SP C820DN and C821DN seriesdate of review: 8-11-2009

Model SP C820DN SP C821DN SP C820DNT1 SP C821DNT1 SP C820DNT2 SP C821DNX SP C820DNLC SP C821DNLC CPU Speed 600MHz -C821DN/ 1GHz C821DN Standard Memory 512MB/ 1GB MAX 512MB/ 1GB MAX 768MB/ 1GB MAX 1GB MAX 768MB/ 1GB MAX Maximum Resolution 1200 x 1200 Dots Per Inch Hard Disk Drive 80GB STANDARD Standard Connectivity 10/100BaseTX Ethernet and USB 2.0 Optional Connectivity IEEE 1284, 1EEE 802.11b, BLUETOOTH, GIGABIT ETHERNET, USB HOST IF Auto-Duplex STANDARD Standard Paper Supply 550 x 2 + 100 Bypass =1,200 SHEETS (3 SOURCES) 550 x 3 + 100 Bypass =1,750 SHEETS (4 SOURCES) 550 x 4 + 100 Bypass =2,300 SHEETS (5 SOURCES) 550 x 4 + 100 Bypass =2,300 SHEETS (5 SOURCES) 550 x 2 + 100 Bypass +2,000-sheet LCT =3,200 SHEETS (4 SOURCES) Finishing Options SR3030 3,000-sheet FINISHER OR SR3000 1,000-sheet BOOKLET FINISHER SR3030 FINISHER OR SR3000 BOOKLET FINISHER SR3030 FINISHER OR SR3000 BOOKLET FINISHER In Short: The new Aficio C820DN and C821DN are the newest large-format color laser printers from Ricoh and replace the very successful C811dn and CL7200 series. The new printer models combine the fast print speeds and great paper handling of the C811dn with the 1200 x 1200 DPI resolution of the CL7200. Like their predecessors, the new C820DN and C821DN have one of the lowest cost per page number in the industry. The printer was easy to install and setup once it was unpacked. The Ricoh C820DN/ C821DN ship with the developer and drum units pre-installed. The four toners easily install from the front of the printer. Configuring the printer on our network was also simple and quick. the new Ricoh C820DN and C821DN feature true 1200 x 1200 DPI for great looking output and a fast high powered print engine for serious volume. The text and color images printed during our testing were consistently at the top of this group of printers. The color and gradation quality scored especially high in our tests. The throughput speed results were also impressive even on the slower C820DN. Paper handling is a big plus for these models. The C820DN /C821DN can handle paper as heavy as 80lb. cover from any source and can feed card stock as heavy as 256g/m2 from the by-pass feeder. The Ricoh C820DN series print up to 40 PPM in full color or black & white while the C821DN series can print up to 50 PPM . All The Way We See It 9-10 7-8 5-6 1-4 Excellent Good Average Poor Setup 9.3 Print Quality 9.3 Speed 9.8 Paper Handling 9.5 Supplies 9.8 Service/Reliabilty 9.3 TOTAL 57.0 configurations include at least two (2) 550-sheet feeders plus a 100-sheet By-Pass feeder for three independently addressableinput sources totaling 1,200 sheets. Also standard are 512MB RAM, a 80GB internal HD, auto-duplex, a fast Celeron 600MHz/ 1GHz processor with Adobe PostScript Level 3, PCL5c, PCL6, PDF direct print, USB, Parallel, and Ethernet 100 Base TX interfaces. The standard paper capacity, speed, and feature set combination of the C820DN and C821DN are unmatched by any other printer in their respective price range. The DNT1configuration includes a third 550-sheet feeder.  The C820DNT2 or C821DNX configurations add a fourth 550-sheet feeder for a total of five input sources totaling 2,300 sheets, a pedestal, and have 768MB/1GB RAM. The DNLC configurations have a  2,000-sheet letter size feeder instead of trays 3-5. All models have the ability to handle up to 12”x18” or even 12”x 49” banner paper through the by-pass feeder. Ricoh offers many upgrade options including a 2000-sheet input feeder, and a choice of sheet finisher or booklet finisher for stacking, hole- punch, and stapling. We tested the standard C820DN by itself and then with the booklet finisher. The booklet worked like a dream. Blank pages go in and finished two sided booklets come out in the finisher all stapled and folded. The booklet finisher is ideal for multi-page newsletters, brochures, manuals, or education material. The Bottom Line: The new Ricoh C820DN and C821DN series give you the biggest bang for the buck in the 11X17 color laser printer space. All configurations work well with the Mac OS, UNIX or the Windows environments. The combination of great print quality, versatile paper handling, top speed, and a super low cost per page are hard to beat. The new Ricoh C820DN and faster C821DN are an obvious editor’s choice.