Dell OptiPlex 7020 MT vs. Dell OptiPlex 790 MT

Comparison and Differences

Dell_OptiPlex_7020_MT.jpg case front and back pannelDell_OptiPlex_790_MT.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMini TowerMini Tower
CPU optionsIntel Gen4 i3/i5/i7; Pentium; Intel Gen2 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
ChipsetQ87Q65
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GTX 1660 SuperGeForce GTX 1650
RAMDIMM DDR3-1600 DIMM DDR3-1333
RAM slots44
RAM speed1600 MT/s1333 MT/s
RAM max16 GB16 GB
USB ports(4x) USB-A 3.0; (6x) USB-A 2.0; (10x)USB-A 2.0;
Video ports(2x) DisplayPort 1.2; VGA;DisplayPort 1.2; VGA;
Other portsRJ45; Hdph; Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Serial; (2x) PS2; RJ45; Hdph; (2x) Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; PS2/COM; Serial;
Optional portsN.A.Parallel
SATA ports44
PCI slotsPCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe x1; PCIe x16(wired x4); PCI; PCIe 2.0 x16; PCIe 2.0 x4; PCIe 2.0 x1;
M.2 slotsN.A.N.A.
Drive bays(2x) 2.5/3.5in; (2x) 5.25in(2x) 3.5in; (2x) 2.5in; (2x) 5.25in;
PSU ATX 290 W265 W
Weight9.40 kg (20.72 lb)8.87 kg (19.55 lb)
Released20142011
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 7020 MT and Dell OptiPlex 790 MT

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Dell OptiPlex 7020 MT which was released in 2014. The Dell OptiPlex 790 MT is older and entered production in 2011.

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 7020 MT as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Dell OptiPlex 790 MT is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

Both models have have equal amount of ram slots (4 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 7020 MT is using the faster 1600 MT/s RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 790 MT is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 1333 MT/s. In addition, you will be able to install the same amount of RAM in both models, and most probably 16 GB of RAM will be enough for most people. However, if you will be needing more RAM, make sure to check other desktop models too.

Ports

Both models have the same amount of USB ports for total count of 10. If this is not enough, using a USB hub is always a viable option. 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 7020 MT comes with 2 ports, while the Dell OptiPlex 790 MT has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the Dell OptiPlex 7020 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 slots are located on the motherboard and it is where SSD, HDD and Optical Disk Drives are connected. Each of the two models being compared have 4 SATA slot(s). Keep in mind that having too few SATA slots might limit your options for connecting additional memory drives.

M.2 SSD interface allows you to transfer data with higher speeds compared to the old SATA interface. Unfortunately, neither the Dell OptiPlex 790 MT, nor the Dell OptiPlex 7020 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

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 790 MT comes with a decent 265 Watt PSU, but the Dell OptiPlex 7020 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_7020_MT_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutDell_OptiPlex_790_MT_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout