Dell Inspiron 3250 vs. Dell OptiPlex 7080 SFF

Comparison and Differences

Dell_Inspiron_3250.jpg case front and back pannelDell_OptiPlex_7080_SFF.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorSmallSmall
CPU optionsIntel Gen6 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;Intel Gen10 i3/i5/i7/i9;
ChipsetH110Q470
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GTX 1650 Low ProfileGeForce GTX 1650 Low Profile
RAMDIMM DDR3-1333/1600 DIMM DDR4-2666/2933
RAM slots24
RAM speed1600 MT/s2933 MT/s
RAM max16 GB128 GB
USB ports(2x) USB-A 3.0; (4x) USB-A 2.0;USB 3.1 Type C; (2x) USB-A 3.1; (3x) USB-A 3.0; (4x) USB-A 2.0;
Video portsHDMI 1.2; VGA;(2x) Display Port 1.4;
Other portsRJ45; Hdph; Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Card Reader;RJ45; Headset; Line-Out/In; Serial; (2x) PS2;
Optional portsN.A.HDMI2.0b/DP1.4/VGA/USB Type-C (DP Alt Mode); SD4.0; 2xWiFi antenna;
SATA ports33
PCI slotsPCIe 2.0 x16; PCIe 2.0 x1;PCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x4 (open ended);
M.2 slotsM.2 2230 (WiFi/BT)M.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2280 M-key (PCIe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT)
Drive bays(2x) 2.5in; 3.5in; 9.5mm3.5in/(2x)2.5in; 5.25in (slim);
PSU180 W200 W
Weight4.82 kg (10.63 lbs)5.28 Kg (11.63 lb)
Released20162020
Manuallinklink
Price**Check PriceCheck Price

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* 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 Dell Inspiron 3250 and Dell OptiPlex 7080 SFF

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Dell OptiPlex 7080 SFF which was released in 2020. The Dell Inspiron 3250 is older and entered production in 2016.

Both models have the same form factor, meaning reoughtly they have the same phiysical size and form.

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 Dell OptiPlex 7080 SFF as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Dell Inspiron 3250 is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

The Dell OptiPlex 7080 SFF has 4 RAM slots while the Dell Inspiron 3250 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.

The Dell OptiPlex 7080 SFF is using the faster 2933 MT/s RAM. The Dell Inspiron 3250 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 Dell OptiPlex 7080 SFF as it has the ability to run 128 GB of RAM. The Dell Inspiron 3250 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 7080 SFF has 10 USB ports. The Dell Inspiron 3250 is inferior in this regard and packs 6 USB ports. In any case, if you miss USB ports, you can always purchase a USB hub. What is nice about the Dell OptiPlex 7080 SFF, is that it has 3 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the Dell Inspiron 3250 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.

Unfortunately, only the Dell OptiPlex 7080 SFF has a DisplayPort. The Dell Inspiron 3250 does not have one? Don't worry though, nowadays video adapters are cheap and you can get almost any combination of conversion types.

The Dell Inspiron 3250 comes with an HDMI port, while the Dell OptiPlex 7080 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 slots are located on the motherboard and it is where SSD, HDD and Optical Disk Drives are connected. Each of the two models being compared have 3 SATA slot(s). Keep in mind that having too few SATA slots might limit your options for connecting additional memory drives.

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 Dell OptiPlex 7080 SFF. Sadly, the Dell Inspiron 3250 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 Dell Inspiron 3250 comes with a decent 180 Watt PSU, but the Dell OptiPlex 7080 SFF has a more powerful one rated at 200 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

Dell_Inspiron_3250_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutDell_OptiPlex_7080_SFF_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout