Dell OptiPlex 7040 MT vs. Dell OptiPlex SFF Plus 7010 2023

Comparison and Differences

Dell_OptiPlex_7040_MT.jpg case front and back pannelDell_OptiPlex_SFF_Plus_7010_2023.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMini TowerSmall
CPU optionsIntel Gen6 i3/i5/i7Intel Gen 12&13 i3/i5/i7/i9;
ChipsetQ170Q670
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GTX 1650 SuperAMD Radeon RX6400 Low Profile
RAMDIMM DDR4-2133 DIMM DDR5-4400
RAM slots44
RAM speed2133 MT/s4400 MT/s
RAM max64 GB128 GB
USB ports(6x) USB-A 3.0; (4x) USB-A 2.0; (4x) USB-A 2.0; (3x) USB-A 3.0; (2x) USB-A 3.1; USB-C 3.2;
Video ports(2x) Display Port 1.2; HDMI 1.4;(3x) Display Port 1.4a;
Other portsSerial; (2x) PS2; RJ45; Headset; Line-Out; RJ45; Audio; Line-Out/In;
Optional portsVGA; Media Card Reader;HDMI 2.0b/Displayport/VGA/PS2/serial/USB Type-C; SD-card slot
SATA ports43
PCI slotsPCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x16 (wired x4); PCIe 3.0 x1; PCI; PCIe 4.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x4;
M.2 slotsM.2 2280 M-key (PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe) M.2 2280 (PCIe 4.0 x4, NVMe); (2x) M.2 2230; M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT)
Drive bays3.5in/5.25in; (2x) 2.5in; 5.25in (slim);3.5in; (2x) 2.5in;
PSU240 W260/300 W
Weight8.00 kg (17.64 lb)5.087 kg (11.21 lb)
Released20152023
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 7040 MT and Dell OptiPlex SFF Plus 7010 2023

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Dell OptiPlex SFF Plus 7010 2023 which was released in 2023. The Dell OptiPlex 7040 MT is older and entered production in 2015.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Dell OptiPlex SFF Plus 7010 2023 is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Dell OptiPlex 7040 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 SFF Plus 7010 2023 as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Dell OptiPlex 7040 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 SFF Plus 7010 2023 is using the faster 4400 MT/s RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 7040 MT is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 2133 MT/s. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Dell OptiPlex SFF Plus 7010 2023 as it has the ability to run 128 GB of RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 7040 MT can do a bit less at max 64 GB. Most of the times, this should be sufficient for the majority of users.

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. What is nice about the Dell OptiPlex SFF Plus 7010 2023, is that it has 2 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the Dell OptiPlex 7040 MT 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 Dell OptiPlex SFF Plus 7010 2023 comes with 3 ports, while the Dell OptiPlex 7040 MT has only 2. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the Dell OptiPlex SFF Plus 7010 2023 is the better choice.

The Dell OptiPlex 7040 MT comes with an HDMI port, while the Dell OptiPlex SFF Plus 7010 2023 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 Dell OptiPlex 7040 MT is better equipped as it comes with 4 SATA slot(s), while the Dell OptiPlex SFF Plus 7010 2023 has 3 slot(s).

An M.2 SSD can be several times faster than a SATA one. Thus, we are happy to see that both models support the M.2 interface. However, the Dell OptiPlex SFF Plus 7010 2023 has 1 M.2 slots while the Dell OptiPlex 7040 MT comes with just 1.

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 7040 MT comes with a decent 240 Watt PSU, but the Dell OptiPlex SFF Plus 7010 2023 has a more powerful one rated at 300 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_7040_MT_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutDell_OptiPlex_SFF_Plus_7010_2023_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout