Dell Inspiron 3470 vs. Dell OptiPlex 3040 SFF

Comparison and Differences

Dell_Inspiron_3470.jpg case front and back pannelDell_OptiPlex_3040_SFF.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorSmallSmall
CPU optionsIntel Gen9 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;Intel Gen6 i3/i5; Pentium; Celeron;
ChipsetH370H110
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GTX 1650 Low ProfileGeForce GT 1030 Low Profile
RAMDIMM DDR4-2133/2400DIMM DDR3L-1600
RAM slots22
RAM speed2400 MT/s1600 MT/s
RAM max32 GB16 GB
USB ports(2x) USB-A 3.0; (4x) USB-A 2.0;(4x) USB-A 3.0; (4x) USB-A 2.0;
Video portsHDMI 1.4; VGA;Display Port 1.2; HDMI 1.4;
Other portsRJ45; Hdph; Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Card Reader;RJ45; Headset; Line-Out;
Optional portsN.A.Serial+PS2; VGA; Media Card Reader;
SATA ports32
PCI slotsPCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x1;PCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x1;
M.2 slotsM.2 2230 (WiFi/BT); M.2 2280 B-Key (SATA only); N.A.
Drive bays(2x) 2.5in; 3.25in;3.5in/2.5in; 5.25in (slim);
PSU200 W180 W
Weight4.80 kg (10.58 lb)6.1 kg (13.45 lb)
Released20192015
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 3470 and Dell OptiPlex 3040 SFF

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Dell Inspiron 3470 which was released in 2019. The Dell OptiPlex 3040 SFF is older and entered production in 2015.

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 Inspiron 3470 as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Dell OptiPlex 3040 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 Dell Inspiron 3470 is using the faster 2400 MT/s RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 3040 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 Dell Inspiron 3470 as it has the ability to run 32 GB of RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 3040 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 3040 SFF has 8 USB ports. The Dell Inspiron 3470 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 3040 SFF has a DisplayPort. The Dell Inspiron 3470 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 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 Inspiron 3470 is better equipped as it comes with 3 SATA slot(s), while the Dell OptiPlex 3040 SFF has 2 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 Dell Inspiron 3470. Sadly, the Dell OptiPlex 3040 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 Dell OptiPlex 3040 SFF comes with a decent 180 Watt PSU, but the Dell Inspiron 3470 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_3470_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutDell_OptiPlex_3040_SFF_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout