Dell Precision T3600 Review: Dell's New Enterprise
by Dustin Sklavos on April 23, 2012 7:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Systems
- Dell
- Precision
- Workstation
- Maximus
Conclusion: Most Improved Since 2011
Where build and design are concerned, Dell's Precision T3600 (along with the T5600 and T7600) are like night and day compared to last year's line. The Precision T1600 wasn't a bad desktop, but the revised design here is preferable in every conceivable way, and those design cues are echoed across the entire lineup (including the new T1650).
While Dell would like to talk to you about performance and just how fast their Precision desktops are, realistically that's not actually their strong suit when taken in context. HP can for the most part build desktops just as fast as Dell can because they're sourcing their parts from the same places. The underlying mantra with Dell's revised chassis design, and the thing that the end user should really be focusing on, is one word: "uptime."
In a perfect world computer parts just wouldn't break down, but this isn't a perfect world, so Dell did the next best thing: they tried to make the least reliable parts in a computer system as easy to service as humanly possible. Their RMT addresses memory-related issues and stability while toolless mounts for hard drives and especially the power supply ensure that should any of these parts actually fail, it's easy to just replace it and keep going. Simply put, Dell has designed around minimizing downtime due to service. Better still, they've made the systems easy enough to service that even a relative neophyte can do it.
The other thing I'd ordinarily want to address with the T3600 would be pricing, but this review is as much a preview as it is a review. The T3600 and its kin aren't going to be available until next month, and so until then we have no idea just how badly the end user is going to get gouged—and rest assured, they will be gouged. This is as true for HP as it is for Dell; you're paying for service and reliability, and in the process you're going to pay an arm and a leg for certain upgrades. There's a very good reason companies chase after the enterprise sector.
Ultimately, though, I think Dell has done very right by their customers with the new Precision towers. The T3600, at least in our review configuration, is as fast as Dell wants you to believe. They've also made the systems as easy to diagnose and service as humanly possible. We have a competing system from HP in house that we'll be reviewing soon, but the bar has been set.
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eanazag - Monday, April 23, 2012 - link
I'd like to see how their new cards compete in this all nVidia review. The only problem I see is I can't make sense of how many different series AMD has.http://www.amd.com/US/PRODUCTS/WORKSTATION/GRAPHIC...
thetuna - Monday, April 23, 2012 - link
One of us doesn't know what a page fault is...YaBaBom - Monday, April 23, 2012 - link
I like the Dell workstations, and administer a few of them. But I have to agree with cjcoats--the limited options for disk expansion--especially in the 7x00 series--are inexcusable.I wish they would take a queue from something like the Fractal Design Arc Midi that has 8 internal 3.5" bays.
bobj3832 - Monday, April 23, 2012 - link
The machine itself is nice but it is the custom power supply, custom drive brackets, etc. that I hate.We have a ton of Dell computers at work. The ability to change out the PSU quickly is great for an IT department IF they buy some extra power supplies and have them sitting in a closet. Unfortunately our IT dept doesn't. PSU blows and it will either be 2 days to get a new one FedEx'd or Dell is out of stock for the 3 year old computer PSU model. With regular ATX PSUs I can buy a new one at a local store and put it in in less than 5 minutes.
I also couldn't put a full length graphics card or double slot graphics card in some Dells at work.
A CPU fan died and I can't just replace it with an off the shelf model because it's enclosed in this giant custom Dell air vent.
Rant over.
killazys - Monday, April 23, 2012 - link
Hi, could someone elaborate exactly what testing is being dome with x264? What's the source clip, encoding settings, whether or not avisynth is being used, etc? Its interesting that the gpu is listed, because x264 encoding is purely software based unless you're using something like DGSource in Avisynth.killazys - Monday, April 23, 2012 - link
Done*. Please excuse me as I am posting from my phone.Rocket321 - Monday, April 23, 2012 - link
I've long been jealous of the enterprise/workstation Cases from both HP and Dell. They are designed for such ease of service and have good attention to airflow and ascetics. My HP z600 at work is great with the handle/latch side door, steel panels, etc. I wish an aftermarket case maker would copy some of this stuff!otherwise - Tuesday, April 24, 2012 - link
Agreed. I've been building computers for almost 20 years now, and the Z600 has to be the best designed case I've ever worked in.randinspace - Tuesday, April 24, 2012 - link
Is Dell hoping to bring up fond memories of the Playstation 2 or something?cjb110 - Tuesday, April 24, 2012 - link
The model name orientation suggests they designed it to be horizontal, but the logo on the mesh suggests vertical?Unless they have a rotatable logo like the PS3? :)
Interestingly at work we've just switched outsourcing from HP to IBM, and as part of that any new desktops and laptops are now all Dell. Not this class though, just the i3/i5 models. They definitely look nicer and don't scrimp on memory like the 1/2gb HP ones did.