HP Compaq 8200 Elite Ultra-Slim: The Littlest Desktop
by Dustin Sklavos on September 29, 2011 10:40 AM EST- Posted in
- Systems
- IT Computing
- HP
- SFF
- Enterprise
Introducing the HP Compaq 8200 Elite Ultra-Slim
If you've been following along for a while, it should be pretty clear that around here, we're fans of doing a little computing. Awkward turns of phrase notwithstanding, we thought we'd seen the smallest HP had to offer when we tackled the Z210 SFF desktop not too long ago. But we were wrong, and today we present you with the smallest desktop computer in HP's enterprise lineup. Wearing its power supply on the outside, meet the HP Compaq 8200 Elite Ultra-Slim.
Get a load of that. Admittedly consumer desktops (and nettops) can get just a bit smaller, but the HP Compaq 8200 Elite Ultra-Slim is still pretty impressively diminutive. Once you get this small it's very hard to include any kind of real graphics hardware, so even the entry level Quadro found in the Z210 is absent here, but other than that you'll see it's a surprisingly fully-featured little computer.
HP offers several pre-configured variants of the 8200 Elite Ultra-Slim, and they shipped us the top XZ788UT model. They also have custom-build options available, with a much larger selection of parts on tap. Here's what we received in our review sample.
| HP Compaq 8200 Elite Ultra-Slim Specifications | |
| Chassis | HP Custom |
| Processor |
Intel Core i5-2500S (4x2.7GHz, 32nm, 6MB L3, turbo to 3.7GHz, 65W) |
| Motherboard | HP Proprietary Motherboard with Q67 chipset |
| Memory | 1x4GB Samsung DDR3-1333 SO-DIMM (expandable to 16GB) |
| Graphics |
Intel HD Graphics 2000 (6 EUs, 850-1100MHz) |
| Hard Drive(s) | Western Digital Scorpio Black 250GB 7200-RPM 2.5" SATA 3Gbps HDD |
| Optical Drive(s) | HP DVD+/-RW Combo Drive |
| Networking |
Intel 82579LM Gigabit Ethernet Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205 802.11a/b/g/n |
| Audio |
Realtek ALC662 HD Audio Speaker, mic/line-in jacks for stereo sound |
| Front Side |
4x USB 2.0 Headphone and mic jacks Optical drive Card reader |
| Top | - |
| Back Side |
Speaker, mic/line-in 2x PS/2 6x USB 2.0 1x Ethernet 1x DisplayPort VGA AC adaptor |
| Operating System | Windows 7 Professional 64-bit SP1 |
| Dimensions |
9.9" x 10" x 2.6" (WxDxH), 6.8 lbs. 251 x 254 x 66 mm, 3.1 kg |
| Extras |
SD Card Reader 87% Efficient PSU with active PFC |
| Warranty | 3-year parts, labor, and onsite service |
| Pricing |
MSRP starts at $679; review configuration at $914 Available online starting at $770 |
You can immediately tell from the specs that the 8200 Elite Ultra-Slim is the kind of system designed more for mass deployment than any kind of serious, high performance computing. HP includes an MXM slot and Mini-PCIe slot inside the chassis for expansion, and for those that really want some for of discrete graphics a $61 upgrade to an AMD Radeon HD 5450 is available. With 80 Stream Processors, that's not a major upgrade from Intels HD 2000; it's a little dated but it's there if you need it. There's also no USB 3.0 support, but at least HP includes DisplayPort connectivity.
Moving to the CPU, the Intel Core i5-2500S is no slouch. Rated for a TDP of 65 watts instead of 95, it still manages to boast the same impressive top turbo core speed as its non-S-series counterpart. Other options range from basic Pentium CPUs all the way up to the i7-2600S. HP backs the CPU up with two SO-DIMM slots (and no ECC support), one of which is occupied in our review unit by a 4GB DDR3-1333 DIMM.
Keeping up with the "notebook in a desktop shell" motif is the 2.5" Western Digital Scorpio Black 7200-RPM mechanical hard drive and a slimline DVD+/-RW drive. (Note that SSDs are available in the custom configurator if desired.) HP also includes integrated wireless in the form of the Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205 wireless chipset, which supports 802.11a/b/g/n connectivity. The 87% efficient PSU is an external power brick rated for 135 watts, more than enough to support this configuration.
None of the specs are going to set the world on fire, but being a business class system there are a few other extras we need to discuss. The major selling point for systems such as this is the warranty and support. The HP Compaq Elite 8200 comes standard with a 3-year onsite warranty, and in our experience business class systems are built and supported better than consumer offerings. Remember also that while HP is talking about selling off their consumer PC division, they want to keep the (more lucrative) business and enterprise lines.
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Alurian - Thursday, September 29, 2011 - link
Think that processor only has 6M of L3:http://ark.intel.com/products/52211/Intel-Core-i5-...
JarredWalton - Thursday, September 29, 2011 - link
Fixed, thanks.JKolstad - Thursday, September 29, 2011 - link
While it's not strictly required by the DisplayPort standard, I'd bet you a nickel that HP's implementation of DisplayPort includes the "DVI compatibility" dual-mode that'll let you use a <$10 cable adapter to connect from DisplayPort to a DVI (or HDMI, for that matter) monitor.(Every HP I've seen with DisplayPort so far has supported this option. There's supposed to be a little "DP++" logo when dual-mode is supported, although I can't tell from the picture if it's present or not.)
JarredWalton - Thursday, September 29, 2011 - link
I think the point is that most people would just as soon avoid using the extra adapter -- I know I would. It makes for a clunky connection when you have to go DP -> DVI (or even worse, DP -> DVI -> HDMI). I also like being able to screw in DVI cables when I know the system isn't going anywhere -- I've done support for a company where I got more than a few calls that ended up being a cable that came loose when someone decided to rearrange their desk.MadAd - Friday, September 30, 2011 - link
but you know vga and dvi are end of life already, take the pain now, dp is the futurei just wish manufacturers would hurry the hell up with it, i mean was it too much to ask all these years for a simple digital connector that carried sound?
Sure its a pita having to restock the connector/patch cable box but thats the price of progress, infact i wish theyd go with miniDP all over, but ppl seem to like huge connectors, same with miniusb.
JasperJanssen - Wednesday, October 12, 2011 - link
DP cables aren't screwed, but they have tangs that lock the cable at least as securely in place (until you press the button on the connector). Certainly the DP->DVI adapters in use at my workplace have those, and the DVI cable can screw into the adapter.DP is a lot smaller than DVI on the backplate, and DP is cheaper to license. This way the DVI licensing cost gets passed off to the adapter, and people who don't use it (because they're still razzinfrassin using VGA monitors exclusively) don't pay it.
biostud - Thursday, September 29, 2011 - link
Not that detailed about the sound emission in the review.With a 5450 could it be a very good HTPC?
JarredWalton - Thursday, September 29, 2011 - link
Dustin's SPL meter can't accurately measure under 40 dB I believe, making it useless for many systems unfortunately. He also lives in an area with quite a bit of traffic, which can make it doubly hard to get meaningful noise measurements. (And no, he doesn't have an anechoic chamber -- neither do I nor most of the other reviewers here.) I'll see if I can get him to post a noise level for full load, or at least a bit more detail, but at least for the base design it's going to be very nearly silent at idle and probably not much louder under load.jdonnelly81 - Thursday, September 29, 2011 - link
I had a similar thought. Though the form factor is appropriate, I think the connectivity in audio and video limit it's practicality.Belard - Thursday, September 29, 2011 - link
So... its basically a notebook computer without the notebook... er screen and keyboard.