Acer Veriton X4640g vs. Dell OptiPlex 3020 MT

Comparison and Differences

Acer_Veriton_X4640g.jpg case front and back pannelDell_OptiPlex_3020_MT.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorSmallMini Tower
CPU optionsIntel Gen6 i3/i5/i7; Pentium; CeleronIntel Gen4 i3/i5; Celeron; Pentium;
ChipsetB150H81
Dedicated GPU *Radeon RX 6400 Low ProfileGeForce GTX 1660 Super
RAMUDIMM DDR4-2133DIMM DDR3-1600
RAM slots42
RAM speed2133 MT/s1600 MT/s
RAM max32 GB16 GB
USB ports(4x) USB-A 3.0; (6x) USB-A 2.0;(2x) USB-A 3.0; (6x) USB-A 2.0;
Video ports(2x) DisplayPort 1.2; VGA; DVIDisplayPort 1.2; VGA;
Other portsRJ45; (2x) Mic, Speaker; Line in; Line out; PS/2 ports; Serial:RJ45; Hdph; Mic; Line-Out; Line-In;
Optional portsext. VGA; Serial; DVI to VGA adapterSerial+PS2;
SATA ports33
PCI slotsPCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x1PCIe 2.0 x16; (3x) PCIe 2.0 x1
M.2 slotsM.2 2230 (WiFi/BT)N.A.
Drive bays2.5/3.5in; 5.25 inch(2x) 2.5/3.5in; (2x)5.25in;
PSU221 WATX 290 W
Weight6.00 kg (14.33 lb)7.6 kg (16.75 lb)
Released20152013
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 Acer Veriton X4640g and Dell OptiPlex 3020 MT

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Acer Veriton X4640g which was released in 2015. The Dell OptiPlex 3020 MT is older and entered production in 2013.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Acer Veriton X4640g is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Dell OptiPlex 3020 MT and will fit more easily under your desk.

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 Acer Veriton X4640g as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Dell OptiPlex 3020 MT is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

The Acer Veriton X4640g has 4 RAM slots while the Dell OptiPlex 3020 MT 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 Acer Veriton X4640g is using the faster 2133 MT/s RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 3020 MT 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 Acer Veriton X4640g as it has the ability to run 32 GB of RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 3020 MT 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 Acer Veriton X4640g has 10 USB ports. The Dell OptiPlex 3020 MT 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. 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.

DisplayPort is crucial for any desktop machine. It is good to see that both models are featuring DisplayPorts. However, the Acer Veriton X4640g comes with 2 ports, while the Dell OptiPlex 3020 MT has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the Acer Veriton X4640g is the better choice.

None of the models has an HDMI port. If your monitor supports only the HDMI interface, you will need to buy an adapter. Such adapters are cheap so nothing to worry about.

SATA slots are located on the motherboard and it is where SSD, HDD and Optical Disk Drives are connected. Each of the two models being compared have 3 SATA slot(s). Keep in mind that having too few SATA slots might limit your options for connecting additional memory drives.

M.2 SSD interface allows you to transfer data with higher speeds compared to the old SATA interface. Unfortunately, neither the Dell OptiPlex 3020 MT, nor the Acer Veriton X4640g has one. However, you can still use a SATA SSD drive which should give you satisfactory performance.

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 Acer Veriton X4640g comes with a decent 220 Watt PSU, but the Dell OptiPlex 3020 MT has a more powerful one rated at 290 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

Acer_Veriton_X4640g_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutDell_OptiPlex_3020_MT_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout