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Dell OptiPlex 7000 Micro PC review
7:38 pm | March 28, 2023

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets | Tags: , | Comments: Off

The Dell OptiPlex 7000 Micro is an impressive little desktop machine that can fit on almost any desk, adding a powerful business computer with to any space with ease. Considering its size, we were impressed with the performance that came from this pint-sized box. 

Unboxing and First Impressions

We were shocked at the small size when we first unboxed the Dell OptiPlex 7000 Micro. It doesn't seem, at first glance, like it would be a powerful machine worth relying on for business tasks. However, once we booted up, we noticed that this desktop had a decent amount of power under the hood.

Dell OptiPlex 7000 Micro

Dell OptiPlex 7000 Micro with external power brick (Image credit: Future)

Design and Build Quality

This desktop's overall design certainly fits its micro nomenclature. 

Specs

Specs as tested

CPU: 12th Gen Intel Core i7

Memory: 16GB DDR5

Storage: 512GB 

Ports:

Front

Rear

Connectivity: WiFi 6E running AX211

Weight: 2.06lbs / 0.94kg

Dimensions

Height: 7.17in / 182.00mm

Width: 1.42in / 36.00mm

Depth: 7.00in / 178.00mm

The footprint is tiny lying down and takes up even less desk space if upright. The casing is easy to mount to the underside of a desk, cabinet, or shelf if you want it to take up even less desk space. While we have yet to mount this to a desktop or cabinet, Dell's website shows that the Micro can mount just about anywhere with the suitable adapter. The build quality is solid, and it could take a beating before breaking - although, as it's designed for office space, it shouldn't have to do that.

Most of the ports are found on the back of the computer, consisting of three DisplayPort, one HDMI, three USB-A, one Ethernet, and a port for power via a barrel connector. On the front is a power button, an indicator light, a mic line, a headphone line, another USB-A port, and a single USB-C. Though it has an impressive video output ability, the computer is less than 2.1 pounds (less than 1kg) and could hide behind a book thanks to its small stature.

Dell OptiPlex 7000 Micro

Dell OptiPlex 7000 Micro Upright (Image credit: Future)

In Use

When we first booted up the Micro, we noted its size and assumed its performance would match its stature. However, after using this computer for a few weeks now, we can say with certainty that this is an impressive computer regarding power and performance.

Dell OptiPlex 7000 Micro

Dell OptiPlex 7000 Micro Back ports (Image credit: Future)

The ports mentioned above have proven to be well-placed. The DisplayPorts on the back, along with the network and HDMI, stay hidden behind the computer without having to see the cables. Additionally, the USB-A ports on the back are great for plugging in headsets, external drives, and more that do not require daily interaction. The ports on the front have been great for quickly plugging in thumb drives, charging devices, and other quick-access devices.

Dell OptiPlex 7000 Micro

Dell OptiPlex 7000 Micro front ports (Image credit: Future)

The Dell OptiPlex 7000 Micro has been our main computer for a few weeks, and thanks to its minuscule size, we can integrate it into multiple desk setups to test efficiently. Whether running one standard monitor or four 4K monitors at 60Hz, this microcomputer can perform and adapt to the setup well. 

Our day-to-day use of this machine has naturally been entirely business focused. We have used it for research, emails, virtual meetings, spreadsheets, text documents, light photo editing, project management, and things of that nature. 

For confirmation, we ran some benchmark tests to see how this machine would compare to the competition, and all in all, the Dell OptiPlex 7000 Micro has proven to perform far above what it looks like it can do. After rounds of PCMark testing, our exporting tests, and keeping an eye on the task manager to see how hard it was working, we can confidently say this computer is the little engine that could. 

The overall PCMark 10 score was 5,858, with essentials topping out at 11,870 and productivity hitting 7,606. What was quite impressive was that the digital content creation score was still up at 6,044, which was admittedly higher than we expected, as that is not the focus of this computer.

Dell OptiPlex 7000 Micro

Dell OptiPlex 7000 Micro in Setup (Image credit: Future)

It's not the fastest computer in the world, nor should it be - it is a phenomenal solution for those looking for a more miniature PC in an office, a clinic, a business, or the like. While it’s not meant to rip through 4K video at record speeds, like a professional video editing computer, this machine can operate as a business computer, maybe occasionally touching on those elements but not as a main purpose for the machine.

One thing that we were disappointed about was the lack of Thunderbolt 4 connectivity. However, as the design for this computer is business focused, we understood opting for USB-C instead.

Final Verdict

The Dell OptiPlex 7000 Micro is a small-form-factor PC that can get some serious work done. Its frame is well-built, durable, and easy to mount to just about anywhere you may need it in your workspace. 


Dell Latitude 9330 2-in-1 laptop
8:08 pm | February 3, 2023

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets | Tags: , | Comments: Off

The Dell Latitude 9330 is a 2-in-1 remote working powerhouse designed for the work-from-anywhere individual due to its lightweight frame, focus on virtual meetings, and high-powered chipset. The Latitude 9330 is the smallest model Dell currently offers, though this is only small in footprint, as the power coming out of this device is truly impressive for its size.

Dell Latitude 9330 2-in-1

Fingerprint Scanner (Image credit: Future)

First impressions

Dell Latitude 9330 2-in-1

Left Side Ports (Image credit: Future)

Dell has designed this laptop to be ultra-portable while maintaining the power level needed for professional users. The Latitude 9330 is light and slim, with a sleek design, although it does feature minimal ports, which could be an issue for some users - although if you do need one of the missing connections (HDMI, USB-A, Ethernet, etc.), you could utilize an adapter or docking station at your desk.

Another thing that we noticed right off the bat is that the Latitude 9330 doesn’t look like a 2-in-1 device at first glance, instead resembling a standard slim laptop - but when  we took it out in the real world, it performed impressively.

Dell Latitude 9330 2-in-1

Right Side Ports (Image credit: Future)

Design and build quality

Specs

Weight: 2.8lb / 1.27kg
Screen size: 13.3 inches
Resolution: 2560 x 1600
Processor: 12th Gen Intel Core i7
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 500GB
Graphics: Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7
Ports: 3x USB-C, audio jack
Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2

The Dell Latitude 9330 2-in-1 features a 13-inch display, but  is remarkably light and minimal, despite housing up to a 12th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and LPDDR5 memory. 

The 2-in-1 design can be seen when the keyboard is folded all the way around behind the screen, turning it into a 13 inch tablet for those moments when you want to go hand-held. 

The laptop's right side has one USB-C port and a headphone jack, with theleft side featuring two thunderbolt ports. The device is incredibly portable, weighing just under 1.3kg / 3lb, and is only ¾ inch thick when sitting on a table, closed. All around, this laptop screams portability by design and functionality.

In use

We took this laptop with us everywhere for our tests, including at an office, on transportation, the couch, the coffee shop, as well as just our home, and it performed well in all settings. 

On the go, it's small and light enough to carry around easily, and functional enough to work effectively without having to find the "perfect" spot, whether that’s a kitchen table or countertop at a coffee shop - as unlike those who needed a large table, with a power supply, at the right height, we could be flexible. 

It was much the same when working at  home, where we could use this device on the couch comfortably without needing to contort around a bulky laptop. When we sat at a proper desk with an external monitor (or three) and peripherals, this laptop gave us the feel of a full-powered workstation with the power to tackle any of the tasks we threw at it.

The i7 processor has been able to handle a wide range of daily activities, with word processing tasks, email, spreadsheets, virtual meetings, project management, chat programs, music, and light photo editing all completed smoothly. Even while running on multiple screens, this laptop could handle what we were throwing at it without compromising. Granted, we did not use this to edit 4K footage or rework terabytes of audio files - but for a business professional who primarily works with the previously listed tasks, the Latitude 9330 is more than enough to get that taken care of with room to breathe.

The Latitude 9330 also features a significant focus  towards virtual and remote work due to a suite of included features designed to make collaboration seamless. 

While we usually spend most of our time in Google Meet, we tested a few meetings in Zoom thanks to the Collaboration Touchpad integration with Zoom (we reached out to Dell, and they confirmed this feature would expand to Microsoft Teams and other virtual meeting platforms soon). 

This feature allows four soft buttons to show on the top of the trackpad that gave quick access to enable or disable the camera, mic, chat, and screen share. This functionality made it so we could confidently throw our mic on when speaking and then just as confidently mute afterward without an awkward delay (even if we were on a different screen during the meeting). 

Similarly, we could turn our camera on quickly for a quick demonstration and then confidently know that we had turned it off thanks to the soft button and a camera shutter button integrated into the F9 key. Lastly, the quick button to respond to the ongoing chat in the company meeting and the switch to screen share in an instant proved very useful. 

In addition to these features, the Latitude 9330 has intelligent neural noise cancelation, which makes any background noises in a virtual meeting disappear for those listening. The AI noise elimination tool means your coworkers will hear only you, not the lady ordering coffee at the counter next to you, your dog snoring, or your vacuum running.

The last area worth mentioning  cover the enhanced security and privacy features included. The Latitude 9330 comes with ExpressSign-in and onlooker protection, meaning you  can step away from your device, for example to grab something from the printer, and as you look away the screen, the laptop would dim and lock, protecting your information . When you return, the system awakes and signs you in (thanks to an integration with Windows Hello). 

Elsewhere, one of the coolest added features to this laptop is the ability to detect onlookers to protect valuable or personal content. This tool alerted us a handful of times when we were in a public space to people peeking over our shoulders, texturizing the screen, essentially blurring the content until the onlooker turns away or we disabled the feature. 

Dell Latitude 9330 2-in-1

Integrated soft buttons in the trackpad (Image credit: Future)

Final verdict

The Latitude 9330 laptop has impressed us, with its snappy processor, flexible 2-in-1 design, integrated security and privacy features making it a useful workplace ally.

The device is clearly made for the remote worker, though it can be an excellent option for anyone looking for a flexible laptop solution to get the job done.