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XPS Desktop Reliability in Business Setting
Does anyone have any input on whether the XPS chassis is reliable enough to be online 24/7 (with occasional restarts for updates)?
We were considering buying XPS desktops with the new 8th Gen Intel CPUs to replace the aging Optiplex desktops in our university research group. We're looking at XPS because we have a somewhat small window to buy the new PCs (funding issue) and these are the only units available with 8th Gen Intel CPUs currently, since the Optiplex line is still selling with 7th Gen CPUs.
The reason I ask is that the XPS desktop is marketed as a high end consumer/home product, so before buying we'd want to make sure that there isn't any major difference in reliability between these units and the Optiplex lineup.
speedstep
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November 7th, 2017 05:00
XPS is marketed as Gaming system. Unless you are buying custom systems with Mil Spec parts the reliability and parts used inside are the same. So Latitude 14 5414 is built to be run thru the sand on the beach and roasted in the desert.
https://www.cdw.com/shop/products/Dell-Latitude-5414-Rugged-14in-Core-i5-6300U-8-GB-RAM-128-GB-SSD-E/4238060.aspx
ejn63
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November 6th, 2017 15:00
There will be little or no hardware difference. The biggest difference is in support - you can't get business-critical support windows on an XPS. As long as you realize you'll be working with consumer-grade offshore support (where as US-based Pro Gold support is available for Latitude/OptiPlex/Precision models), the XPS will do fine.
istopdots
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November 6th, 2017 15:00
Thanks ein63 for the feedback! In the configurator for both units, I've noticed that when the XPS is configured under business it has the option for selecting the same support & warranty as the OptiPlex. I've chatted with two different Dell representatives so far:
One told me that the XPS is just as good as the OptiPlex for running 24/7 and the main difference is options and price point.
Another told me that the XPS is not tested or rated for 24/7 operation and the OptiPlex and Precision lines are, so we should wait for the latter to come out in January.
Do you or anyone else have some insight into which of these are probably true?
istopdots
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November 6th, 2017 16:00
Hi Dan, good point. These desktops are intended to be on 24/7 mainly for availability in remote access, but they will be running CPU intensive simulations on a regular basis for 3-4 days at a time.
So the systems won't be under full load 24/7, but they are expected to be powered on and connected 24/7 so our researchers can access them when needed.
Dan-H
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November 6th, 2017 16:00
My only concerns for a 24x7 system is what the system is doing while running 24x7.
If the systems are folding, or encoding or in anyway working the CPU hard for long periods of time then I would want to budget for a better power supply. Better in terms of efficiency, noise level, quality of power and all of this running at (Potentially) a higher ambient temperature which can be an unwelcome side effect of a system running hard 24x7.
I would also consider where the systems physically sit to ensure they have good air flow and don't have heat trapped in a "swirl" where the hot exhaust stays under a desk and becomes the intake air.
Other than the PSU, I would not have any reservation using an XPS 24x7.
I ran my semi-stock 8700 24x7 for almost 2 years before it became a gaming system for one of my kids. When it became a gaming system, it got a new power supply and a graphics card for gaming and still is cranking away today, but not 24x7.