RateItAll: The Opinion Network

The pros of the Dell Optiplex GX620 are: 1 - BTX form factor is better than ATX, so the machine should in general run cooler than many of the Dimension series. 2 - chasis styles that let fit the PC to your home/work area. 3 - overall good design options that make it usefull for many people. cons of the Optiplex: 1 - If you're not the techie type, then you'll have to live with Dell's pre-configured choices, which means you'll have to accept things like ordering a wireless keyboard and mouse separately (there is no configuration option to do that, but you can use them with an opti), integrated audio (you'll have to add a soundcard manually), etc. 2 - Only a minor con, but important: know what you want in the machine and see if the form factor offers what you want. In general, the mini-tower offers the most configuration options. As an example, if you need dual CD/DVD drives, you need the mini-tower! If you don't see what you want, look at another chassis configuration. 3 - no option to add the free trial software of the Dimension line. Dimensions come preloaded with a lot of trial software (WordPerfect, Jasc PaintShop Pro, etc.) and the Optis do not. What is interesting is that there is no option to allow users who want that software (and some do - especially WordPerfect) to add it to the bundle; it could be a one click toggle that adds it all or none.