Dell Vostro 3888 vs. HP EliteDesk 800 G3 Tower

Comparison and Differences

Dell_Vostro_3888.jpg case front and back pannelHP_EliteDesk_800_G3_Tower.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMini TowerMini Tower
CPU optionsIntel Gen10 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;Intel Gen6&7 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
ChipsetB460Q270
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GTX 1660 SuperGeForce GTX 1660 Super
RAMDIMM DDR4-2666/2933DIMM DDR4-2400
RAM slots24
RAM speed2933 MT/s2400 MT/s
RAM max64 GB64 GB
USB ports(4x) USB-A 3.0; (4x) USB-A 2.0;USB-C 3.0; (6x)USB-A 3.0; (4x)USB-A 2.0;
Video portsHDMI 1.4b; VGA;(2x) DisplayPort;
Other portsRJ45; Headset; Mic; Line-Out;RJ45; Hdph; Headset; Line-Out; Line-In;
Optional portsSD card readerDP/HDMI/VGA/USB-C(DP); Serial; SD card reader;
SATA ports25
PCI slotsPCIe 3.0 x16; (2x) PCIe 3.0 x1;PCIe 3.0 x16; (2x) PCIe 3.0 x1; PCIe 3.0 x16 (wired x4);
M.2 slotsM.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT); M.2 2280 M-key (PCIe x4); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT);
Drive bays3.5in; 9.5mm2.5in; (2x) 3.5in; 5.25in; 5.25in (slim);
PSU260 W250/500 W
Weight6.03 kg (13.28 lbs)9.8 kg (21.7 lb)
Released20202017
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 3888 and HP EliteDesk 800 G3 Tower

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Dell Vostro 3888 which was released in 2020. The HP EliteDesk 800 G3 Tower is older and entered production in 2017.

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 3888 as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that HP EliteDesk 800 G3 Tower is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

The HP EliteDesk 800 G3 Tower has 4 RAM slots while the Dell Vostro 3888 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 3888 is using the faster 2933 MT/s RAM. The HP EliteDesk 800 G3 Tower is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 2400 MT/s. In addition, you will be able to install the same amount of RAM in both models, and most probably 64 GB of RAM will be enough for most people. However, if you will be needing more RAM, make sure to check other desktop models too.

Ports

In total the HP EliteDesk 800 G3 Tower has 10 USB ports. The Dell Vostro 3888 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 HP EliteDesk 800 G3 Tower has a DisplayPort. The Dell Vostro 3888 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 3888 comes with an HDMI port, while the HP EliteDesk 800 G3 Tower 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 EliteDesk 800 G3 Tower is better equipped as it comes with 5 SATA slot(s), while the Dell Vostro 3888 has 2 slot(s).

When your goal is to have the fastest SSD transfer speeds, an M.2 interface is crucial. Thus, it is good that both models have M.2 SSD slots. Today M.2 SSDs are not much more expensive than the average SATA drives, so it really does not make sense to invest in SATA drives anymore.

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 3888 comes with a decent 260 Watt PSU, but the HP EliteDesk 800 G3 Tower has a more powerful one rated at 500 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_3888_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutHP_EliteDesk_800_G3_Tower_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout