Dell OptiPlex 3000 SFF vs. Dell OptiPlex 7000 Tower

Comparison and Differences

Dell_OptiPlex_3000_SFF.jpg case front and back pannelDell_OptiPlex_7000_Tower.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorSmallMini Tower
CPU optionsIntel Gen 12 i3/i5/i7/i9; PentiumIntel Gen 12 i3/i5/i7/i9;
ChipsetB660Q670
Dedicated GPU *AMD Radeon RX 6400 Low ProfileGeForce RTX 3070 (OEM)
RAMDIMM DDR4-3200DIMM DDR5-3600/4000/4400
RAM slots24
RAM speed3200 MT/s4400 MT/s
RAM max64 GB128 GB
USB ports(4x) USB-A 2.0; (4x) USB-A 3.0;(4x) USB-A 2.0; (3x) USB-A 3.0; (2x) USB-A 3.1; USB-C 3.2;
Video portsDisplay Port 1.4a; HDMI 1.4b;(3x) Display Port 1.4a;
Other portsRJ45; Audio; Line-Out/In;RJ45; Audio; Line-Out/In;
Optional portsHDMI 2.0b/Displayport/VGA;HDMI 2.0b/Displayport/VGA/PS2/serial/USB Type-C; Serial port; SD-card slot
SATA ports24
PCI slotsPCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x1;PCIe 4.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x4;PCIe 3.0 x1; PCI-32;
M.2 slotsM.2 2230/2280 (PCIe 4.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT) (3x) M.2 2230/2280 (PCIe 4.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT)
Drive bays3.5in; 2.5in;(x2) 3.5in; (2x) 2.5in; 5.25in (slim);
PSU180/300 W240/260/400/500 W
Weight5.03 kg (11.09 lb)9.68 kg (21.35 lb)
Released20222022
Manuallinklink
Price**Check PriceCheck 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 OptiPlex 3000 SFF and Dell OptiPlex 7000 Tower

Both computers, the Dell OptiPlex 3000 SFF and the Dell OptiPlex 7000 Tower, were released during the same year - 2022.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Dell OptiPlex 3000 SFF is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Dell OptiPlex 7000 Tower and will fit more easily under your desk.

Processor

The two models have the same generation of Intel processors. We think that the 12 generation of Intel Processors have enough power to execute all of the home and office tasks that most people will care to do.

Memory

The Dell OptiPlex 7000 Tower has 4 RAM slots while the Dell OptiPlex 3000 SFF 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 7000 Tower is using the faster 4400 MT/s RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 3000 SFF is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 3200 MT/s. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Dell OptiPlex 7000 Tower as it has the ability to run 128 GB of RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 3000 SFF can do a bit less at max 64 GB. Most of the times, this should be sufficient for the majority of users.

Ports

In total the Dell OptiPlex 7000 Tower has 10 USB ports. The Dell OptiPlex 3000 SFF is inferior in this regard and packs 8 USB ports. In any case, if you miss USB ports, you can always purchase a USB hub. What is nice about the Dell OptiPlex 7000 Tower, is that it has 2 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the Dell OptiPlex 3000 SFF 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.

DisplayPort is crucial for any desktop machine. It is good to see that both models are featuring DisplayPorts. However, the Dell OptiPlex 7000 Tower comes with 3 ports, while the Dell OptiPlex 3000 SFF has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the Dell OptiPlex 7000 Tower is the better choice.

The Dell OptiPlex 3000 SFF comes with an HDMI port, while the Dell OptiPlex 7000 Tower 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 OptiPlex 7000 Tower is better equipped as it comes with 4 SATA slot(s), while the Dell OptiPlex 3000 SFF has 2 slot(s).

An M.2 SSD can be several times faster than a SATA one. Thus, we are happy to see that both models support the M.2 interface. However, the Dell OptiPlex 7000 Tower has 1 M.2 slots while the Dell OptiPlex 3000 SFF comes with just 1.

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 3000 SFF comes with a decent 300 Watt PSU, but the Dell OptiPlex 7000 Tower has a more powerful one rated at 500 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_OptiPlex_3000_SFF_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutDell_OptiPlex_7000_Tower_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout