Dell OptiPlex 3050 SFF vs. Dell OptiPlex 5040 SFF

Comparison and Differences

Dell_OptiPlex_3050_SFF.jpg case front and back pannelDell_OptiPlex_5040_SFF.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorSmallSmall
CPU optionsIntel Gen6&7 i3/i5; Pentium; Celeron;Intel Gen6 i3/i5/i7; Pentium;
ChipsetB250Q170
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GT 1030 Low ProfileGeForce GT 1030 Low Profile
RAMDIMM DDR4-2133/2400 DIMM DDR3L-1600
RAM slots24
RAM speed2400 MT/s1600 MT/s
RAM max32 GB16 GB
USB ports(4x) USB-A 3.0; (4x) USB-A 2.0; (6x) USB-A 3.0; (4x) USB-A 2.0;
Video portsDisplay Port 1.2; HDMI 1.4;(2x) Display Port 1.2; HDMI 1.4;
Other portsRJ45; Headset; Line-Out; Serial; (2x) PS2; RJ45; Headset; Line-Out;
Optional portsSerial+PS2; VGA; Media Card Reader;VGA; Media Card Reader;
SATA ports23
PCI slotsPCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x1; PCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x4;
M.2 slotsM.2 2280/2242 M-key (PCIe 3.0 x2, NVMe) M.2 2280 M-key (PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe)
Drive bays3.5in/(2x)2.5in; 5.25in (slim); 3.5in/(2x)2.5in; 5.25in (slim);
PSU180 W180 W
Weight5.14 kg (11.42 lb)6.00 kg (13.22 lb)
Released20172015
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 3050 SFF and Dell OptiPlex 5040 SFF

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Dell OptiPlex 3050 SFF which was released in 2017. The Dell OptiPlex 5040 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 Dell OptiPlex 3050 SFF as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Dell OptiPlex 5040 SFF is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

The Dell OptiPlex 5040 SFF has 4 RAM slots while the Dell OptiPlex 3050 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 Dell OptiPlex 3050 SFF is using the faster 2400 MT/s RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 5040 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 Dell OptiPlex 3050 SFF as it has the ability to run 32 GB of RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 5040 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 Dell OptiPlex 5040 SFF has 10 USB ports. The Dell OptiPlex 3050 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 Dell OptiPlex 5040 SFF comes with 2 ports, while the Dell OptiPlex 3050 SFF has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the Dell OptiPlex 5040 SFF 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 Dell OptiPlex 5040 SFF is better equipped as it comes with 3 SATA slot(s), while the Dell OptiPlex 3050 SFF has 2 slot(s).

When your goal is to have the fastest SSD transfer speeds, an M.2 interface is crucial. Thus, it is good that both models have M.2 SSD slots. Today M.2 SSDs are not much more expensive than the average SATA drives, so it really does not make sense to invest in SATA drives anymore.

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_3050_SFF_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutDell_OptiPlex_5040_SFF_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout