Compaq Deskpro EN Slim Desktop

WHAT'S HOT: This inexpensive system is designed to make life easier for IT departments. The desktop case's sturdy top panel pops off after you remove a single thumbscrew and flip two switches. Tool-less drive bays swing upward to provide better access, and five open PCI slots provide plenty of expansion options in the surprisingly roomy interior. A chassis intrusion detector remotely alerts IT personnel to unauthorized access, and Compaq's Smart Cover Lock and Sensor software can automatically lock the case.

Compaq adds more smarts for managing the system: SMARTDrive monitoring software watches for hard-drive failures, while Compaq's Intelligent Manageability software automates the deployment of disk images and the migration of user settings from one PC to another.

WHAT'S NOT: Our review unit came with a skimpy 20GB hard drive and a 22X-48X CD-ROM drive. Only one free drive bay (providing external access) is available for expansion. The PC's integrated graphics (relying on the Intel 815 chip set) yields lower performance than a dedicated graphics card and siphons off resources from the CPU and the 128MB of system RAM. However, this EN does include a 4MB display cache, inserted into the AGP slot, to speed up some 3D graphics tasks; and you can opt for a dedicated AGP graphics card.

WHAT ELSE: The EN's performance is about right for its processor class. Our review unit, powered by a 733-MHz Celeron processor, earned a 140 on PC WorldBench 2000--seven points better than the average for 700-MHz Celeron systems running Windows 2000. On the other hand, many comparably priced systems carry more powerful processors.

Colors appeared deep and rich on the 17-inch Compaq V710 monitor. Text grew slightly fuzzy at 1024 by 768 resolution but didn't worsen at the maximum supported resolution of 1280 by 1024. Documentation includes a safety and comfort guide, a quick setup manual, a getting started guide, and a thick troubleshooting manual, as well as the Compaq Reference Library on CD-ROM. The Compaq multimedia keyboard features eight hot-keys and allows smooth, quiet typing. Compaq earned a Good rating in our recent anonymous calls to its tech support line.

The EN is a highly configurable series. In addition to the Slim Desktop, the line includes minitower and small-form-factor versions.

BEST USE: This configuration of the Deskpro EN handles the computing basics and provides high-end management options for a reasonable price.

SUMMARY

Compaq Deskpro EN Slim Desktop PC WorldBench 2000 score of 140, Celeron-733 CPU, 128MB of SDRAM, 128KB L2 cache, Windows 2000, 10GB hard drive, 22X-48X CD-ROM drive, integrated Intel 815 graphics, 17-inch monitor, integrated sound, network adapter, desktop case. Three-year parts and labor warranty; free, unlimited, 24-hour tech support. $1301 800/345-1518 www.compaq.com