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    <title><![CDATA[Discussion on Buying new desktops - which chassis to choose ]]></title>
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        <title><![CDATA[Honestly I am not fond of]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-219933-2238050]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[ultra slim form factor (USFF) or (SFF) small form factor, or (USDT) ultra slim desktop.While they take less room, they are a hassle for additions except external.  Also, they seem to have issues (as you said) with HW failures.  In my experiences with them, they are a cheap, crap product meant just to give lower bids for contracts.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-219933-2238050]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[w2ktechman]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Sat, 19 May 2007 22:10:41 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Dell USFF problems we have]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-219933-2237842]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[We have been deploying Dell Optiplex 745 Ultra Small as standard systems for our general users.  In relation to our other desktops these have a higher failure rate than any other computer from Dell.  We have had many failures due to bad memory, motherboards and hard drives.  Since they are under warranty it is not an issue but our users down time is important and very time consuming since IT has to deploy a loaner until their computer is repaired and the data transfer to the loaner and then back to their system after being repaired.  Inprespective we also purchase Dell Optiplex 745 Mini-Tower and the failure rate is significantly less than the Ultra Small's.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-219933-2237842]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[name holdout]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Sat, 19 May 2007 09:22:10 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Shuttle vs. Silverstone]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-219933-2222405]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[So no problems with overheating?Also, in my earlier post when I said it was hard to find decent parts, I suppose I meant that it was hard to find high performance parts that would physically fit into the Shuttle case. For example, the most powerful PSU that I could find on the Shuttle website was 300W - hardly enough to run my 8800GTS video card (which also wouldn't fit!) The new Silverstone replacement I bought is great. I just shopped for parts that I'd normally buy for a tower case. The only 'SFF' part I had to buy was a mini ATX mobo.I suppose that I am using my machine for a lot of gaming. For a machine of lower specs for other use, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the Shuttle. I certainly got a lot of use out of mine while it lasted!]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-219933-2222405]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[lindsay.leung@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Sat, 28 Apr 2007 09:00:24 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[New Desktop Chassis]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-219933-2221559]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[I use the SFF, I have no problems replacing failed parts. Its a good middle ground tower, not to small not to big.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-219933-2221559]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[sisaacs]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Fri, 27 Apr 2007 06:06:35 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Things to consider]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-219933-2221273]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Hi,I don't have a recommendation one waY or the other, just some observations that may help you decide which way you wish to go.Your comment &quot;However i have three years before anything could potentially fail.&quot; is not quite correct - you have 3 years in which to get it repaired, no guarantees about how long to failures.I have always gone for desktops wherever possible for several reasons. Space, sit it on the desk in front of the user, place the monitor on top. The monitor uses about the same space as the desktop anyway, so both items use the same footprint. Users have easy access to the drives, on / switches USB ports.Dirt - you would be surprised in the difference placing a computer on a desk as compared to a tower on the floor, makes in accumulating dust bunnies ( or more like dust bears).Easily obtainable and inexpensive replacement parts.Lower heating problems - more space for air circulation.Herb]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-219933-2221273]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[ozi Eagle]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Thu, 26 Apr 2007 19:17:14 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Cooling is a huge consideration]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-219933-2221249]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[I live in a tropical country. With Temperatures varying anywhere from 27 deg. cent. (rainy and christmas season) to 32-37 deg. cent. (ave. during summer). So cooling/ventilation and easy access for the &quot;innards&quot; are my criteria on buying chassis. USFF will not work for us. Although it is space saving, being that small will need a cooler environment. On the office, it might be (though I'd stick for component easy access), but for home use USSF is no good even if it has 3 years of warranty.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-219933-2221249]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[yanipen@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Thu, 26 Apr 2007 18:42:06 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Silverstone Case]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-219933-2221248]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[I had a Shuttle until it died (mobo or PSU I think). It served me well for just over a year, but I wouldn't get one again, namely because:1) While the design and compactness is great, it suffered from overheating; and2) Decent parts are hard to come by. For example an 8800GTS video card will not fit, nor will a standard PSU. I also had to buy a special 'Shuttle' wireless module that fitted in the case.I've since replaced it with a Silverstone case. Still SFF, but not quite as small as the Shuttle. It looks great, and I've managed to fit in all normal sized parts.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-219933-2221248]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[lindsay.leung@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Thu, 26 Apr 2007 18:40:05 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[sometimes it's not an option]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-219933-2221186]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[I do alot of dental offices and as usual, IT is the last called when blueprints are drafted. They make the operatories that hold the units so small nothing but small factor fits. I have used the toshiba tablets but they are a little expensive. I have had bad results with HP so I am now going to try the XPS laptops. 15.25 screen. Power with punch. We turn machines every 3 to 4 years so what is the dirrefence, they all are throw aways]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-219933-2221186]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[mike@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Thu, 26 Apr 2007 15:49:40 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[I seriously prefer a larger desktop!]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-219933-2221090]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[As a person who works with and has always had a desktop pc at home and in business, I prefer the larger desktop in case I had to install or take out components.  I hate the idea of opening a laptop or other small desktop due to concerns about pulling or jarring something else.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-219933-2221090]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[tomshotcash@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Thu, 26 Apr 2007 13:28:51 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[USFF from Dell]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-219933-2221096]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[We have purchased serveral of these where space was a premium and have been very pleased.  I was very concerned if they would last as we had terrible experience with Dell's V line from a few years back but these little boxes rock. We even use one for our main frame system console.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-219933-2221096]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[4rd4fun]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Thu, 26 Apr 2007 13:27:39 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Our experience]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-219933-2221085]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[We have about 50 of the older versions of the 745 USFF, and have had minimal problems with them. The power supply/bricks are external, so that mitigates the heat issue to some degree. I never heard what you were going to do with the new unit, so am unsure of what to recommend. If you want a work box that does everything fairly well, our organization has had good results with Dells. The expandability of a USFF is extremely limited, hence our choice of using external enclosures for all of our ?added? toys. The toys are also portable, and I work in two locations, so they can be moved from one desk or location to another. For the power user, we are going with the SFF. I do not think replacement parts are astronomical in cost, nothing near the cost of a laptop, since neither chassis is meant to be carried about. Good luck.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-219933-2221085]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[little wheel]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Thu, 26 Apr 2007 13:11:26 -0700</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Our experience]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-219933-2221083]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[We have about 50 of the older versions of the 745 USFF, and have had minimal problems with them. The power supply/bricks are external, so that mitigates the heat issue to some degree. I never heard what you were going to do with the new unit, so am unsure of what to recommend. If you want a work box that does everything fairly well, our organization has had good results with Dells. The expandability of a USFF is extremely limited, hence our choice of using external enclosures for all of our ?added? toys. The toys are also portable, and I work in two locations, so they can be moved from one desk or location to another. For the power user, we are going with the SFF. I do not think replacement parts are astronomical in cost, nothing near the cost of a laptop, since neither chassis is meant to be carried about. Good luck.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-219933-2221083]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[little wheel]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Thu, 26 Apr 2007 13:07:19 -0700</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[The Bigger the Better]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-219933-2221057]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[When considering chassis, the bigger the chassis the better.  To me, a chassis should be massive enough to have to be placed on the floor under the desk and tall enough so that I do not have to bend over to insert disks or turn it off.  I know that this sounds impractical from a business perspective, but it really is not.Consider that most cube people have large amounts of space under their desks in their cude.  It is easy to slide a chassis in anywhere in that space.The main issue with the smaller chassis, as some have already pointed out, is heat.  With the newer faster and now multi-core chips, heat dissipation becomes a major problem.  I worry about it even with my Alienware chassis; which has dual quad code Cores running at 3 GHz and a dual NVidia card.  And if you ever saw the massive heat sink that any of these chips require, you would never consider anything but the roomiest chassis you can find!]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-219933-2221057]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[ra.kish]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Thu, 26 Apr 2007 12:41:03 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Many of these models will have optional]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-219933-2221042]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[riser cards to fit full size video cards.  Also, most can use half height cards.though, I do prefer full size desktops over these mini versions.