Dell OptiPlex 3010 MT vs. Dell Vostro 3900

Comparison and Differences

Dell_OptiPlex_3010_MT.jpg case front and back pannelDell_Vostro_3900.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMini TowerMini Tower
CPU optionsIntel Gen2&3 i3/i5; Celeron; Pentium;Intel Gen4 i3/i5/i7; Pentium; Celeron;
ChipsetH61H81
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GTX 1650 SuperGeForce GTX 1660 Super
RAMDIMM DDR3-1333/1600 DIMM DDR3-1600
RAM slots22
RAM speed1600 MT/s1600 MT/s
RAM max8 GB16 GB
USB ports(8x)USB-A 2.0; (6x)USB-A 2.0; (2x)USB-A 3.0;
Video portsHDMI 1.2; VGA;HDMI 1.2; VGA;
Other portsRJ45; Hdph; (2x) Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; RJ45; Hdph; (2x) Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; PS2
Optional portsN.A.N/A
SATA ports44
PCI slotsPCIe 2.0 x16; (3x) PCIe 2.0 x1;PCIe 2.0 x16; (2x) PCIe 2.0 x1; PCI
M.2 slotsN.A.N.A.
Drive bays(2x) 3.5in/2.5in; (2x) 5.25in;3.5in; 5.25in;
PSUATX 265 W300 W
Weight8.87 kg (19.55 lb)8.50 kg (18.73 lbs)
Released20122014
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 3010 MT and Dell Vostro 3900

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Dell Vostro 3900 which was released in 2014. The Dell OptiPlex 3010 MT is older and entered production in 2012.

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 3 generation of Intel Processors have enough power to execute all of the home and office tasks that most people will care to do.

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.

None of the desktops has an advantage when it comes to the speed of the RAM being used. Both models support RAM speeds of up to 1600. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Dell Vostro 3900 as it has the ability to run 16 GB of RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 3010 MT can do a bit less at max 8 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.

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

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 4 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 3010 MT, nor the Dell Vostro 3900 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 OptiPlex 3010 MT comes with a decent 265 Watt PSU, but the Dell Vostro 3900 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_3010_MT_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutDell_Vostro_3900_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout