Dell XPS 8900 vs. HP ProDesk 600 G5 SFF

Comparison and Differences

Dell_XPS_8900.jpg case front and back pannelHP_ProDesk_600_G5_SFF.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMini TowerSmall
CPU optionsIntel Gen6 i3/i5/i7;Intel Gen8&9 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
ChipsetZ170Q370
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GTX 1080 TiGeForce GT 1030 Low Profile
RAMDIMM DDR4-2133/2400 DIMM DDR4-2666
RAM slots44
RAM speed2133 MT/s2666 MT/s
RAM max64 GB128 GB
USB ports(4x) USB-A 2.0; (6x) USB 3.0;USB-C 3.1; (4x)USB-A 3.1; (2x)USB-A 3.0; (4x)USB-A 2.0;
Video portsHDMI 1.4; DisplayPort 1.2;(2x) DisplayPort:
Other portsRJ45; Mic; Headset; Card Reader;RJ45; Headset; Line-Out; Line-In;
Optional portsN.A.DP1.2/HDMI2.0/VGA/USB-C(DP); Serial; SD card reader;
SATA ports53
PCI slotsPCIe 3.0 x16; (x2) PCIe x4;PCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe x4 (open ended);
M.2 slotsM.2 2230 (WiFi/BT)M.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe x4); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT);
Drive bays(3x) 3.5in; (2x) 5.25in;(2x)2.5in/3.5in; 5.25in (slim);
PSU460 W180 W
Weight13.3 kg (29.32 lb)4.54 kg (10.01 lb)
Released20152018
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 XPS 8900 and HP ProDesk 600 G5 SFF

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the HP ProDesk 600 G5 SFF which was released in 2018. The Dell XPS 8900 is older and entered production in 2015.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the HP ProDesk 600 G5 SFF is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Dell XPS 8900 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 HP ProDesk 600 G5 SFF as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Dell XPS 8900 is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

Both models have have equal amount of ram slots (4 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 HP ProDesk 600 G5 SFF is using the faster 2666 MT/s RAM. The Dell XPS 8900 is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 2133 MT/s. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the HP ProDesk 600 G5 SFF as it has the ability to run 128 GB of RAM. The Dell XPS 8900 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 HP ProDesk 600 G5 SFF has 11 USB ports. The Dell XPS 8900 is inferior in this regard and packs 10 USB ports. In any case, if you miss USB ports, you can always purchase a USB hub. What is nice about the HP ProDesk 600 G5 SFF, is that it has 5 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the Dell XPS 8900 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.

DisplayPort is crucial for any desktop machine. It is good to see that both models are featuring DisplayPorts. However, the HP ProDesk 600 G5 SFF comes with 2 ports, while the Dell XPS 8900 has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the HP ProDesk 600 G5 SFF is the better choice.

The Dell XPS 8900 comes with an HDMI port, while the HP ProDesk 600 G5 SFF 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 XPS 8900 is better equipped as it comes with 5 SATA slot(s), while the HP ProDesk 600 G5 SFF has 3 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 HP ProDesk 600 G5 SFF. Sadly, the Dell XPS 8900 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 HP ProDesk 600 G5 SFF comes with a decent 180 Watt PSU, but the Dell XPS 8900 has a more powerful one rated at 460 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_XPS_8900_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutHP_ProDesk_600_G5_SFF_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout