HP EliteDesk 800 G4 SFF vs. HP ProDesk 400 G3 Microtower

Comparison and Differences

HP_EliteDesk_800_G4_SFF.jpg case front and back pannelHP_ProDesk_400_G3_Microtower.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorSmallMini Tower
CPU optionsIntel Gen8 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;Intel Gen6 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
ChipsetQ370H110
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GTX 1650 Low ProfileGeForce GTX 1660 Super
RAMDIMM DDR4-2666DIMM DDR4-2133
RAM slots42
RAM speed2666 MT/s2133 MT/s
RAM max64 GB32 GB
USB portsUSB-C 3.1; (4x)USB-A 3.1; (2x)USB-A 3.0; (4x)USB-A 2.0; (4x)USB-A 3.0; (4x)USB-A 2.0;
Video ports(2x) DisplayPort;DisplayPort; VGA;
Other portsRJ45; Hdph; Headset; Line-Out; Line-In;RJ45; Hdph; Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Serial; (2x) PS2;
Optional portsDP/HDMI/VGA/USB-C(DP); Serial; SD card reader;SD card reader; Serial; Parallel;
SATA ports33
PCI slotsPCIe 3.0 x16; (2x) PCIe 3.0 x1; PCIe 3.0 x16 (wired x4);PCIe 3.0 x16; (3x) PCIe x1;
M.2 slots(2x) M.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe x4); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT);N.A.
Drive bays2.5in; (2x) 3.5in; 5.25in (slim);(2x) 3.5in; 5.25in (slim)
PSU250 W180/300 W
Weight6.13 kg (13.51 lb)7.05 kg (15.5 lb)
Released20182015
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 HP EliteDesk 800 G4 SFF and HP ProDesk 400 G3 Microtower

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the HP EliteDesk 800 G4 SFF which was released in 2018. The HP ProDesk 400 G3 Microtower is older and entered production in 2015.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the HP EliteDesk 800 G4 SFF is the right one for you. It is smaller than the HP ProDesk 400 G3 Microtower 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 SFF as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that HP ProDesk 400 G3 Microtower is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

The HP EliteDesk 800 G4 SFF has 4 RAM slots while the HP ProDesk 400 G3 Microtower 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 SFF is using the faster 2666 MT/s RAM. The HP ProDesk 400 G3 Microtower 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 EliteDesk 800 G4 SFF as it has the ability to run 64 GB of RAM. The HP ProDesk 400 G3 Microtower 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 G4 SFF has 11 USB ports. The HP ProDesk 400 G3 Microtower 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 HP EliteDesk 800 G4 SFF, is that it has 5 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the HP ProDesk 400 G3 Microtower 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 SFF comes with 2 ports, while the HP ProDesk 400 G3 Microtower has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the HP EliteDesk 800 G4 SFF is the better choice.

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 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 3 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 G4 SFF. Sadly, the HP ProDesk 400 G3 Microtower 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 SFF comes with a decent 250 Watt PSU, but the HP ProDesk 400 G3 Microtower has a more powerful one rated at 300 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_G4_SFF_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutHP_ProDesk_400_G3_Microtower_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout