Dell OptiPlex 3020 MT vs. Dell OptiPlex 9020 MT

Comparison and Differences

Dell_OptiPlex_3020_MT.jpg case front and back pannelDell_OptiPlex_9020_MT.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMini TowerMini Tower
CPU optionsIntel Gen4 i3/i5; Celeron; Pentium;Intel Gen4 i3/i5/i7;
ChipsetH81 Q87
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GTX 1660 SuperGeForce GTX 1660 Super
RAMDIMM DDR3-1600 DIMM DDR3-1600
RAM slots24
RAM speed1600 MT/s1600 MT/s
RAM max16 GB32 GB
USB ports(2x) USB-A 3.0; (6x) USB-A 2.0; (4x) USB-A 3.0; (6x) USB-A 2.0;
Video portsDisplayPort 1.2; VGA;(2x) DisplayPort 1.2; VGA;
Other portsRJ45; Hdph; Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; RJ45; Hdph; Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Serial; (2x) PS2;
Optional portsSerial+PS2;N.A.
SATA ports34
PCI slotsPCIe 2.0 x16; (3x) PCIe 2.0 x1 PCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe x1; PCIe x16(wired x4); PCI;
M.2 slotsN.A.N.A.
Drive bays(2x) 2.5/3.5in; (2x)5.25in;(2x) 2.5/3.5in; (2x) 5.25 inch
PSUATX 290 W ATX 290 W
Weight7.6 kg (16.75 lb)9.40 kg (20.72 lb)
Released20132013
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 OptiPlex 3020 MT and Dell OptiPlex 9020 MT

Both computers, the Dell OptiPlex 3020 MT and the Dell OptiPlex 9020 MT, were released during the same year - 2013.

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 4 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 9020 MT 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.

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 1600. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Dell OptiPlex 9020 MT 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 Dell OptiPlex 9020 MT 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 Dell OptiPlex 9020 MT comes with 2 ports, while the Dell OptiPlex 3020 MT has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the Dell OptiPlex 9020 MT 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 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 9020 MT is better equipped as it comes with 4 SATA slot(s), while the Dell OptiPlex 3020 MT has 3 slot(s).

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 Dell OptiPlex 9020 MT 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

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 290 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_3020_MT_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutDell_OptiPlex_9020_MT_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout