On 8/28/25 12:11 AM, ToddAndMargo via users wrote:
Hi All,
I have been recommending Lenovo's Think Station computer
to customers. But I really do not like how proprietary
they are. Repairing them is impossible after the warranty
period expires as Lenovo is the only source of parts
and Lenovo won't sell you parts.
Anyone have a recommendation for a business grade
computers that use generic parts and are very reliable?
Many thanks,
-T
I recently specced a couple of systems for a small business. I have
always used Dell Optiplex machines for my small business clients.
They're cheap, reliable (the systems they've been using are well over 6
years old, zero failures), and because they're business class machines,
Dell makes drivers and firmware updates available for a long time.
I learned that Dell renamed the Optiplex line to the "Dell Pro" line
(absolutely horrible move, they threw away decades of brand
recognition).
https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/desktop-computers/scr/desktops/appref=dell-pro-product-line
I specced these out because they'll easily last for 6+ years and the PSU
is Platinum, so more efficient (albeit only a few percent):
Processor
AMD Ryzen™ 7 PRO 8700G (16 TOPS NPU, 8 cores, up to 5.1GHz)
Operating System
Windows 11 Pro
Memory
32 GB: 2 x 16 GB, DDR5, up to 4800 MT/s, non-ECC
Storage
1TB SSD
Additional Hard Drive Edit
No Additional Hard Drive
Graphics Card
Integrated Graphics
Wireless
No Wireless LAN Card
Chassis Options
Dell Pro Tower with 360W Platinum PSU DAO (L5.5 DAO)
Keyboard
Dell Pro Keyboard and Mouse - KM5221W - US English - Black
Mouse
Mouse included with Keyboard
Adapter
No Additional Cable
Stands and Mounts
No Stand or Mount
ENERGY STAR
ENERGY STAR Qualified
Power Cord
System Power Cord (Philipine/TH/US)
TPM Security
Trusted Platform Module (Discrete TPM Enabled)
Shipping Material
Single-pack,MPP
Transportation from ODM to region
Standard shipment
EPEAT 2018 Edit
EPEAT 2018 Registered (Silver)
Cost $1,421.02
Now, these systems are DEFINITELY proprietary, in that the power supply
and motherboards are specific to these systems, but... I treat business
class machines as black boxes. I am not going to swap CPUs or
motherboards. Literally the only thing I *might* do is install more
memory and a bigger NVMe drive in the future. But that's highly
unlikely, to be honest. These are damned near disposable computers,
intended only for productivity work, not high end graphics processing or
gaming systems.
When they are outdated in 4-6 years, my customer will just buy new ones,
and they'll sell these on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace after I've
securely wiped them.
If you want a custom built system with off-the-shelf parts, I've used
https://www.ibuypower.com/ for a couple of clients, and they make good
stuff. But it's definitely for gaming computers, not plain old
productivity machines.
--
Hope this is helpful!
Thomas
--
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