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-219933-2221042]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[w2ktechman]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Thu, 26 Apr 2007 12:32:58 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[I can think of lots of reasons to avoid USFF]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-219933-2221000]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Maybe these were stated already1. higher initial cost2. physically difficult to repair due to compactness (you'd better have really small hands)3. non-standard repair parts4. higher expense of repair parts (think laptop)5. poor heat dissipationSo what are you gaining?  Do you really have limited space where you need to put these boxes?  Cost - benefit ratio: total cost of ownership will be higher, is it worth it?  3 yr. warranty adds a lot of cost up front and then are you going to replace these boxes after three years?]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-219933-2221000]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[kferraro@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Thu, 26 Apr 2007 11:38:25 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[What's standard and what's not?]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-219933-2220836]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[I hear what you're saying, but not sure it applies across the board.I've worked for this small charity for two years, it has 60 desktops or so. Ranging from 4 year old maxdata machines through to 6 month old Dell's.Getting a stable buying plan is almost impossible given the rate we're growing (50% p.a.), I therefore think we've got to buy the best hardware available at the time. To do otherwise simply doesn't make a good investment...Back to my pc/chassis decision. Looks like a Dell Optiplex 745 small form factor with 5 years...]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-219933-2220836]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Chrisfc]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Thu, 26 Apr 2007 08:11:55 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[3 years? the Upgrade cycle., Value of the inventory?]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-219933-2220803]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Surprisingly, I tend to get the best of the almost outdated but still in stock hardware....I get the &quot;common as flyshit&quot; systems....I usually only upgrade when things blow up or wear out; or when it makes good sense to make changes.The golly wizzbang megabuck system that is HOT now, simply becomes something that you have to basically pay to get carted away in 5 years time...I mean seriously, unless ONE has a GENUINE NEED and GOOD REASONS for getting the high ende components and systems - then I wouldn't bother with them.It amazes me that:a) One can only type / think so fast; andb) You can get simply outstanding performance, from cheap **** all in one motherboards with kind of basic processors.I don't play super games with high ende graphics and I am not developing apps or running video editing, or any of that stuff; most of what I do is typing and 2D graphics and similar...My pathway is to go &quot;Cheap, Reliable and Common.&quot;A common box with common cheap parts and a good monitor....And I forget all the fancy trendy stuff, that will be worth SFA anyway in a few years time, more so because of it's narrow market distribution.All the parts / systems I use, can be gotten anywhere and I can get replacements from anywhere.Simple.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-219933-2220803]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[2Shane]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Thu, 26 Apr 2007 07:53:55 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[two options]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-219933-2220764]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Our staff have the predecessor of the 745 USFF. We have many SX280s for a business reason ? not enough counter/desktop space, and a standard office type software package. For the power users, we are going to use the replace the standard large desktop chassis with a 745 SFF. We define our power users by the complexity and amount of computing power needed to complete their job, as well as the number of additional peripherals they need. We have moved to the use of external drives (DVD Burners, CD Burners, Zip Drives), scanners, etc. rather than internal installation for expediency sake when we image new boxes. It is also easier to move these peripherals to where they are needed. In the end, we have more space for the added peripherals, but less space taken up by the original boxes. Our ratio of standard user to power user is about 90% - 10%. Most of the power users have a larger space to be able to effectively use the peripherals without enlarging the area.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-219933-2220764]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[little wheel]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Thu, 26 Apr 2007 07:09:43 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Dell USFF]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-219933-2220754]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[The cover pops off easily, the hard drive is right on top, and the RAM is easy enough to reach as well.  The optical drive is an ejectable laptop style drive.  If you do not need any add on cards, this will do fine.  Like all dells, the MB is propriatory.  As for the warrantee, that is always a gamble.  Dell is betting it won't break, and you are betting it will.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-219933-2220754]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[michaellashinsky@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Thu, 26 Apr 2007 07:05:27 -0700</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Caution Advised]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-219933-2220706]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[I purchased over 75 of these for a lab setting about a year ago and now the mother boards are failing.  Of course, they are within warranty, but in a lab situation, we expect the machines to be up 24-7.  The other down side is the inability to add cards if needed.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-219933-2220706]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[ccarter@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Thu, 26 Apr 2007 06:34:23 -0700</pubDate>
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