HP EliteDesk 800 G3 Mini vs. HP EliteDesk 800 G8 Mini

Comparison and Differences

HP_EliteDesk_800_G3_Mini.jpg case front and back pannelHP_EliteDesk_800_G8_Mini.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMicroMicro
CPU optionsIntel Gen6&7 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;Intel Gen11 i5/i7/i9;
ChipsetQ270Q570
Dedicated GPU *N.A.NVIDIA GTX 1660 Ti (custom)
RAMSODIMM DDR4-2400SODIMM DDR4-3200
RAM slots22
RAM speed2400 MT/s3200 MT/s
RAM max32 GB128 GB
USB portsUSB-C 3.0; (6x)USB-A 3.0;USB-C 3.2; (3x)USB-A 3.1; (3x)USB-A 3.0; (3x)USB-A 2.0;
Video ports(2x) DisplayPort;(2x) DisplayPort;
Other portsRJ45; Hdph; Headset;RJ45; Hdph; Headset; Line-Out; SD card reader
Optional portsDP/HDMI/VGA/USB-C(DP)/Serial; WiFi antenna; DP1.4/ HDMI2.0b/ VGA/ USB-C(DP1.4)/ (2x)USB-A 3.0/ LAN/ Thunderbolt3; Serial; PS2;
SATA ports10
PCI slotsN.A.N.A.
M.2 slotsM.2 2280 M-key (PCIe x4); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT);M.2 2280 M-key (PCIe 3.0 x4); M.2 2280M-key (PCIe 4.0 x4); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT);
Drive bays2.5in;2.5in; (2x) 3.5in; 9.5mm (slim);
PSU65/90/120 W90 W
Weight1.21 kg (2.67 lb)1.42 kg (3.13 lb)
Released20172021
Manuallinklink
Price**Check PriceCheck Price

** As an Amazon associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
* 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 HP EliteDesk 800 G3 Mini and HP EliteDesk 800 G8 Mini

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the HP EliteDesk 800 G8 Mini which was released in 2021. The HP EliteDesk 800 G3 Mini is older and entered production in 2017.

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 G8 Mini as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that HP EliteDesk 800 G3 Mini is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

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.

The HP EliteDesk 800 G8 Mini is using the faster 3200 MT/s RAM. The HP EliteDesk 800 G3 Mini is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 2400 MT/s. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the HP EliteDesk 800 G8 Mini as it has the ability to run 128 GB of RAM. The HP EliteDesk 800 G3 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 HP EliteDesk 800 G8 Mini has 10 USB ports. The HP EliteDesk 800 G3 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 G8 Mini, is that it has 3 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the HP EliteDesk 800 G3 Mini 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.

The DisplayPort is usually the more popular video port used with desktops and laptops, while the HDMI is used predominantly in consumer electronics. That's why, it is good to see that both of the models come with a DisplayPort.

None of the models has an HDMI port. If your monitor supports only the HDMI interface, you will need to buy an adapter. Such adapters are cheap so nothing to worry about.

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 G3 Mini is better equipped as it comes with 1 SATA slot(s), while the HP EliteDesk 800 G8 Mini has 0 slot(s).

An M.2 SSD can be several times faster than a SATA one. Thus, we are happy to see that both models support the M.2 interface. However, the HP EliteDesk 800 G8 Mini has 1 M.2 slots while the HP EliteDesk 800 G3 Mini comes with just 1.

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 G8 Mini comes with a decent 90 Watt PSU, but the HP EliteDesk 800 G3 Mini has a more powerful one rated at 120 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

HP_EliteDesk_800_G3_Mini_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutHP_EliteDesk_800_G8_Mini_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout