Dell Model Years

This table shows the approximate calendar year during which select Dell computer models were originally released. The models shown here are those most commonly purchased for use by faculty and staff who obtain support from Purdue IT. To quickly estimate your computer's age, simply find it in the table.

For models not shown here and/or to determine your computer's exact original purchase date, go to dell.com/support and search for its warranty status by entering its service tag.

* These are the approximate years that the models shown first became available. Historically, Dell changed OptiPlex models every 12-18 months, and we switched to the latest models immediately. In May 2011, for example, when the OptiPlex 790 shipped, we stopped buying the OptiPlex 780.

The Precision workstation model line, though, changes less frequently; as of early 2012, for example, we still occasionally purchased new Precision T3500, T5500, and T7500 models. As noted above, check your computer's warranty status via Dell's website.

Ready to order a new computer? See our Recommended Laptops or Recommended Desktops articles.

** To be frank, we refer to models below the "red line" using highly technical phrases like "Incredibly lousy in today's software environment" and "Providing miserable performance at best" ... and then we follow up with a recommendation which equates to "Let's please put these out of their misery."

See also:

• The "How often should my computer be replaced?" section of our Recommended Laptops or Recommended Desktops pages.