Dell Inspiron 3881 vs. Dell OptiPlex 3080 MT

Comparison and Differences

Dell_Inspiron_3881.jpg case front and back pannelDell_OptiPlex_3080_MT.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMini TowerMini Tower
CPU optionsIntel Gen10 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;Intel Gen10 i3/i5/i7; Pentium; Celeron;
ChipsetH470B460
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GTX 1650 SuperGeForce GTX 1650 Super
RAMDIMM DDR4-2666/2933DIMM DDR4-2666
RAM slots22
RAM speed2933 MT/s2666 MT/s
RAM max64 GB64 GB
USB ports(3x) USB 3.0 Type A; USB 3.1 Type C; (4x) USB-A 2.0;(4x) USB-A 3.0; (4x) USB-A 2.0;
Video portsHDMI 1.4; DisplayPort 1.4; VGA;Display Port 1.4; HDMI 1.4b;
Other portsRJ45; Headset; Line-Out; Card Reader;RJ45; Headset; Line-Out;
Optional portsN.A.Serial/PS2; DP1.4/HDMI2.0b/VGA; (2x)WiFi antenna;
SATA ports23
PCI slotsPCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x1;PCIe 3.0 x16; (2x) PCIe x1;
M.2 slotsM.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT); M.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT)
Drive bays3.25in; 9.5mm3.5in; (2x) 2.5in; 5.25in (slim);
PSU260 W260 W
Weight6.40 kg (14.11 lb)5.35 kg (11.79 lb)
Released20202020
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 3881 and Dell OptiPlex 3080 MT

Both computers, the Dell OptiPlex 3080 MT and the Dell Inspiron 3881, were released during the same year - 2020.

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

Processor

The two models have the same generation of Intel processors. We think that the 10 generation of Intel Processors have enough power to execute all of the home and office tasks that most people will care to do.

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 3881 is using the faster 2933 MT/s RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 3080 MT is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 2666 MT/s. In addition, you will be able to install the same amount of RAM in both models, and most probably 64 GB of RAM will be enough for most people. However, if you will be needing more RAM, make sure to check other desktop models too.

Ports

Both models have the same amount of USB ports for total count of 8. If this is not enough, using a USB hub is always a viable option. What is nice about the Dell Inspiron 3881, is that it has 1 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the Dell OptiPlex 3080 MT 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.

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 OptiPlex 3080 MT is better equipped as it comes with 3 SATA slot(s), while the Dell Inspiron 3881 has 2 slot(s).

When your goal is to have the fastest SSD transfer speeds, an M.2 interface is crucial. Thus, it is good that both models have M.2 SSD slots. Today M.2 SSDs are not much more expensive than the average SATA drives, so it really does not make sense to invest in SATA drives anymore.

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 260 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.

Motherboard

Dell_Inspiron_3881_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutDell_OptiPlex_3080_MT_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout