Dell OptiPlex 3040 SFF vs. HP EliteDesk 800 G3 SFF

Comparison and Differences

Dell_OptiPlex_3040_SFF.jpg case front and back pannelHP_EliteDesk_800_G3_SFF.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorSmallSmall
CPU optionsIntel Gen6 i3/i5; Pentium; Celeron; Intel Gen6&7 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
ChipsetH110Q270
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GT 1030 Low ProfileGeForce GT 1030 Low Profile
RAMDIMM DDR3L-1600 DIMM DDR4-2400
RAM slots24
RAM speed1600 MT/s2400 MT/s
RAM max16 GB64 GB
USB ports(4x) USB-A 3.0; (4x) USB-A 2.0; USB-C 3.0; (6x)USB-A 3.0; (4x)USB-A 2.0;
Video portsDisplay Port 1.2; HDMI 1.4;(2x) DisplayPort;
Other portsRJ45; Headset; Line-Out; RJ45; Hdph; Headset; Line-Out; Line-In;
Optional portsSerial+PS2; VGA; Media Card Reader;DP/HDMI/VGA/USB-C(DP); Serial; SD card reader;
SATA ports23
PCI slotsPCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x1; PCIe 3.0 x16; (2x) PCIe 3.0 x1; PCIe 3.0 x16 (wired x4);
M.2 slotsN.A.M.2 2280 M-key (PCIe x4); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT);
Drive bays3.5in/2.5in; 5.25in (slim); 2.5in; (2x) 3.5in; 5.25in (slim);
PSU180 W180 W
Weight6.1 kg (13.45 lb)5.3 kg (11.7 lb)
Released20152017
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 3040 SFF and HP EliteDesk 800 G3 SFF

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the HP EliteDesk 800 G3 SFF which was released in 2017. The Dell OptiPlex 3040 SFF is older and entered production in 2015.

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 HP EliteDesk 800 G3 SFF 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 HP EliteDesk 800 G3 SFF 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 HP EliteDesk 800 G3 SFF is using the faster 2400 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 HP EliteDesk 800 G3 SFF as it has the ability to run 64 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 HP EliteDesk 800 G3 SFF has 10 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. 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 HP EliteDesk 800 G3 SFF comes with 2 ports, while the Dell OptiPlex 3040 SFF has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the HP EliteDesk 800 G3 SFF is the better choice.

The Dell OptiPlex 3040 SFF comes with an HDMI port, while the HP EliteDesk 800 G3 SFF does not support the interface. Of course missing HDMI port is something that can be easily fixed with a good adapter (e.g. DisplayPort to HDMI).

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 HP EliteDesk 800 G3 SFF is better equipped as it comes with 3 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 HP EliteDesk 800 G3 SFF. 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

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 180 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_3040_SFF_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutHP_EliteDesk_800_G3_SFF_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout