Dell Inspiron 3268 vs. Dell OptiPlex 7050 SFF

Comparison and Differences

Dell_Inspiron_3268.jpg case front and back pannel

Dell_OptiPlex_7050_SFF.jpg case front and back pannel

Model
Form factor	Small	Small
CPU options	Intel Gen6 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;	Intel Gen6&7 i3/i5/i7;
Chipset	H110	Q270
Dedicated GPU *	GeForce GTX 1650 Low Profile	GeForce GT 1030 Low Profile
RAM	DIMM DDR4-2133/2400	DIMM DDR4-2133/2400
RAM slots	2	4
RAM speed	2400 MT/s	2400 MT/s
RAM max	16 GB	64 GB
USB ports	(2x) USB-A 3.0; (4x) USB-A 2.0;	USB 3.0 Type C; (5x) USB-A 3.0; (4x) USB-A 2.0;
Video ports	HDMI 1.2; VGA;	(2x) Display Port 1.2; HDMI 1.4;
Other ports	RJ45; Hdph; Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Card Reader;	Serial; (2x) PS2; RJ45; Headset; Line-Out;
Optional ports	N.A.	VGA; Media Card Reader;
SATA ports	3	3
PCI slots	PCIe 2.0 x16; PCIe 2.0 x1;	PCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x4;
M.2 slots	M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT)	M.2 2280/2242 M-key (PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe)
Drive bays	2.5in; 3.25in;	3.5in/(2x)2.5in; 5.25in (slim);
PSU	180 W	180 W
Weight	4.40 kg (9.70 lb)	5.26 kg (11.57 lb)
Released	2016	2017
Manual	link	link
Price**	Check Price	Check 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 Dell Inspiron 3268 and Dell OptiPlex 7050 SFF

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Dell OptiPlex 7050 SFF which was released in 2017. The Dell Inspiron 3268 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 7050 SFF as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Dell Inspiron 3268 is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

The Dell OptiPlex 7050 SFF has 4 RAM slots while the Dell Inspiron 3268 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 2400. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Dell OptiPlex 7050 SFF as it has the ability to run 64 GB of RAM. The Dell Inspiron 3268 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 7050 SFF has 10 USB ports. The Dell Inspiron 3268 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. 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 7050 SFF has a DisplayPort. The Dell Inspiron 3268 does not have one? Don't worry though, nowadays video adapters are cheap and you can get almost any combination of conversion types.

In case your monitor supports HDMI only, you will be happy to hear that both models come with an HDMI port.

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 7050 SFF. Sadly, the Dell Inspiron 3268 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

Looking at the Power Supply Unit (PSU) of the two models we don't see any differences. For either of them you get a maximum power of 180 Watts. However be careful, many models have more than one power supply option. When buying your computer, it is a good idea to get a version with the most powerful PSU. This will potentially allow you to upgrade to a more powerful GPU for example.