HP's new enterprise desktop range provides good performance, decent manageability, and the option of a space-saving compact chassis.
Available since June, the HP Compaq d530 series is designed to offer improved security features, plus ease of maintenance and software stability. Three case styles are available: a convertible mini-tower, a small design, and an ultra-slim desktop. We examined the small design, which is actually the mid-size option, slightly larger than the ultra-slim desktop case.
Our review unit was based on a 2.8GHz Pentium 4 processor, but models are available with anything from an entry-level 2.2GHz Celeron up to the current top-end 3.2GHz Pentium 4 processor. Memory is 256MB as standard, expandable to a maximum of 4GB in the small design chassis.
On the security side, the d530 can be fitted with an optional security chip, which will be required in the future to support Microsoft's Next Generation Secure Computing Base (NGSCB) initiative. The chip provides cryptographic services to secure data in future versions of Windows from unauthorised access.
For physical security, a cable lock or padlock can be attached to a tab or a slot at the rear of the system, and there is also the option of a port control device that covers all the rear ports.
The d530 can be used in either a horizontal or vertical orientation, using a supplied clip-on stand for the latter.
In tests, our review d530 unit demonstrated ample performance to run business applications, achieving a Business Winstone 2002 benchmark score of 27.1.
The small casing has space for two PCI adapter cards. There is also room for an optional AGP graphics card, although our system was configured to use the Intel Extreme graphics functions built into its 865G motherboard chipset. Thanks to this chipset, HP said the driver set for the d530 will remain stable for at least 15 months.
There are no spare drive bays for storage expansion, but few office desktop users will require anything beyond the hard disk, floppy and CD-ROM drive already fitted. The drive bays themselves can be hinged upwards out of the chassis for easy access to the disks and the motherboard underneath. Most other components inside the d530 can also be accessed without the need for tools, making maintenance easier.
At the rear of the system are the standard collection of ports, including legacy serial, parallel and PS/2 ports. The d530 also has two USB ports at the front of the case in addition to four at the rear. Network access comes courtesy of a Broadcom NetXtreme Gigabit Ethernet NIC.
The choices in the Bios firmware setup screen are notable for providing some useful features for administrators, including options for allowing or disallowing the operating system to be loaded from a USB Flash storage dongle; locking down all ports except PS/2 and graphics connections; and preventing users from changing the boot device order.
Our review unit came with Intel's Desktop Management Interface 1.11, HP's browser-based Intelligent Manageability software and Altiris's Client Service 5.5. The use of Client Service 5.5 requires configuration from a deployment server.
The d530 also comes with operating system, restore and documentation CDs. Recovering the system requires two disks and takes under 30 minutes. Our unit had Windows XP pre-installed, but Windows 2000 with Service Pack 3 is also supported.
Price: £893 + VAT for review model
Contact:HP 0845 270 4222
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