Dell OptiPlex 7040 SFF vs. HP ProDesk 400 G6 SFF

Comparison and Differences

Dell_OptiPlex_7040_SFF.jpg case front and back pannelHP_ProDesk_400_G6_SFF.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorSmallSmall
CPU optionsIntel Gen6 i3/i5/i7Intel Gen8&9 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
ChipsetQ170B360
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GT 1030 Low ProfileGeForce GT 1030 Low Profile
RAMDIMM DDR4-2133 DIMM DDR4-2666
RAM slots42
RAM speed2133 MT/s2666 MT/s
RAM max64 GB64 GB
USB ports(6x) USB-A 3.0; (4x) USB-A 2.0; (4x)USB-A 3.0; (4x)USB-A 2.0;
Video ports(2x) Display Port 1.2; HDMI 1.4;DisplayPort; VGA;
Other portsSerial; (2x) PS2; RJ45; Headset; Line-Out; RJ45; Headset; Line-In; Line-Out;
Optional portsVGA; Media Card Reader;SD card reader; Serial; Serial and (2x) PS2; DP/HDMI/VGA/USB-C;
SATA ports32
PCI slotsPCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x4;PCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x1 ;
M.2 slotsM.2 2280 M-key (PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe) M.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe x4); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT)
Drive bays3.5in/(2x)2.5in; 5.25in (slim); (2x) 2.5/3.5in; 5.25in (slim);
PSU180 W180 W
Weight6.00 kg (13.22 lb)4.6 kg (10.14 lb)
Released20152019
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 OptiPlex 7040 SFF and HP ProDesk 400 G6 SFF

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the HP ProDesk 400 G6 SFF which was released in 2019. The Dell OptiPlex 7040 SFF 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 ProDesk 400 G6 SFF as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Dell OptiPlex 7040 SFF is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

The Dell OptiPlex 7040 SFF has 4 RAM slots while the HP ProDesk 400 G6 SFF 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 ProDesk 400 G6 SFF is using the faster 2666 MT/s RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 7040 SFF 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

In total the Dell OptiPlex 7040 SFF has 10 USB ports. The HP ProDesk 400 G6 SFF 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. 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 Dell OptiPlex 7040 SFF comes with 2 ports, while the HP ProDesk 400 G6 SFF has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the Dell OptiPlex 7040 SFF is the better choice.

The Dell OptiPlex 7040 SFF comes with an HDMI port, while the HP ProDesk 400 G6 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 Dell OptiPlex 7040 SFF is better equipped as it comes with 3 SATA slot(s), while the HP ProDesk 400 G6 SFF has 2 slot(s).

When your goal is to have the fastest SSD transfer speeds, an M.2 interface is crucial. Thus, it is good that both models have M.2 SSD slots. Today M.2 SSDs are not much more expensive than the average SATA drives, so it really does not make sense to invest in SATA drives anymore.

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

Looking at the Power Supply Unit (PSU) of the two models we don't see any differences. For either of them you get a maximum power of 180 Watts. However be careful, many models have more than one power supply option. When buying your computer, it is a good idea to get a version with the most powerful PSU. This will potentially allow you to upgrade to a more powerful GPU for example.

Motherboard

Dell_OptiPlex_7040_SFF_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutHP_ProDesk_400_G6_SFF_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout