Acer Veriton M2610g vs. Dell OptiPlex 980 SFF

Comparison and Differences

Acer_Veriton_M2610g.jpg case front and back pannelDell_OptiPlex_980_SFF.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMini TowerSmall
CPU optionsIntel Gen2 i3/i5/i7; PentiumIntel Gen1 i3/i5/i7; Pentium Dual Core;
ChipsetH61Q57
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GTX 1650 SuperGeForce GTX 1650 Low Profile
RAMUDIMM DDR3-1333DIMM DDR3-1060/1333
RAM slots24
RAM speed1333 MT/s1333 MT/s
RAM max8 GB16 GB
USB ports(8x) USB-A 2.0(8x)USB-A 2.0;
Video portsDVI; VGADisplayPort 1.2; VGA;
Other portsRJ45; (2x) Mic, Speaker; Line in; Line out; PS/2 ports; SerialRJ45; Hdph; (2x) Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; PS2/COM; Serial; Parallel; eSATA
Optional portsParallel; SerialN.A.
SATA ports43
PCI slotsPCIe 2.0 x16; (2x) PCIe 2.0 x1; PCIPCIe 2.0 x16;
M.2 slotsN.A.N.A.
Drive bays(6x) 3.5in; (2x) 5.25 inch(2x)3.5in; (2x)5.25in (slim);
PSU250/300 W235 W
Weight13.00 kg (28.66 lb)5.90 kg (13.00 lb)
Released20112010
Manuallinklink
Price**Check PriceCheck Price

** As an Amazon associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
* Dedicated GPU warning: Check if your particular power supply model has enough power. Additionally some PSUs don't come with an auxiliary PCIe power connector and you may need to buy a SATA to PCIe power adapter.

Differences between Acer Veriton M2610g and Dell OptiPlex 980 SFF

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Acer Veriton M2610g which was released in 2011. The Dell OptiPlex 980 SFF is older and entered production in 2010.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Dell OptiPlex 980 SFF is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Acer Veriton M2610g and will fit more easily under your desk.

Processor

Usually the newer the generation of the CPU, the better the performance and efficiency is. If your budget allows it, you should go with the Acer Veriton M2610g as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Dell OptiPlex 980 SFF is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

The Dell OptiPlex 980 SFF has 4 RAM slots while the Acer Veriton M2610g has only 2 slot(s). This is not something to worry about. Just make sure you take it into consideration when planning how much RAM you are going to use.

None of the desktops has an advantage when it comes to the speed of the RAM being used. Both models support RAM speeds of up to 1333. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Dell OptiPlex 980 SFF as it has the ability to run 16 GB of RAM. The Acer Veriton M2610g can do a bit less at max 8 GB. Most of the times, this should be sufficient for the majority of users.

Ports

In total the Dell OptiPlex 980 SFF has 10 USB ports. The Acer Veriton M2610g is inferior in this regard and packs 8 USB ports. In any case, if you miss USB ports, you can always purchase a USB hub. None of the desktop models has a USB 3.1 port (10Gb/s), so if you need a fast connection to your peripherals, like external Solid State Drive, you will need to look elsewhere.

Unfortunately, only the Dell OptiPlex 980 SFF has a DisplayPort. The Acer Veriton M2610g does not have one? Don't worry though, nowadays video adapters are cheap and you can get almost any combination of conversion types.

None of the models has an HDMI port. If your monitor supports only the HDMI interface, you will need to buy an adapter. Such adapters are cheap so nothing to worry about.

SATA ports are placed on the system board and it is where you connect your HDD, SSD and Optical Disk Drives. More SATA slots will allow you to have more drives running at the same time. In this regard the Acer Veriton M2610g is better equipped as it comes with 4 SATA slot(s), while the Dell OptiPlex 980 SFF has 3 slot(s).

M.2 SSD interface allows you to transfer data with higher speeds compared to the old SATA interface. Unfortunately, neither the Dell OptiPlex 980 SFF, nor the Acer Veriton M2610g has one. However, you can still use a SATA SSD drive which should give you satisfactory performance.

Make sure that the available M.2 slot supports the PCIe (also called NVMe) interface. This is important as there are M.2 slots which support only the inferior SATA III interface. For comparison, the SATA III interface has max speeds of 6Gb/s, while the PCIe 3.0 x4 will support speeds up to 32Gb/s!

Power Supply

Having a Power Supply Unit with high power rating is important, if you are going to use components which require extra power. The Dell OptiPlex 980 SFF comes with a decent 235 Watt PSU, but the Acer Veriton M2610g has a more powerful one rated at 300 Watts. Choosing either one depends on your specific requirements and use case. Also don't forget that some models might have more than one PSU option - try to always get the most powerful one, especially if you plan to upgrade to a powerful GPU.

Motherboard

Acer_Veriton_M2610g_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutDell_OptiPlex_980_SFF_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout