HP ProDesk 480 G4 Microtower vs. HP ProDesk 490 G2 Microtower

Comparison and Differences

HP_ProDesk_480_G4_Microtower.jpg case front and back pannelHP_ProDesk_490_G2_Microtower.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMini TowerMini Tower
CPU optionsIntel Gen6&7 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;Intel Gen4 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
ChipsetH270 H81
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GTX 1660 SuperGeForce GTX 1660 Super
RAMDIMM DDR4-2400DIMM DDR3-1600
RAM slots24
RAM speed2400 MT/s1600 MT/s
RAM max64 GB32 GB
USB ports(4x)USB-A 3.0; (4x)USB-A 2.0; (4x)USB-A 3.0; (4x)USB-A 2.0;
Video portsDisplayPort; VGA;VGA; DVI-D;
Other portsRJ45; Headset; Line-In; Line-Out;RJ45; Hdph; Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Serial; (2x) PS2;
Optional portsSD card reader; Serial and (2x) PS2;SD card reader; Serial; Parallel; DisplayPort
SATA ports33
PCI slotsPCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x16 (wired x4); PCI; PCIe x16; (2x) PCIe x1; PCIe x16 (wired x4);
M.2 slotsM.2 2230 (WiFi/BT)N.A.
Drive bays2.5/3.5in; 3.5in; 5.25in (slim)(2x) 3.5in; 5.25in (slim)
PSU180/310 W180/300 W
Weight5.47 kg (12.06 lb)6.5 kg (14.3 lb)
Released20172014
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 ProDesk 480 G4 Microtower and HP ProDesk 490 G2 Microtower

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the HP ProDesk 480 G4 Microtower which was released in 2017. The HP ProDesk 490 G2 Microtower is older and entered production in 2014.

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 480 G4 Microtower as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that HP ProDesk 490 G2 Microtower is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

The HP ProDesk 490 G2 Microtower has 4 RAM slots while the HP ProDesk 480 G4 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 ProDesk 480 G4 Microtower is using the faster 2400 MT/s RAM. The HP ProDesk 490 G2 Microtower is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 1600 MT/s. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the HP ProDesk 480 G4 Microtower as it has the ability to run 64 GB of RAM. The HP ProDesk 490 G2 Microtower can do a bit less at max 32 GB. Most of the times, this should be sufficient for the majority of users.

Ports

Both models have the same amount of USB ports for total count of 8. 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.

Unfortunately, only the HP ProDesk 480 G4 Microtower has a DisplayPort. The HP ProDesk 490 G2 Microtower does not have one? Don't worry though, nowadays video adapters are cheap and you can get almost any combination of conversion types.

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.

M.2 SSD interface allows you to transfer data with higher speeds compared to the old SATA interface. Unfortunately, neither the HP ProDesk 480 G4 Microtower, nor the HP ProDesk 490 G2 Microtower has one. However, you can still use a SATA SSD drive which should give you satisfactory performance.

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 ProDesk 490 G2 Microtower comes with a decent 300 Watt PSU, but the HP ProDesk 480 G4 Microtower has a more powerful one rated at 310 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_ProDesk_480_G4_Microtower_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutHP_ProDesk_490_G2_Microtower_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout