Dell Inspiron 3647 vs. Dell OptiPlex 9020 SFF

Comparison and Differences

Dell_Inspiron_3647.jpg case front and back pannelDell_OptiPlex_9020_SFF.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorSmallSmall
CPU optionsIntel Gen4 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;Intel Gen4 i3/i5/i7;
ChipsetH81 Q87
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GTX 1650 Low ProfileGeForce GTX 1650 Low Profile
RAMDIMM DDR3-1333/1600 DIMM DDR3-1600
RAM slots24
RAM speed1600 MT/s1600 MT/s
RAM max16 GB32 GB
USB ports(3x) USB-A 3.0; (6x) USB-A 2.0;(4x) USB-A 3.0; (6x) USB-A 2.0;
Video portsHDMI 1.2; VGA;(2x) DisplayPort 1.2; VGA;
Other portsRJ45; Hdph; (2x) Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; 5.1 audio; Card Reader;RJ45; Hdph; Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Serial; (2x) PS2;
Optional portsN.A.N.A.
SATA ports23
PCI slotsPCIe 2.0 x16; PCIe 2.0 x1; mPCIe;PCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe x16 (wired x4);
M.2 slotsN.A.N.A.
Drive bays3.5in; 5.25in;2.5/3.5in; 5.25in(slim)
PSU220 W 255 W
Weight6.0 kg (13.22 lb)6.00 kg (13.22 lb)
Released20132013
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 Inspiron 3647 and Dell OptiPlex 9020 SFF

Both computers, the Dell OptiPlex 9020 SFF and the Dell Inspiron 3647, were released during the same year - 2013.

Both models have the same form factor, meaning reoughtly they have the same phiysical size and form.

Processor

The two models have the same generation of Intel processors. We think that the 4 generation of Intel Processors have enough power to execute all of the home and office tasks that most people will care to do.

Memory

The Dell OptiPlex 9020 SFF has 4 RAM slots while the Dell Inspiron 3647 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.

None of the desktops has an advantage when it comes to the speed of the RAM being used. Both models support RAM speeds of up to 1600. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Dell OptiPlex 9020 SFF as it has the ability to run 32 GB of RAM. The Dell Inspiron 3647 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 9020 SFF has 10 USB ports. The Dell Inspiron 3647 is inferior in this regard and packs 9 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.

Unfortunately, only the Dell OptiPlex 9020 SFF has a DisplayPort. The Dell Inspiron 3647 does not have one? Don't worry though, nowadays video adapters are cheap and you can get almost any combination of conversion types.

The Dell Inspiron 3647 comes with an HDMI port, while the Dell OptiPlex 9020 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 Dell OptiPlex 9020 SFF is better equipped as it comes with 3 SATA slot(s), while the Dell Inspiron 3647 has 2 slot(s).

M.2 SSD interface allows you to transfer data with higher speeds compared to the old SATA interface. Unfortunately, neither the Dell OptiPlex 9020 SFF, nor the Dell Inspiron 3647 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 Inspiron 3647 comes with a decent 220 Watt PSU, but the Dell OptiPlex 9020 SFF has a more powerful one rated at 255 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_Inspiron_3647_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutDell_OptiPlex_9020_SFF_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout