The desktop models are available with some of AMD's latest Athlon dual-core chips, including the 4450B, which runs on 45 watts; and the 54000B, 5200B and 5000B, which each run on 65 watts. The low-cost processors are built to power basic business computing tasks. Dell also offers as an option the more powerful AMD Athlon 64 X2 chips.
The Optiplex 740 is available with Windows Vista or XP, up to 8 GB of memory, and a 250 GB SATA hard drive with a transfer rate of 3 GBps. Graphic cards are available as an option from either AMD or Nvidia.
The Optiplex 740 is available as a mini-tower or desktop. For businesses with less space, a smaller tower version is available that measures about 12.5 inches high by 3.65 inches wide and 13.4 inches deep. The smaller version has one less PCI slot. Power consumption for the mini-tower, desktop, and the smaller tower is 305 watts, 280 watts, and 275 watts, respectively. The Optiplex 740 starts at $605.
Dell this month stopped selling online most consumer PCs based on AMD processors, choosing instead to sell the machines through retail partners such as Best Buy and Wal-Mart. Dell continues to offer its full line of AMD-based business PCs.
The move is an indication that the company is aiming its direct sales at people looking for a high-end, performance PC, such as its XPS entertainment computers, which is only offered with Intel processors, analysts said. AMD's position in the consumer market remains that of a provider of processors that offer high value for a low-cost PC.