Acer Veriton M6680g vs. Dell OptiPlex 3040 SFF

Comparison and Differences

Acer_Veriton_M6680g.jpg case front and back pannelDell_OptiPlex_3040_SFF.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMini TowerSmall
CPU optionsIntel Gen11 i3/i5/i7/i9Intel Gen6 i3/i5; Pentium; Celeron;
ChipsetQ570H110
Dedicated GPU *RTX 3070GeForce GT 1030 Low Profile
RAMUDIMM DDR4-2933DIMM DDR3L-1600
RAM slots42
RAM speed2933 MT/s1600 MT/s
RAM max128 GB16 GB
USB ports(2x) USB-A 3.0; (6x) USB-A 2.0; (2x) USB-C 3.1(4x) USB-A 3.0; (4x) USB-A 2.0;
Video ports(2x) DisplayPort 1.4; HDMI 1.4; VGADisplay Port 1.2; HDMI 1.4;
Other portsRJ45; (2x) Mic, Speaker; Line in; Line out; PS/2 ports; SerialRJ45; Headset; Line-Out;
Optional portsCard reader; ParallelSerial+PS2; VGA; Media Card Reader;
SATA ports52
PCI slotsPCIe 4.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x1; PCI; PCIe 3.0 x16 (wired x4)PCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x1;
M.2 slotsM.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe 4.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT)N.A.
Drive bays(2x) 2.5/3.5in; 5.25 inch3.5in/2.5in; 5.25in (slim);
PSU300/500 W180 W
Weight12.00 kg (26.40 lb)6.1 kg (13.45 lb)
Released20212015
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 M6680g and Dell OptiPlex 3040 SFF

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Acer Veriton M6680g which was released in 2021. The Dell OptiPlex 3040 SFF is older and entered production in 2015.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Dell OptiPlex 3040 SFF is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Acer Veriton M6680g 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 M6680g as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Dell OptiPlex 3040 SFF is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

The Acer Veriton M6680g has 4 RAM slots while the Dell OptiPlex 3040 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 Acer Veriton M6680g is using the faster 2933 MT/s RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 3040 SFF 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 M6680g as it has the ability to run 128 GB of RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 3040 SFF 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 M6680g has 12 USB ports. The Dell OptiPlex 3040 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 Acer Veriton M6680g, is that it has 6 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the Dell OptiPlex 3040 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 Acer Veriton M6680g comes with 2 ports, while the Dell OptiPlex 3040 SFF has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the Acer Veriton M6680g 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 Acer Veriton M6680g is better equipped as it comes with 5 SATA slot(s), while the Dell OptiPlex 3040 SFF has 2 slot(s).

If you want the fastest transfer speeds for your SSD, an M.2 interface is crucial. Thus, if the M.2 SSD slot is a mandatory requirement for you, go with the Acer Veriton M6680g. Sadly, the Dell OptiPlex 3040 SFF has no such slot, and you will be forced to use the SATA interface instead.

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 3040 SFF comes with a decent 180 Watt PSU, but the Acer Veriton M6680g 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

Acer_Veriton_M6680g_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutDell_OptiPlex_3040_SFF_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout