good basic computer for work
This OptiPlex 790 minitower came with enough memory and hard disk to use as a general office computer. The price was good for the performance of the processor and 8G of RAM. However like most computers purchased off-the-shelf, the hard disk is slow and the built-in motherboard graphics is slow. Standard procedure for computer upgrade is to add a solid-state drive, with this computer I added a 240G SSD. A separate graphics card was also added.
We do this upgrade for all our Dell computers in the office and the performance boost is tremendous, to the point where this computer is being used for video production now.
On the flip side, this is a refurbished used computer, and this particular unit came with some significant scratches and dents in the case, definitely led a hard life in its previous service environment. The case cover is loose and won't close fully, the mouse arrived cracked. A quick chat with the Great Offer Stock customer service took care of the issues, so all is fine now.
But given the low price, there was no illusion that the computer would be "like new", unlike when purchasing direct from Dell outlet. The price is hard to beat, and for putting another workstation together for the office, is a good price/performance combo. Get a couple of nice monitors, stick the CPU under the desk, and you have a very nice workstation for less than half price. Nobody looks or cares about the battle scars on the case in the office anyway. They just want the thing to work smoothly and quickly.
