Acer Veriton N4660g vs. Dell OptiPlex 3020 SFF

Comparison and Differences

Acer_Veriton_N4660g.jpg case front and back pannelDell_OptiPlex_3020_SFF.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMicroSmall
CPU optionsIntel Gen8 i3/i5/i7Intel Gen4 i3/i5; Celeron; Pentium;
ChipsetB360H81
Dedicated GPU *N.A.GeForce GT 1030 Low Profile
RAMSODIMM DDR4-2666DIMM DDR3-1600
RAM slots22
RAM speed2666 MT/s1600 MT/s
RAM max32 GB16 GB
USB ports(3x) USB-A 3.0; (2x) USB-A 2.0; USB-A 3.1; USB-C 3.1(2x) USB-A 3.0; (6x) USB-A 2.0;
Video portsHDMI 1.4; DisplayPort 1.4DisplayPort 1.2; VGA;
Other portsRJ45; (3x) Headset; Mic; RJ45; Hdph; Mic; Line-Out; Line-In;
Optional portsSerial; DisplayPort; Parallel; VESA; Card readerSerial+PS2;
SATA ports12
PCI slotsN.A.PCIe 2.0 x16; PCIe 2.0 x1;
M.2 slots(2x) M.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT)N.A.
Drive bays2.5in2.5/3.5in; 5.25in(slim);
PSU90/135 W255 W
Weight1.50 kg (3.31 lb)5 kg (11.02 lb)
Released20182013
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 N4660g and Dell OptiPlex 3020 SFF

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Acer Veriton N4660g which was released in 2018. The Dell OptiPlex 3020 SFF is older and entered production in 2013.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Acer Veriton N4660g is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Dell OptiPlex 3020 SFF 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 N4660g as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Dell OptiPlex 3020 SFF is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

Both models have have equal amount of ram slots (2 RAM). Usually two RAM slots are more than enough for most cases. However, the count should be taken into account when planning how much and what combination of RAM you are going to need for your system.

The Acer Veriton N4660g is using the faster 2666 MT/s RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 3020 SFF is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 1600 MT/s. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Acer Veriton N4660g as it has the ability to run 32 GB of RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 3020 SFF can do a bit less at max 16 GB. Most of the times, this should be sufficient for the majority of users.

Ports

In total the Dell OptiPlex 3020 SFF has 8 USB ports. The Acer Veriton N4660g is inferior in this regard and packs 7 USB ports. In any case, if you miss USB ports, you can always purchase a USB hub. What is nice about the Acer Veriton N4660g, is that it has 2 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the Dell OptiPlex 3020 SFF has no such port, thus restricting your transfer speeds significantly. For people who want to use external drives on regular basis, this might be an issue.

The DisplayPort is usually the more popular video port used with desktops and laptops, while the HDMI is used predominantly in consumer electronics. That's why, it is good to see that both of the models come with a DisplayPort.

The Acer Veriton N4660g comes with an HDMI port, while the Dell OptiPlex 3020 SFF does not support the interface. Of course missing HDMI port is something that can be easily fixed with a good adapter (e.g. DisplayPort to HDMI).

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 Dell OptiPlex 3020 SFF is better equipped as it comes with 2 SATA slot(s), while the Acer Veriton N4660g has 1 slot(s).

If you want the fastest transfer speeds for your SSD, an M.2 interface is crucial. Thus, if the M.2 SSD slot is a mandatory requirement for you, go with the Acer Veriton N4660g. Sadly, the Dell OptiPlex 3020 SFF has no such slot, and you will be forced to use the SATA interface instead.

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 Acer Veriton N4660g comes with a decent 135 Watt PSU, but the Dell OptiPlex 3020 SFF has a more powerful one rated at 255 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_N4660g_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutDell_OptiPlex_3020_SFF_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout