Dell OptiPlex 980 MT vs. Dell Vostro 3881

Comparison and Differences

Dell_OptiPlex_980_MT.jpg case front and back pannelDell_Vostro_3881.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMini TowerMini Tower
CPU optionsIntel Gen1 i3/i5/i7; Pentium Dual Core;Intel Gen10 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
ChipsetQ57 B460
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GTX 1650GeForce GTX 1660 Super
RAMDIMM DDR3-1060/1333DIMM DDR4-2666/2933
RAM slots42
RAM speed1333 MT/s2933 MT/s
RAM max16 GB64 GB
USB ports(10x)USB-A 2.0; (4x) USB-A 3.0; (4x) USB-A 2.0;
Video portsDisplayPort 1.2; VGA;HDMI 1.4b; VGA;
Other portsRJ45; Hdph; (2x) Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; PS2/COM; Serial; Parallel; eSATARJ45; Headset; Mic; Line-Out; Card Reader;
Optional portsN.A.N.A.
SATA ports42
PCI slotsPCIe 2.0 x16; PCIe 2.0 x4;PCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x1;
M.2 slotsN.A.M.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT);
Drive bays(2x)3.5in; (2x)5.25in;3.5in; 9.5mm
PSU255 W260 W
Weight11.40 kg (25.13 lb)6.02 kg (13.27 lbs)
Released20102020
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 980 MT and Dell Vostro 3881

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Dell Vostro 3881 which was released in 2020. The Dell OptiPlex 980 MT is older and entered production in 2010.

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

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 3881 as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Dell OptiPlex 980 MT is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

The Dell OptiPlex 980 MT has 4 RAM slots while the Dell Vostro 3881 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 Vostro 3881 is using the faster 2933 MT/s RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 980 MT 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 3881 as it has the ability to run 64 GB of RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 980 MT 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 980 MT has 10 USB ports. The Dell Vostro 3881 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. 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 980 MT has a DisplayPort. The Dell Vostro 3881 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 3881 comes with an HDMI port, while the Dell OptiPlex 980 MT 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 980 MT is better equipped as it comes with 4 SATA slot(s), while the Dell Vostro 3881 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 3881. Sadly, the Dell OptiPlex 980 MT 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 OptiPlex 980 MT comes with a decent 255 Watt PSU, but the Dell Vostro 3881 has a more powerful one rated at 260 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_980_MT_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutDell_Vostro_3881_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout