Dell Inspiron 3881 vs. HP EliteDesk 800 G1 SFF

Comparison and Differences

Dell_Inspiron_3881.jpg case front and back pannelHP_EliteDesk_800_G1_SFF.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMini TowerSmall
CPU optionsIntel Gen10 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;Intel Gen4 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
ChipsetH470Q87
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GTX 1650 SuperGeForce GTX 1650 Low Profile
RAMDIMM DDR4-2666/2933DIMM DDR3-1600
RAM slots24
RAM speed2933 MT/s1600 MT/s
RAM max64 GB32 GB
USB ports(3x) USB 3.0 Type A; USB 3.1 Type C; (4x) USB-A 2.0;(4x)USB-A 3.0; (6x)USB-A 2.0;
Video portsHDMI 1.4; DisplayPort 1.4; VGA;(2x) DisplayPort 1.2; VGA;
Other portsRJ45; Headset; Line-Out; Card Reader;Serial; (2x) PS2; RJ45; Hdph; Mic; Line-Out; Line-In;
Optional portsN.A.Media card reader (USB 3.0); Serial; Parallel;
SATA ports23
PCI slotsPCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x1;PCIe 3.0 x16; (2x) PCIe 2.0 x1; PCIe 2.0 x16 (wired x4);
M.2 slotsM.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT); N.A.
Drive bays3.25in; 9.5mm2.5in; (2x) 3.5in; 5.25in; 5.25in (slim)
PSU260 W320 W
Weight6.40 kg (14.11 lb)7.6 kg (16.75 lb)
Released20202013
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 Inspiron 3881 and HP EliteDesk 800 G1 SFF

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Dell Inspiron 3881 which was released in 2020. The HP EliteDesk 800 G1 SFF is older and entered production in 2013.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the HP EliteDesk 800 G1 SFF is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Dell Inspiron 3881 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 Dell Inspiron 3881 as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that HP EliteDesk 800 G1 SFF is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

The HP EliteDesk 800 G1 SFF has 4 RAM slots while the Dell Inspiron 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 Inspiron 3881 is using the faster 2933 MT/s RAM. The HP EliteDesk 800 G1 SFF is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 1600 MT/s. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Dell Inspiron 3881 as it has the ability to run 64 GB of RAM. The HP EliteDesk 800 G1 SFF can do a bit less at max 32 GB. Most of the times, this should be sufficient for the majority of users.

Ports

In total the HP EliteDesk 800 G1 SFF has 10 USB ports. The Dell Inspiron 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. What is nice about the Dell Inspiron 3881, is that it has 1 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the HP EliteDesk 800 G1 SFF 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 EliteDesk 800 G1 SFF comes with 2 ports, while the Dell Inspiron 3881 has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the HP EliteDesk 800 G1 SFF is the better choice.

The Dell Inspiron 3881 comes with an HDMI port, while the HP EliteDesk 800 G1 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 HP EliteDesk 800 G1 SFF is better equipped as it comes with 3 SATA slot(s), while the Dell Inspiron 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 Inspiron 3881. Sadly, the HP EliteDesk 800 G1 SFF 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 Inspiron 3881 comes with a decent 260 Watt PSU, but the HP EliteDesk 800 G1 SFF has a more powerful one rated at 320 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_Inspiron_3881_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutHP_EliteDesk_800_G1_SFF_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout