Dell Inspiron 3471 vs. HP ProDesk 400 G4 SFF

Comparison and Differences

Dell_Inspiron_3471.jpg case front and back pannelHP_ProDesk_400_G4_SFF.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorSmallSmall
CPU optionsIntel Gen9 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;Intel Gen6&7 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
ChipsetB365H270
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GTX 1650 Low ProfileGeForce GT 1030 Low Profile
RAMDIMM DDR4-2133/2400DIMM DDR4-2400
RAM slots22
RAM speed2400 MT/s2400 MT/s
RAM max32 GB64 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 1.4b; VGA;DisplayPort; VGA;
Other portsRJ45; Hdph; Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Card Reader;RJ45; Headset; Line-Out; Line-In;
Optional portsN.A.SD card reader; Serial and (2x) PS2;
SATA ports42
PCI slotsPCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x1;PCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x4;
M.2 slotsM.2 2230 (WiFi/BT); M.2 2280 B-Key (SATA only); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT)
Drive bays(2x) 2.5in; 3.25in;2.5in/3.5in; 5.25in (slim)
PSU200 W180 W
Weight4.80 kg (10.58 lb)4.6 kg (10.14 lb)
Released20192017
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 3471 and HP ProDesk 400 G4 SFF

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Dell Inspiron 3471 which was released in 2019. The HP ProDesk 400 G4 SFF is older and entered production in 2017.

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 3471 as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that HP ProDesk 400 G4 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.

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 HP ProDesk 400 G4 SFF as it has the ability to run 64 GB of RAM. The Dell Inspiron 3471 can do a bit less at max 32 GB. Most of the times, this should be sufficient for the majority of users.

Ports

In total the HP ProDesk 400 G4 SFF has 8 USB ports. The Dell Inspiron 3471 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 HP ProDesk 400 G4 SFF has a DisplayPort. The Dell Inspiron 3471 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 3471 comes with an HDMI port, while the HP ProDesk 400 G4 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 Inspiron 3471 is better equipped as it comes with 4 SATA slot(s), while the HP ProDesk 400 G4 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 3471. Sadly, the HP ProDesk 400 G4 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 HP ProDesk 400 G4 SFF comes with a decent 180 Watt PSU, but the Dell Inspiron 3471 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_3471_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutHP_ProDesk_400_G4_SFF_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout