Dell OptiPlex 7090 SFF vs. Dell Vostro 3690

Comparison and Differences

Dell_OptiPlex_7090_SFF.jpg case front and back pannelDell_Vostro_3690.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorSmallSmall
CPU optionsIntel Gen10&11 i3/i5/i7/i9;Intel Gen10&11 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium
ChipsetQ570B560
Dedicated GPU *AMD Radeon RX 6400 Low ProfileGeForce GT 1030 Low Profile
RAMDIMM DDR4-2666/2933/3200DIMM DDR4-2666/2933
RAM slots42
RAM speed3200 MT/s2933 MT/s
RAM max128 GB64 GB
USB portsUSB 3.2 Type C; USB 3.1 Type C; (2x) USB-A 3.1; USB-A 3.0; (x4) USB-A 2.0;(4x) USB 3.0 Type A; (4x) USB-A 2.0;
Video ports(3x) Display Port 1.4; HDMI 2.0b;HDMI 1.4b; VGA;
Other portsRJ45; Audio; Line-Out/In; Serial; (x2) PS2RJ45; Headset; Line-Out;
Optional portsUSB Type-C (DP Alt Mode); Media Card Reader;N.A.
SATA ports32
PCI slotsPCIe 4.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x4;PCIe 3.0 x1;
M.2 slotsM.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 M-key (PCIe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT) M.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT);
Drive bays(x2) 3.5in; (2x) 2.5in; 5.25in (slim);3.5in; (2x) 2.5in; 9.5mm
PSU200/300 W260 W
Weight5.72 kg (12.61 lb)6.40 kg (14.11 lbs)
Released20212021
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 7090 SFF and Dell Vostro 3690

Both computers, the Dell OptiPlex 7090 SFF and the Dell Vostro 3690, were released during the same year - 2021.

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 11 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 7090 SFF has 4 RAM slots while the Dell Vostro 3690 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.

The Dell OptiPlex 7090 SFF is using the faster 3200 MT/s RAM. The Dell Vostro 3690 is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 2933 MT/s. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Dell OptiPlex 7090 SFF as it has the ability to run 128 GB of RAM. The Dell Vostro 3690 can do a bit less at max 64 GB. Most of the times, this should be sufficient for the majority of users.

Ports

In total the Dell OptiPlex 7090 SFF has 9 USB ports. The Dell Vostro 3690 is inferior in this regard and packs 8 USB ports. In any case, if you miss USB ports, you can always purchase a USB hub. What is nice about the Dell OptiPlex 7090 SFF, is that it has 3 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the Dell Vostro 3690 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.

Unfortunately, only the Dell OptiPlex 7090 SFF has a DisplayPort. The Dell Vostro 3690 does not have one? Don't worry though, nowadays video adapters are cheap and you can get almost any combination of conversion types.

In case your monitor supports HDMI only, you will be happy to hear that both models come with an HDMI port.

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 7090 SFF is better equipped as it comes with 3 SATA slot(s), while the Dell Vostro 3690 has 2 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 7090 SFF has 1 M.2 slots while the Dell Vostro 3690 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 Vostro 3690 comes with a decent 260 Watt PSU, but the Dell OptiPlex 7090 SFF 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_7090_SFF_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutDell_Vostro_3690_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout