Dell XPS 8900 vs. HP EliteDesk 800 G4 Mini

Comparison and Differences

Dell_XPS_8900.jpg case front and back pannelHP_EliteDesk_800_G4_Mini.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMini TowerMicro
CPU optionsIntel Gen6 i3/i5/i7;Intel Gen8 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
ChipsetZ170Q370
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GTX 1080 TiN.A.
RAMDIMM DDR4-2133/2400 SODIMM DDR4-2666
RAM slots42
RAM speed2133 MT/s2666 MT/s
RAM max64 GB32 GB
USB ports(4x) USB-A 2.0; (6x) USB 3.0;USB-C 3.1; (3x)USB-A 3.1; (3x)USB-A 3.0;
Video portsHDMI 1.4; DisplayPort 1.2;(2x) DisplayPort;
Other portsRJ45; Mic; Headset; Card Reader;RJ45; Hdph; Headset;
Optional portsN.A.DP/HDMI/VGA/USB-C(DP)/Serial/Thunderbolt/Fiber NIC; WiFi antenna;
SATA ports51
PCI slotsPCIe 3.0 x16; (x2) PCIe x4;N.A.
M.2 slotsM.2 2230 (WiFi/BT)(2x) M.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe x4); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT);
Drive bays(3x) 3.5in; (2x) 5.25in;2.5in;
PSU460 W65/90/150 W
Weight13.3 kg (29.32 lb)1.05 kg (2.31 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 EliteDesk 800 G4 Mini

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the HP EliteDesk 800 G4 Mini 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 EliteDesk 800 G4 Mini 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 EliteDesk 800 G4 Mini 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

The Dell XPS 8900 has 4 RAM slots while the HP EliteDesk 800 G4 Mini 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 HP EliteDesk 800 G4 Mini 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 Dell XPS 8900 as it has the ability to run 64 GB of RAM. The HP EliteDesk 800 G4 Mini 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 Dell XPS 8900 has 10 USB ports. The HP EliteDesk 800 G4 Mini is inferior in this regard and packs 7 USB ports. In any case, if you miss USB ports, you can always purchase a USB hub. What is nice about the HP EliteDesk 800 G4 Mini, is that it has 4 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 EliteDesk 800 G4 Mini comes with 2 ports, while the Dell XPS 8900 has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the HP EliteDesk 800 G4 Mini is the better choice.

The Dell XPS 8900 comes with an HDMI port, while the HP EliteDesk 800 G4 Mini 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 EliteDesk 800 G4 Mini has 1 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 EliteDesk 800 G4 Mini. 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 EliteDesk 800 G4 Mini comes with a decent 150 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_EliteDesk_800_G4_Mini_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout