Dell Vostro 3681 vs. HP ProDesk 400 G1 Microtower

Comparison and Differences

Dell_Vostro_3681.jpg case front and back pannelHP_ProDesk_400_G1_Microtower.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorSmallMini Tower
CPU optionsIntel Gen10 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;Intel Gen4 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
ChipsetB460H81
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GT 1030 Low ProfileGeForce GTX 1660 Super
RAMDIMM DDR4-2666/2933DIMM DDR3-1600
RAM slots22
RAM speed2933 MT/s1600 MT/s
RAM max64 GB16 GB
USB ports(4x) USB-A 3.0; (4x) USB-A 2.0;(2x)USB-A 3.0; (6x)USB-A 2.0;
Video portsHDMI 1.4b; VGA;DVI-D; VGA;
Other portsRJ45; Headset; Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Card Reader;RJ45; Hdph; Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Serial; (2x) PS2;
Optional portsN.A.Media card reader (USB 2.0); Serial; Parallel;
SATA ports24
PCI slotsPCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x1;PCIe x16; (3x) PCIe x1;
M.2 slotsM.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT); N.A.
Drive bays3.5in; 9.5mm(3x) 3.5in; (2x) 5.25in
PSU200 W300 W
Weight4.66 Kg (10.28 lbs)7.1 kg (15.75 lb)
Released20202013
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 Vostro 3681 and HP ProDesk 400 G1 Microtower

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Dell Vostro 3681 which was released in 2020. The HP ProDesk 400 G1 Microtower is older and entered production in 2013.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Dell Vostro 3681 is the right one for you. It is smaller than the HP ProDesk 400 G1 Microtower 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 3681 as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that HP ProDesk 400 G1 Microtower 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 3681 is using the faster 2933 MT/s RAM. The HP ProDesk 400 G1 Microtower 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 Vostro 3681 as it has the ability to run 64 GB of RAM. The HP ProDesk 400 G1 Microtower can do a bit less at max 16 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 8. 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.

Nowadays, almost every new computer comes equipped with a DisplayPort. However, none of the devices being compared here has one. Don't worry though, DisplayPort adapters are very cheap and you can get virtually any combination of conversion types.

The Dell Vostro 3681 comes with an HDMI port, while the HP ProDesk 400 G1 Microtower 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 HP ProDesk 400 G1 Microtower is better equipped as it comes with 4 SATA slot(s), while the Dell Vostro 3681 has 2 slot(s).

If you want the fastest transfer speeds for your SSD, an M.2 interface is crucial. Thus, if the M.2 SSD slot is a mandatory requirement for you, go with the Dell Vostro 3681. Sadly, the HP ProDesk 400 G1 Microtower has no such slot, and you will be forced to use the SATA interface instead.

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 3681 comes with a decent 200 Watt PSU, but the HP ProDesk 400 G1 Microtower 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_Vostro_3681_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutHP_ProDesk_400_G1_Microtower_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout