HP Compaq 8200 Elite Ultra-Slim: The Littlest Desktop
by Dustin Sklavos on September 29, 2011 10:40 AM EST- Posted in
- Systems
- IT Computing
- HP
- SFF
- Enterprise
Conclusion: Day to Day Workhorse
Not every build we get in house has to be glamorous, but there's a certain charm to a machine as small and inobtrusive as the HP Compaq 8200 Elite Ultra-Slim. Even on the enterprise side, not everyone is going to be doing CAD work and video editing or trying to power through Maya. There needs to be a client that fills the needs of any business, big or small--for people who just need a terminal to sit and work at.
If you're not space limited you can certainly save some dosh by going with one of the bigger, less specialized towers that HP (or Dell) offers, but it's hard not to like the 8200. This little computer is very good at what it does and well-designed for its intended purpose. It's something you can actually discreetly stash behind the monitor, where it will make virtually no noise, generate virtually no heat, and basically do its job without calling any attention to itself. For something like a library or school computer lab that just wants to get rows of computers in place, this is an excellent choice.
With that said, I do have a couple of quibbles. I would rather have seen DVI on the back instead of DisplayPort; HP sells DisplayPort adaptors to the major screen input standards, but DisplayPort itself is still rarefied, often showing up only on more expensive monitors while DVI is far more ubiquitous at every step of the ladder. And while enterprise machines tend to be about a step behind consumer machines in terms of connectivity, I still would've liked to have seen at least USB 3.0 connectivity on the 8200. Ten USB 2.0 ports are cute, but there's no high speed connectivity anywhere outside of the Gigabit ethernet.
Ultimately the HP Compaq 8200 Elite Ultra-Slim is a well-designed, even cute little machine that's well-suited to being a reasonably inexpensive client machine. If you don't need the quad-core processor you can always downgrade to an i3 and save a hundred bucks or so. You also get the standard 3-year onsite service, which can be helpful even for non-business users should anything go amiss. If something small and reasonably powerful is what you're looking for (ideally for a small business or a large number of terminals), the HP Compaq 8200 Elite Ultra-Slim should fit the bill nicely.
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LoneWolf15 - Thursday, September 29, 2011 - link
In a mass-deployment market, "basically" that's a great solution.It takes up very little desk space, but can be set up so it won't walk away. Great option for K-12 education, or a secretary who needs all the room on his/her desk that can be had.
For the right price, I'd pick up a few dozen of these in Core i3 format for a basic computer lab, where they'd be perfect for the job.
Belard - Thursday, September 29, 2011 - link
I know.. and understand. Overall, I agree with the review of this HP computer.I would have gone for 2 USB in the front and at least 1 USB 3.0 in the back and of course, DVI should have been standard.... instead of VGA. VGA adapters are cheap.
JasperJanssen - Wednesday, October 12, 2011 - link
Business computers don't need USB 3. They barely need USB2 -- most businesses don't allow random USB devices beyond HID to be connected.praeses - Thursday, September 29, 2011 - link
These got nixed from my list because of the external power supply. Not only are they trickier from a cable management perspective but they also are more vulnerable to being disconnected and damaged.For some its not so much of an issue.
Adul - Thursday, September 29, 2011 - link
We just deployed a few hundred of these desktops for a customer of ours. The small form factor really helps out in the tight spaces many of these systems go in hallways. And the ton of USB ports is good to have with some setups having a lot of USB devices attached to them.MadAd - Friday, September 30, 2011 - link
agreed, ive been into car computing as well as running several light load home servers, this is a lovely little machine for so many tasks that a laptop cant quite handle but you wouldnt want to power a whole ATX box to do, plus bridges that ITX format space that no one has really managed to claim as their own just yet.What with graphics moving on die over the next few generations, all it needs is a push into this space now by companies like HP and I can see stacked power hungry ATX boxes becoming less attractive
Jaguar36 - Thursday, September 29, 2011 - link
A Mac mini just seems like a better all around option, less power, no external power brick, for this usage case its going to be just as fast. And far higher build quality.Nihility - Thursday, September 29, 2011 - link
You want to go from:4 cores @ 2.7 (turbo to 3.7) with 4 GB of RAM and a 3-year warranty
to
2 cores @ 2.3 with 2GB of RAM with a 1-year warranty?
And 4 less USB 2.0 ports (for what they'e worth)
Jaguar36 - Thursday, September 29, 2011 - link
You're comparing the base $600 Mac mini to the $917 review configuration.It doesn't matter though, as performance in this application is pretty much irrelevant, nobody using this PC is going to notice an extra 2 cores.
Nihility - Thursday, September 29, 2011 - link
Huge oversight on my part.Really only the warranty is a big difference in that case.