Dell OptiPlex 990 USFF vs. Dell Vostro 3250

Comparison and Differences

Dell_OptiPlex_990_USFF.jpg case front and back pannelDell_Vostro_3250.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorUltra SmallSmall
CPU optionsIntel Gen2 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;Intel Gen6 i3/i5/i7
ChipsetQ67H110
Dedicated GPU *N.A.GeForce GT 1030 Low Profile
RAMDIMM DDR3-1333DIMM DDR3-1600
RAM slots22
RAM speed1333 MT/s1600 MT/s
RAM max8 GB16 GB
USB ports(7x)USB-A 2.0; (4x)USB-A 2.0; (2x)USB-A 3.0;
Video portsDisplayPort 1.2; VGA;HDMI 1.4; VGA;
Other portsRJ45; Hdph; (2x) Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; PS2/COM; Serial; Parallel;RJ45; Hdph; Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Media Card Reader
Optional portsN.A.N/A
SATA ports22
PCI slotsN.A.PCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x1;
M.2 slotsN.A.M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT);
Drive bays2.5in; 5.25in(slim);3.5in; 5.25in;
PSU200 W180 W
Weight3.27 kg (7.20 lb)3.17 kg (6.99 lbs)
Released20112016
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 990 USFF and Dell Vostro 3250

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Dell Vostro 3250 which was released in 2016. The Dell OptiPlex 990 USFF is older and entered production in 2011.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Dell OptiPlex 990 USFF is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Dell Vostro 3250 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 Vostro 3250 as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Dell OptiPlex 990 USFF is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

Both models have have equal amount of ram slots (2 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 Vostro 3250 is using the faster 1600 MT/s RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 990 USFF is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 1333 MT/s. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Dell Vostro 3250 as it has the ability to run 16 GB of RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 990 USFF can do a bit less at max 8 GB. Most of the times, this should be sufficient for the majority of users.

Ports

In total the Dell OptiPlex 990 USFF has 7 USB ports. The Dell Vostro 3250 is inferior in this regard and packs 6 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 990 USFF has a DisplayPort. The Dell Vostro 3250 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 Vostro 3250 comes with an HDMI port, while the Dell OptiPlex 990 USFF 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 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 2 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 990 USFF, nor the Dell Vostro 3250 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 Vostro 3250 comes with a decent 180 Watt PSU, but the Dell OptiPlex 990 USFF has a more powerful one rated at 200 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_990_USFF_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutDell_Vostro_3250_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout