux great.  Avoid installing Vista, as this machine only meets the very basic requirements.

Last, but not least: Thanks for reading this!! I hope you learned something useful!!

Tieson Trowbridge, aka "louiemctool"