Dell OptiPlex 3000 SFF vs. Dell OptiPlex 7090 SFF

Comparison and Differences

Dell_OptiPlex_3000_SFF.jpg case front and back pannelDell_OptiPlex_7090_SFF.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorSmallSmall
CPU optionsIntel Gen 12 i3/i5/i7/i9; PentiumIntel Gen10&11 i3/i5/i7/i9;
ChipsetB660Q570
Dedicated GPU *AMD Radeon RX 6400 Low ProfileAMD Radeon RX 6400 Low Profile
RAMDIMM DDR4-3200DIMM DDR4-2666/2933/3200
RAM slots24
RAM speed3200 MT/s3200 MT/s
RAM max64 GB128 GB
USB ports(4x) USB-A 2.0; (4x) USB-A 3.0;USB 3.2 Type C; USB 3.1 Type C; (2x) USB-A 3.1; USB-A 3.0; (x4) USB-A 2.0;
Video portsDisplay Port 1.4a; HDMI 1.4b;(3x) Display Port 1.4; HDMI 2.0b;
Other portsRJ45; Audio; Line-Out/In;RJ45; Audio; Line-Out/In; Serial; (x2) PS2
Optional portsHDMI 2.0b/Displayport/VGA;USB Type-C (DP Alt Mode); Media Card Reader;
SATA ports23
PCI slotsPCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x1;PCIe 4.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x4;
M.2 slotsM.2 2230/2280 (PCIe 4.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT) M.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 M-key (PCIe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT)
Drive bays3.5in; 2.5in;(x2) 3.5in; (2x) 2.5in; 5.25in (slim);
PSU180/300 W200/300 W
Weight5.03 kg (11.09 lb)5.72 kg (12.61 lb)
Released20222021
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 7090 SFF

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Dell OptiPlex 3000 SFF which was released in 2022. The Dell OptiPlex 7090 SFF is older and entered production in 2021.

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 3000 SFF as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Dell OptiPlex 7090 SFF is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

The Dell OptiPlex 7090 SFF 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.

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 3200. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Dell OptiPlex 7090 SFF 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 7090 SFF has 9 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 7090 SFF, is that it has 3 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 7090 SFF comes with 3 ports, while the Dell OptiPlex 3000 SFF has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the Dell OptiPlex 7090 SFF is the better choice.

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 7090 SFF is better equipped as it comes with 3 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 7090 SFF 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

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 300 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_OptiPlex_3000_SFF_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutDell_OptiPlex_7090_SFF_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout