When it comes to business computers, the Dell OptiPlex is among the best. Targeting government, education, and healthcare sectors, among others, the OptiPlex has always been Dell’s flagship business-oriented computer since its introduction in 1993. This computer model comes standard with Intel CPU, Gigabit Ethernet, display ports, Intel graphics card, Nvidia or AMD, Windows professional edition, data protection software, and management features like Intel vPro. Customers can even customize the configuration of the components and software before buying their products. To cater to different business needs, Dell has versatile form factors – tower, small form factor, micro form factor, and all-in-one, to name a few. It has continually adapted with technology, going through the evolution from desktop workstations to All-in-One (AIO), integrating the latest technology at the time of the series’ introduction.

A Little Throwback

Dell has released countless OptiPlex models since this model was first introduced in 1993. Dell is known to change models every 12 to 18 months, probably to keep up with the latest trends in technology. Little is known about the OptiPlex early releases. Most, if not all, of these releases are already phased out. But it is the success of the first generation that propelled OptiPlex to what it is today.

Dell kickstarted the OptiPlex series in August 1993, back in the days when floppy disk drives were still a thing. The first generation of OptiPlex, OptiPlex GX1, came with a floppy disk drive, a 350MHz or 400MHz Intel Pentium II processor, a maximum of 768 MB of RAM, and SGRAM Matrox video modules. All components were enclosed in the classic beige chassis. The OptiPlex GX1 also had a variety of form factors, such as small form factor, low-profile desktop, midsize desktop, and mini-tower.

Two years later, in 1995, the second-generation Dell OptiPlex GXL was introduced. There is not much difference between this model and the first-gen model, except for the midnight-gray chassis with flip-up doors or clamshell cases. Like the first-gen model, this model also has a variety of form factors offering expandability for the internal bays.

Capacitor Controversy

Dell faced controversy with some GX270, SX270, GX280, and GX240 systems that were produced in 2003 and 2004. Faulty capacitors from Nichicon that bulged or leaked over time were used on the motherboard, causing the PC machines to shut down. Dell carried out an out-of-warranty coverage for the motherboard replacement of the affected systems. The warranty was valid for five years from the date of purchase, or until January 31, 2008, whichever came first.

BTX Series
Hardware components were constantly upgraded with new model releases, with CPU ranging from Intel Pentium or Celeron to Intel Dual Core, higher storage capacity, up to 16GB of RAM, and a faster graphics card. Dell also started integrating expansion slots for PCI cards onto the motherboard.

When the BTX (Balanced Technology Extended) form factor for motherboards emerged, Dell was among the first companies to implement it. For OptiPlex, it started with a limited number of GX280 in 2005, the majority of which were still made using the old casing. The BTX technology was fully implemented in all GX520 and GX620 series. The use of BTX technology continued until 2009 in the OptiPlex 780. Since BTX did not fare as well in the market, Dell transitioned back to ATX and Micro ATX succeeding models.

Going Further Sustainably

Aside from transitioning back to ATX, Dell also switched to more eco-friendly casings. Casings for the OptiPlex Series 4 and onwards are built with 35% recycled plastics. The 24-pin power connector was also changed to the 8-pin connector. Furthermore, the PATA interface was totally phased out in all Series 4 models, and the SATA II or III interfaces were used for storage. RAM is also expandable up to 32GB. The model later adopted Intel core microarchitecture i3, i5, and i7 for CPU, though Pentium and Celeron are still supported.

Series 4 also marked the beginning of the AIO form factor for OptiPlex. In mid-2012, the AIO form factor for OptiPlex 3010 and OptiPlex 9010 was introduced with 1600×900 display resolution. The AlOs, released in 2014 like the OptiPlex 9030, had a higher screen resolution of 1080p with an optional touch screen.

Slimmer But Tougher

Dell continued to enhance OptiPlex models with hardware upgrades. For optimum performance, newer generations of Intel processors were installed, integrating up to Core i9. RAM is expandable up to 64GB and a slot for M.2 2280 SSD was added to the internal bay. The majority of the All-in-One displays have 1080p IPS screens, but some models offer 4K resolution as an option. The 3840×2160 panel is also available for OptiPlex 7760. Because portable desktops were becoming a trend, bigger form factors were eliminated from the Series 5. Only the mini-tower, small form factor, microform factor, and all-in-one were retained.

OptiPlex XE
Dell has a special version of desktop computers designed for equipment manufacturers and Retail/POS systems, as well as other industries that require heavy-duty computers with long-life platforms, such as healthcare and banking. The rugged, industrial-grade desktop can withstand higher temperatures and has dust and water dripping protection. This model was first introduced in 2010 as the OptiPlex XE. The more expandable and less complex successor, OptiPlex XE2, was released in 2013. The third generation, the OptiPlex XE3, is the highest-performing and most expandable industrial-grade PC, released in 2018.^[2]

OptiPlex Today

As with previous generations, the 2020 releases of the OptiPlex systems come with numerous hardware upgrades. The latest generations are equipped with 10^th-generation Intel processors and up to 128GB of RAM for mini-tower and small form factors. Expandability continues to be its signature feature, with two slots for SSD, two slots for 3.5” HDD, and two slots for 2.5” HDD in small form factors, mini-towers, and microform factors. The AIOs come with a 2230/2280 SSD and a 2.5” HDD slot.

Dell also introduced the more compact ultra-form factor with its flagship OptiPlex 7070 Ultra. The super-sleek desktop can be hidden behind a monitor stand to function like an AIO but unlike an AIO, the components can still be upgraded like a traditional desktop.

The OptiPlex has been in the market for 27 years and Dell continues to be the leading brand in the corporate world. The legacy of the OptiPlex systems as the best performing and most reliable business-oriented desktop continues, not compromising on productivity, flexibility, and expandability despite shrinking form factors.

My experience with Ubuntu on Dell has always been smooth and enjoyable with some minor glitches which are considerable when you are trying to run Ubuntu on minimum resources and alongside Windows. My search for an operating system which is lightweight, distraction-free, very easy to understand and work with once you get used to it and various easy workarounds to fix issues which is a tedious task in Windows is ended at Ubuntu.

So today, I am going to give you guys some tips to consider before installing Ubuntu on Dell machine and also we will look for 5 best Dell laptops available in market which you can configure and buy to get Ubuntu out-of-the box.

Things to Consider Before Installing Ubuntu on Dell PC

Dell is no doubt one of the most trusted and reliable computer OEM’s in the market, but just like Windows, Linux and its distros like Ubuntu have their own list of hardware requirements which machine must have to run the operating system smoothly and make available all its features for end user.

• Make sure you have minimum 4GB of RAM on-board, Ubuntu can run smoothly on lower memory but for smooth running of Ubuntu without having to compromise any of its features, I would recommend you guys to have minimum 4GB RAM.
• Ubuntu requires 25GB of hard drive space to install and run various applications, but it is good to have at least 50GB of hard drive space reserved for Ubuntu considering your future requirements.
• In case you are hard core gamer and planning to try it on Ubuntu then keep at least 75GB of memory space on hard drive for Ubuntu.
• Most important thing to consider before buying a laptop for Ubuntu is the processor and it is safe to have at least 2 GHz dual core processor and if you manage to get higher variant at decent price then it’s amazing.
• Graphics processor which I don’t think a very important thing to consider before installing Ubuntu or buying Ubuntu laptop unless you’re a hard core gamer. Most of the basic tasks and applications on Ubuntu can run smoothly with the help of on-board graphics.
• These are the basic but most important things to consider before installing Ubuntu on any system. Anything other than these can be considered for having powerful machine which is not going to make any changes in Ubuntu performance.

Best Dell Laptops to Install Ubuntu

No doubt Dell is one of the best OEM’s out there and most trusted and reliable one too. Having recognized increased demand for Linux and Ubuntu friendly systems, Dell has shifted its focus on developing machines more suitable to Linux and its distros such as Ubuntu, LinuxMint, etc. And that was really good news for me as I’m big fan of Dell machines.

1. Dell XPS 13

Carved in machined aluminum, Dell XPS 13 is slick and slim portable laptop with eye-catching design. Dell claims it to be smallest laptop in the world, it comes with 13.3” 4K Ultra HD InfinityEdge touch display. The laptop is highly customizable and you can configure it according to your requirements.

(Source: Amazon)

Best thing about this laptop is that it comes with full-fledge Linux support which is always the case with Dell flagship machines and a big thumbs-up to Dell for that.  It also has developer edition variant which comes with Ubuntu 16.04 LTS out of the box however this normal Dell XPS 13 variant can also be customized to come with Linux out of the box.

Key Specs

• CPU : 8^th Gen Intel Core i7-8550U Processor
• RAM : 8GB/16GB DDR3 SDRAM
• Storage : 512GB PCIe Solid State Drive
• GPU : Intel UHD Graphics 620
• Ports : 3 x USB Type-C Ports

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2. Dell Precision 5530 Mobile Workstation Laptop

Dell Precision 5530 is a beast of a laptop especially built for power users. Precision 5530 ships-in with Windows 10 Pro but Ubuntu can be installed on it very easily without having to perform any tweaks. It is futuristic machine especially meant for professional users and it has slim design with eye-catching look.

(Source: Amazon)

Arguably, Precision is all-rounder laptop with feature to fulfill all type of user needs such as high-end gaming, professional audio/video editing and many other power user tasks. This machine comes with 15.6” Ultra-HD InfinityEdge display, NVIDIA Quadro P2000 GPU and other high performance hardware components. It is available in quad-core Intel i5, six-core Intel i7 and first ever Intel Core i9 variant.

This machine is especially recommended for Linux power users who engage in heavy tasks such as 3D rendering, animation, CAD, system administration and lot of client/server tasks. Normal users can order lower variants for performing various day-to-day tasks on Linux Ubuntu.

Key Specs

• CPU : 8^th Gen Intel Core and Xeon 6 core processors
• RAM : 32GB DDR4 SDRAM
• Storage : 3TB PCIe Solid State Drive
• GPU : NVIDIA Quadro P2000
• Ports : 2 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 Port

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3. Dell Inspiron 17 5000

Inspiron 17 5000 is a high performance laptop which is excellent for high-end gaming and tasks which require powerful hardware resources. Carved in a platinum silver chassis, Inspiron 17 comes with massive 17.3” FHD LED-Backlit display. Laptop ships-in with Windows 10 pre-installed but you can easily install Ubuntu alongside Windows or as a single operating system too.

(Source: Amazon)

As being said it is a perfect gaming laptop thanks to on-board Direct X12 technology and seamless Xbox integration. Backed by 8GB DDR4 RAM (can be expanded up to 16GB) and Intel UHD Graphics 620, Inspiron 17 5000 series is the best Dell machine to install Ubuntu and it is available at very competitive price.

This laptop ships-in with all the hardware resources to install and run latest Ubuntu and its applications effortlessly. If you are looking for a laptop for multiple purposes and have tight budget then this one is perfect for you.

Key Specs

• CPU : 8^th Gen Intel Core i5-8250U Processor
• RAM : 8GB/16GB DDR4 SDRAM
• Storage : 1TB SATA Hard Drive
• GPU : Intel UHD Graphics 620
• Ports : 2 x USB 3.1 Type-A and 1 USB 2.0 Port

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4. Dell G3 17

Dell G series laptops are popular for their gaming friendly hardware and Dell G3 17 is no exception as it is also a very powerful gaming and multi-purpose laptop. Styled in polycarbonate chassis, Dell G3 sports 17.3” Full HD IPS display and 8^th Gen Intel Core i7 processor which is clocked at 2.2 GHz.

(Source: Amazon)

It is a powerhouse of a laptop which can be used for any task and work. Ubuntu users working specially on 3D rendering, CAD, animations, etc. will love to work on this machine. Even though it comes with Windows 10 pre-installed, Ubuntu can be installed very easily without having to perform any tweaks.

Speakers of this laptop are backed by Waves MaxxAudio Pro which is giant in audio upscaling technology. Overall it is high performance multi-purpose laptop which can be useful for any type of user.

Key Specs

• CPU : 8^th Gen Intel Core i5-8300H Processor
• RAM : 8GB DDR4 SDRAM
• Storage : 1TB Hybrid Hard Drive
• GPU : NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050
• Ports : 1 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 and 2 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A Port

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5. Dell Precision 3530

Precision 3530 is recently launched mobile workstation from Dell. This is entry-level model which ships-in with pre-installed Ubuntu 16.04. Precision 3530 is a 15” powerful laptop specially built for high-end purpose. You can choose from various processors variants ranging from 8^th Gen Core i5/i7 to Xeon 6-core processors.

It is fully customizable laptop to match all type of user’s requirements. It also comes with high resolution screen with bigger storage options.

Key Specs

• CPU : 8^th Gen Intel Core i5-8400H Processor
• RAM : 4GB DDR4
• Storage : 256GB Solid State Drive
• GPU : Intel UHD Graphics 630/ NVIDIA Quadro P600

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These are the 5 best Dell laptops available in market which you can buy to install Ubuntu. If you have any queries or suggestions then feel free to ping us at @LinuxHint and @SwapTirthakar.