HP ProDesk 490 G3 Microtower vs. HP ProDesk 600 G5 Microtower

Comparison and Differences

HP_ProDesk_490_G3_Microtower.jpg case front and back pannelHP_ProDesk_600_G5_Microtower.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMini TowerMini Tower
CPU optionsIntel Gen6 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;Intel Gen8&9 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
ChipsetH110 Q370
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GTX 1660 SuperGeForce GTX 1660 Super
RAMDIMM DDR4-2133DIMM DDR4-2666
RAM slots44
RAM speed2133 MT/s2666 MT/s
RAM max64 GB128 GB
USB ports(6x)USB-A 3.0; (2x)USB-A 2.0; USB-C 3.1; (4x)USB-A 3.1; (2x)USB-A 3.0; (4x)USB-A 2.0;
Video portsDisplayPort; VGA;(2x) DisplayPort:
Other portsRJ45; Hdph; Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Serial; (2x) PS2; RJ45; Headset; Line-Out; Line-In;
Optional portsSD card reader; Serial; Parallel;DP1.2/HDMI2.0/VGA/USB-C(DP); Serial; SD card reader;
SATA ports34
PCI slotsPCIe 3.0 x16; (2x) PCIe x1; PCIe 3.0 x16 (wired x4); PCIe 3.0 x16; (2x) PCIe 3.0 x1; PCIe 3.0 x16 (wired x4);
M.2 slotsN.A.M.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe x4); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT);
Drive bays(2x) 3.5in; 5.25in (slim)(2x) 2.5in; 3.5in; 5.25in; 5.25in (slim)
PSU180/300 W250/400 W
Weight7.05 kg (15.5 lb)7.14 kg (15.74 lb)
Released20152018
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 490 G3 Microtower and HP ProDesk 600 G5 Microtower

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the HP ProDesk 600 G5 Microtower which was released in 2018. The HP ProDesk 490 G3 Microtower 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 600 G5 Microtower as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that HP ProDesk 490 G3 Microtower is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

Both models have have equal amount of ram slots (4 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 ProDesk 600 G5 Microtower is using the faster 2666 MT/s RAM. The HP ProDesk 490 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 ProDesk 600 G5 Microtower as it has the ability to run 128 GB of RAM. The HP ProDesk 490 G3 Microtower can do a bit less at max 64 GB. Most of the times, this should be sufficient for the majority of users.

Ports

In total the HP ProDesk 600 G5 Microtower has 11 USB ports. The HP ProDesk 490 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 ProDesk 600 G5 Microtower, is that it has 5 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the HP ProDesk 490 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 ProDesk 600 G5 Microtower comes with 2 ports, while the HP ProDesk 490 G3 Microtower has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the HP ProDesk 600 G5 Microtower 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 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 ProDesk 600 G5 Microtower is better equipped as it comes with 4 SATA slot(s), while the HP ProDesk 490 G3 Microtower has 3 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 ProDesk 600 G5 Microtower. Sadly, the HP ProDesk 490 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 ProDesk 490 G3 Microtower comes with a decent 300 Watt PSU, but the HP ProDesk 600 G5 Microtower has a more powerful one rated at 400 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_490_G3_Microtower_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutHP_ProDesk_600_G5_Microtower_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout