Dell OptiPlex 3020 MT vs. Dell Vostro 360 AIO

Comparison and Differences

Dell_OptiPlex_3020_MT.jpg case front and back pannelDell_Vostro_360_AIO.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMini TowerSmall
CPU optionsIntel Gen4 i3/i5; Celeron; Pentium;Intel Gen2 i3/i5/i7; Pentium;
ChipsetH81 H61
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GTX 1660 SuperN.A.
RAMDIMM DDR3-1600 SO-DIMM DDR3-1333
RAM slots22
RAM speed1600 MT/s1333 MT/s
RAM max16 GB8 GB
USB ports(2x) USB-A 3.0; (6x) USB-A 2.0; (2x)USB-A 2.0; (4x)USB-A 3.0;
Video portsDisplayPort 1.2; VGA;VGA;
Other portsRJ45; Hdph; Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; RJ45; Hdph; Mic; Line-Out; Media Card Reader; Mic Integrated
Optional portsSerial+PS2;N/A
SATA ports32
PCI slotsPCIe 2.0 x16; (3x) PCIe 2.0 x1 N.A.
M.2 slotsN.A.N.A.
Drive bays(2x) 2.5/3.5in; (2x)5.25in;3.5in; 5.25in;
PSUATX 290 W150W/180 W
Weight7.6 kg (16.75 lb)9.35 kg (20.61 lbs)
Released20132012
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 3020 MT and Dell Vostro 360 AIO

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Dell OptiPlex 3020 MT which was released in 2013. The Dell Vostro 360 AIO is older and entered production in 2012.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Dell Vostro 360 AIO 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 Dell OptiPlex 3020 MT as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Dell Vostro 360 AIO is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

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 OptiPlex 3020 MT is using the faster 1600 MT/s RAM. The Dell Vostro 360 AIO is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 1333 MT/s. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Dell OptiPlex 3020 MT as it has the ability to run 16 GB of RAM. The Dell Vostro 360 AIO can do a bit less at max 8 GB. Most of the times, this should be sufficient for the majority of users.

Ports

In total the Dell OptiPlex 3020 MT has 8 USB ports. The Dell Vostro 360 AIO is inferior in this regard and packs 6 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.

Unfortunately, only the Dell OptiPlex 3020 MT has a DisplayPort. The Dell Vostro 360 AIO does not have one? Don't worry though, nowadays video adapters are cheap and you can get almost any combination of conversion types.

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 3020 MT is better equipped as it comes with 3 SATA slot(s), while the Dell Vostro 360 AIO has 2 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 Vostro 360 AIO 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 Dell Vostro 360 AIO comes with a decent 180 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

Dell_OptiPlex_3020_MT_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutDell_Vostro_360_AIO_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout