Dell XPS 8900 vs. HP EliteDesk 800 G3 Tower

Comparison and Differences

Dell_XPS_8900.jpg case front and back pannelHP_EliteDesk_800_G3_Tower.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMini TowerMini Tower
CPU optionsIntel Gen6 i3/i5/i7;Intel Gen6&7 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
ChipsetZ170Q270
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GTX 1080 TiGeForce GTX 1660 Super
RAMDIMM DDR4-2133/2400 DIMM DDR4-2400
RAM slots44
RAM speed2133 MT/s2400 MT/s
RAM max64 GB64 GB
USB ports(4x) USB-A 2.0; (6x) USB 3.0;USB-C 3.0; (6x)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; Hdph; Headset; Line-Out; Line-In;
Optional portsN.A.DP/HDMI/VGA/USB-C(DP); Serial; SD card reader;
SATA ports55
PCI slotsPCIe 3.0 x16; (x2) PCIe x4;PCIe 3.0 x16; (2x) PCIe 3.0 x1; PCIe 3.0 x16 (wired x4);
M.2 slotsM.2 2230 (WiFi/BT)M.2 2280 M-key (PCIe x4); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT);
Drive bays(3x) 3.5in; (2x) 5.25in;2.5in; (2x) 3.5in; 5.25in; 5.25in (slim);
PSU460 W250/500 W
Weight13.3 kg (29.32 lb)9.8 kg (21.7 lb)
Released20152017
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 EliteDesk 800 G3 Tower

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the HP EliteDesk 800 G3 Tower which was released in 2017. The Dell XPS 8900 is older and entered production in 2015.

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 HP EliteDesk 800 G3 Tower 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 EliteDesk 800 G3 Tower is using the faster 2400 MT/s RAM. The Dell XPS 8900 is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 2133 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

Both models have the same amount of USB ports for total count of 10. 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.

DisplayPort is crucial for any desktop machine. It is good to see that both models are featuring DisplayPorts. However, the HP EliteDesk 800 G3 Tower comes with 2 ports, while the Dell XPS 8900 has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the HP EliteDesk 800 G3 Tower is the better choice.

The Dell XPS 8900 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 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 5 SATA slot(s). Keep in mind that having too few SATA slots might limit your options for connecting additional memory drives.

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 EliteDesk 800 G3 Tower. 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 Dell XPS 8900 comes with a decent 460 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_XPS_8900_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutHP_EliteDesk_800_G3_Tower_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout