Today Dell has introduced new and updated lineups in their Precision entry-level workstation lineup. In this case, Dell has brought forth the Precision 3930 Rack (1U workstation), Precision 3630 (tower), as well as the Precision 3430 Small Form Factor Tower. The lineup will use i3/i5/i7 and Xeon E 8^th Generation Intel processors as well as professional graphics from the NVIDIA Quadro and AMD Radeon Pro Graphics.

Dell 3930 Rack

To start, Dell’s workstation racks have been in their portfolio since 2008 in 2U form. Dell says they love the rack format, but in most cases, it is overkill for the clients. The 2U racks previously used dual sockets with up to 56 cores, equipped with copious amounts of RAM, storage devices, and high-powered graphics. What Dell has done was to take the same architecture found in the mini-tower and placed it in a 1U sized rack. This way, users are able to move the desktop off the desk and increasing desk real estate which can be at a premium in many locations. Along with this shrink, prices start off lower as well. The 1U chassis itself uses a short-depth and narrow design for better rack density and a smaller footprint more suited for space-constrained workspaces with only a thin client sitting on the desk while this sits in the Data Center.

The 3930 Rack will offer users a single socket 1U rack solution with up to 20TB of storage including SAS, SATA, and PCIe interfaces. CPU options range from 8^th Gen Intel Core processors in i3, i5, and i7, form along with Xeon processors from theE-2100 family. The platform uses dual channel UDIMM memory up to 64GB 2666MHz DDR4 Non-ECC (for Intel Core CPUs) and ECC (Xeon) RAM. Graphics options range from NVIDIA Quadro P2000 to P6000 cards for the mid-range to high-end while entry level consists of AMD Radeon Pro WX 4100 graphics or Quadro P400. A consumer level GTX 1080 is also an option.

Communications are handled by an integrated Intel GbE and Aquantia 10 GbE Ethernet connections along with additional single port and dual port with 10 GbE cards optional. Since this is a rack design that isn’t intended to be on the desktop, remote access can be achieved with the optional Teradici PCoIP technology supporting dual and quad display zero clients.

Pricing on the Dell Precision 3930 Rack starts and $899 and will be available worldwide from July 26^th.

Dell Precision 3430 SFF Tower and 3630 Tower

The new Precision 3430 is a Small Form Factor tower measuring in with an internal capacity of only 8 liters with dimensions of 11.4” x 3.65” x 11.5”. Dell says this size is over 40% smaller than competitors in the market. The design is intended for space constrained workspaces that still need workstation-class performance. This market includes entry-level CAD users and offer users limited expandability but good enough for weekend work according to Dell. The goal is to pull these users into the workstation market where cost can be prohibitive.

The small unit supports 8^th Generation Intel Core (i3, i5, i7, Pentium) and Xeon processors along with 64GB of 2666 MHz DRAM. Like the rack system above, the box supports both non-ECC and ECC RAM depending on the processor used. Graphics solutions for the 3430 include options from both the AMD and NVIDIA camps with AMD Radeon RX Pro WX 2100/3100/4100 to NVIDIA Quadro cards in the P400, P620, and P100. The chassis itself allows for up to 55W of graphics support (mostly due to thermal requirements of SFF systems). On the storage front, the SFF tower supports both SATA and M.2 PCIe NVMe based SSDs for up to 6TB of internal storage.

Communications are managed by an integrated Intel I219-LM GbE controller with optional Intel network cards and wireless/Bluetooth support. There is also a faster option available in the Aquantia AQtion AQN-108 5/2.5 GbE NIC.

For I/O ports the systems come with two USB 2.0 ports, a USB 3.0 port, and USB 3.1 Type-C port along with a universal audio jack and an optional SD card reader. On the back, there are two more USB 2.0 ports (with SmartPower), four USB 3.0 ports, two PS/2 ports for keyboard and mouse, as well as two DisplayPorts for video. There are options for Thunderbolt 3 connectivity as well.

The 3630 Tower differs in a few ways over its little brother, with the first being size. The 3630 measures in at 13.1” x 6.95” x 13.5” which is slightly larger all around. This design, Dell claims, is 23% smaller than its predecessor and is aimed to offer greater expandability without sacrificing power. There are also a few details that are different like ports and audio controllers as well. But for all intents and purposes, the chassis is larger offering greater expandability and capacity. 

To that end, the 3630 supports the same processors and offers a much more powerful range of graphics cards, up to 225W in total. Options range from AMD Radeon Pro WX2100 to WX7100 with some dual card configurations possible. On the NVIDIA side of things, the Quadro options range from the P400 to the dual P4000 cards. Consumer graphics solutions are also available (Radeon RX 580/NVIDIA GTX 1060 or GTX 1080). Storage capacity is also increased over the 3430 to 16TB also using SATA and M.2 PCIe NVMe based storage solutions. Front and rear panel ports are similar with the 3630 using a separate microphone and headphone jack versus the combo on the 3430. 

Both the 3430 Small Form Factor Tower and the 3630 Tower are available as of today. Pricing starts at $649 for the 3430 and $649 for the 3630.

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• The Supermicro X11SRA Motherboard Review: C422 based Workstation for Xeon-W
• MSI Unveils New Vortex Desktop Workstation and Updated Mobile Workstations

Source: AnandTech – Dell Announces Latest Precision Entry Level Workstations: Powerful 1U Rack and SFF Desktops

The new Lian Li PC-O11 Air is an update to the PC-O11 series to allow more airflow through the chassis. The PC-011 Air has five locations for air intake and exhaust and is able to accommodate a total of twelve 120mm fans and multiple 360mm radiators inside the Mid-Tower sized case. Lian Li dubs the case as the ultimate platform for cooling.

On the outside, the Lian Li PC-O11 Air changes some of its panels (compared to the PC-O11 Dynamic) in order to accommodate more fans in the system and create a better environment with improved airflow. Instead of the sealed glass fascia, the new panel is perforated to let air in and allows for 3x 120mm fans. As far as connectivity goes, the front panel consists of two USB 3.0 ports as well as a USB 3.1 Type-C port along with headphone and microphone jacks and the power button.

The other nine 120mm fan mount points are on the top and bottom as well as the on the inside of the case mounted on the right side of the motherboard tray/baffle. With so much potential airflow, dust prevention was considered and the front, bottom, top, and side panels all use magnetic dust filters to help that cause and keep the dust out. Up to three 360mm radiators can fit inside the case in either a top/bottom/front or top/bottom/side configuration. Using the front mount blocks the side mount location. In addition to the 12 potential fans, two 80mm mounts are found on the back.

Internally the structure looks strikingly similar to the PC-O11 Dynamic on the inside, with its dual chambered setup and plethora of fan mount locations. The chassis is able to support microATX, ATX, and E-ATX sized boards along with the ability to use a heatsink up to 155mm. This height will fit the vast majority of air coolers on the market, but will not fit monsters like the Noctua NHD-14. VGA card length is up to 420mm which should fit just about every modern graphics card.

Cable management should be fairly easy with the angled motherboard tray and back side cable management bar to conceal any mess from cables. A unique feature inside the PC-O11 Air is the ability to use two different power supplies. If a second power supply isn’t needed, the mount location can be swapped from top to bottom.

On the storage side of things, a total of six 2.5-inch devices can fit inside with two on the bottom panel in the main chamber, and four more 2.5-inch devices (or three 3.5-inch) can be housed in the dedicated storage and power chamber behind the motherboard.

The PC-O11 Air will come in two versions. The base model includes two 120mm fans, while the RGB version uses three Lian Li Bora Lite 120mm fans in addition to the non-RGB fans. The base model is available for $129 from Newegg.com with the RGB version at $149. The case is available for pre-order now and available on July 18th. 

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Source: AnandTech – Lian Li PC-O11 Air Mid-Tower Chassis: Loads of Airflow and Radiator Capacity