Dell OptiPlex 980 MT vs. HP ProDesk 600 G3 Microtower

Comparison and Differences

Dell_OptiPlex_980_MT.jpg case front and back pannelHP_ProDesk_600_G3_Microtower.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMini TowerMini Tower
CPU optionsIntel Gen1 i3/i5/i7; Pentium Dual Core;Intel Gen6&7 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
ChipsetQ57 Q270
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GTX 1650GeForce GTX 1650
RAMDIMM DDR3-1060/1333DIMM DDR4-2400
RAM slots44
RAM speed1333 MT/s2400 MT/s
RAM max16 GB64 GB
USB ports(10x)USB-A 2.0; USB-C 3.0; (6x)USB-A 3.0; (4x)USB-A 2.0;
Video portsDisplayPort 1.2; VGA;(2x) DisplayPort:
Other portsRJ45; Hdph; (2x) Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; PS2/COM; Serial; Parallel; eSATARJ45; Headset; Line-Out; Line-In;
Optional portsN.A.DP/HDMI/VGA/USB-C(DP); Serial; SD card reader;
SATA ports45
PCI slotsPCIe 2.0 x16; PCIe 2.0 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; (2x)5.25in;2.5in; (2x) 3.5in; 5.25in; 5.25in (slim);
PSU255 W180/250 W
Weight11.40 kg (25.13 lb)7.35 kg (16.2 lb)
Released20102017
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 980 MT and HP ProDesk 600 G3 Microtower

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the HP ProDesk 600 G3 Microtower which was released in 2017. The Dell OptiPlex 980 MT is older and entered production in 2010.

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 G3 Microtower as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Dell OptiPlex 980 MT 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 G3 Microtower is using the faster 2400 MT/s RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 980 MT is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 1333 MT/s. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the HP ProDesk 600 G3 Microtower as it has the ability to run 64 GB of RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 980 MT can do a bit less at max 16 GB. Most of the times, this should be sufficient for the majority of users.

Ports

In total the HP ProDesk 600 G3 Microtower has 11 USB ports. The Dell OptiPlex 980 MT is inferior in this regard and packs 10 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 HP ProDesk 600 G3 Microtower comes with 2 ports, while the Dell OptiPlex 980 MT has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the HP ProDesk 600 G3 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 G3 Microtower is better equipped as it comes with 5 SATA slot(s), while the Dell OptiPlex 980 MT has 4 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 G3 Microtower. Sadly, the Dell OptiPlex 980 MT 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 600 G3 Microtower comes with a decent 250 Watt PSU, but the Dell OptiPlex 980 MT has a more powerful one rated at 255 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

Dell_OptiPlex_980_MT_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutHP_ProDesk_600_G3_Microtower_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout