Download the latest drivers for your HP Compaq dc7100 to keep your Computer up-to-date.

Review summary Editors' note: We have changed the rating in this review to reflect recent changes in our rating scale. Find out more. Available in your choice of case and operating system (from Windows to Linux), the HP Compaq Business Desktop dc7100 is designed for fast and friendly deployment in enterprise settings. Released in June 2004, the system is equipped to stand the test of time, with Intel's new mainstream 915 Express chipset (a.k.a. ), whose modular nature makes for easy component swapping--once you get the too-tight hood off, that is. The dc7100 also boasts more USB 2.0 ports than other multimedia PCs, and the $599 LCD monitor that HP bundled with our test system ($1,239 without the monitor) earned particularly high marks on our tests. The aspects that corporate customers will most appreciate, however, are the system's security features for both software and hardware, the custom-image options, and the generous three-year warranty, which includes onsite service and 24-hour toll-free phone support.

HP offers three case designs for the Compaq Business Desktop dc7100: the largest, a minitower; the slighter, a small form factor (SFF); and the smallest, an ultraslim desktop. We reviewed the SFF, which weighs approximately 20 pounds and measures 4.0 by 13.3 by 14.9 inches (H, W, D).

The SFF case is flat on both sides, and it can stand like a tower without the need for a base. Too Good Epub. What's more, the processor and power-supply fans blow out of the front and rear of the case, respectively, so no airflow is lost if you place the unit on its side. Accessing the dc7100's internal components is relatively easy, but you'll have to work around the power supply and its tangle of wires to get to the hard drive.

Although we prefer any case that offers a tool-free design, the dc7100's construction makes access more difficult than we anticipated. To get the hood off, you have to push in and hold a stiff pair of release buttons on the sides and simultaneously yank hard--you almost need three hands.

Fortunately, the inside of the case is a model of modular efficiency. Not only can you remove the optical drive with the press of a lever, you can also lift the power supply right out if you need to replace it or you need to access the hard drive, which resides beneath the power supply.

Also, you have unobstructed access to the expansion and memory slots. Aside from the difficulty in opening the case, IT staffers will find the HP Compaq dc7100 very easy to upgrade and repair. The small black expansion slot is a PCI Express 1X slot, and the larger slot below it is a 16X slot. The dc7100's internal expansion options are better than average for an SFF system: there's one 3.5-inch internal drive bay, two RAM sockets, and two PCI slots that accommodate half-height cards.

Better still, the motherboard boasts two slots--a 16X slot and a 1X slot--that also accommodate half-height cards. If you want to add a full-height PCI card or two, there's an optional riser card that provides two slots, but it also blocks the PCI Express slots. A high degree of external expansion comes courtesy of eight USB 2.0 ports, all of which were available on our test system, thanks to the PS/2 mouse and keyboard ports. Two of the ports sit on the front of the case, alongside the and microphone jacks. You won't find any FireWire ports on the HP Compaq dc7100, but owners of ancient peripherals will be happy to discover legacy serial and parallel ports.