What we liked
Really small footprintMore than enough portsModern hardware with good performanceFairly upgradable
What’s not so great:
This device can be pretty expensiveLack of HDMI alienates a lot of users
Yeah, you read the title correctly. While many might be privy to the Dell OptiPlex 7070 Ultra that doubles up as a mini PC and a monitor so it can be categorized as an All-in-One office workhorse, the Dell OptiPlex 7070 Micro accomplishes the same while being a lot more discreet. See, over the past decade or so, we have been obsessed with miniaturizing everything in the tech space. This, from obsessing over thin smartphones to slim laptops and ultrabooks to adopting faster NVME SSDs over the traditional 2.5-inch drives and so on. The Dell Optiplex 7070 and its derivative siblings are probably an inevitable result of this push by the industry. My work allows me to work from anywhere I can get some peace and quiet and a solid internet connection and as such, laptops with good displays and decent battery life have been my go-to. However, I have always fancied a home office setup: a powerful PC, a nice big monitor, the whole shebang. My quest for a decent computer took me through various PC cases that seemed a little too flashy with RGB strips, over-the-top specs, dedicated graphics cards, and a premium price tag. Then I came across the 1-litre, stackable PC segment of the market and I knew I was home.
Dell OptiPlex 7070 Specs
The Dell OptiPlex 7070 is a tiny computer. It is a little hard to imagine that all PC components were able to fit in such a form factor with tons of space left. If fact, the whole PC is a little bigger than the GOtv decoder. The whole unit measures in at 1.4″ (3.6cm) in width, 7.0″ (17.8cm) in depth and a mere 7.2″ (18.2cm) in height. Out of the box, it tips the scale at just 2.6lb (1.18kg). This might increase should you install an optional 25-inch hard drive in the empty slots. This PC is available in various configurations with 8th and 9th Gen Intel Core Processor CPUs. My specific unit has the Intel® Core™ i5-9500T CPU @ 2.20GHz × 6, and Mesa Intel® UHD Graphics 630 (CFL GT2). It comes with 8GB of RAM although there’s an empty dim slot that can take another 8GB DDR4 RAM stick. It comes with a 256GB NVMe SSD with additional SATA slots for 2.5-inch drives should I choose to install those for storage expansion. Check out the file linked below for more available configuration options.
Ports & Slots
Despite its small footprint, the OptiPlex 7070 still boasts a rather healthy selection of ports for all but the most hardcore PC user. Below is a quick look at how these are laid out.
Power Button Universal Audio Jack Line-out USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C™ Port USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A Port (with Powershare) Video Port (Optional DP/HDMI/VGA/Serial) Thumbscrew Knock-out Slots for Wireless AntennaRJ-45 USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A Ports (2), USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A Ports (2)Padlock Loop K-lock Slot DisplayPorts (2) Power Connection
Conclusion
It is baffling to see just how advanced tech has gotten. To be able to fit a whole PC in a tiny form factor like this is impressive. And I know, the Mac Mini has been around for a while now, offering decent performance but that often costs too much and unless you’re into the Apple ecosystem, it isn’t an obvious recommendation. For everyone else, Linuxers and Windows users, you really don’t need to splurge to get a decent computing experience. And if you’re not into the bling that comes with RGB setups and massive gaming rigs, maybe a microcomputer is what you’re looking for.
Pricing
The Dell OptiPlex 7070 will run you anywhere between $900 and $1300 depending on your preferred store and configuration. However, should you not mind a little mileage on your device, you can find it refurbished at a little over half the price. What are your thoughts? Would you mind a micro or a mini PC powering your home office? Tell us in the comments section below.
