HP ProDesk 600 G3 Mini vs. HP ProDesk 600 G5 Mini

Comparison and Differences

HP_ProDesk_600_G3_Mini.jpg case front and back pannelHP_ProDesk_600_G5_Mini.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMicroMicro
CPU optionsIntel Gen6&7 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;Intel Gen8&9 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
ChipsetQ270Q370
Dedicated GPU *N.A.N.A.
RAMSODIMM DDR4-2400SODIMM DDR4-2666
RAM slots22
RAM speed2400 MT/s2666 MT/s
RAM max32 GB64 GB
USB portsUSB-C 3.0; (6x)USB-A 3.0;USB-C 3.1; (3x)USB-A 3.1; (3x)USB-A 3.0;
Video ports(2x) DisplayPort:(2x) DisplayPort:
Other portsRJ45; Headset; Hdph;RJ45; Headset; Hdph;
Optional portsDP/HDMI/VGA/USB-C(DP)/Serial; WiFi antenna; DP1.2/HDMI2.0/VGA/USB-C(DP)/Serial; WiFi antenna;
SATA ports11
PCI slotsN.A.N.A.
M.2 slotsM.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe x4); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT);(2x) M.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe x4); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT);
Drive bays2.5in;2.5in;
PSU65/90 W65 W
Weight1.21 kg (2.67 lb)1.24 kg (2.74 lb)
Released20172018
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 600 G3 Mini and HP ProDesk 600 G5 Mini

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the HP ProDesk 600 G5 Mini which was released in 2018. The HP ProDesk 600 G3 Mini is older and entered production in 2017.

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 Mini as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that HP ProDesk 600 G3 Mini is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

Both models have have equal amount of ram slots (2 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 Mini is using the faster 2666 MT/s RAM. The HP ProDesk 600 G3 Mini is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 2400 MT/s. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the HP ProDesk 600 G5 Mini as it has the ability to run 64 GB of RAM. The HP ProDesk 600 G3 Mini 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 7. If this is not enough, using a USB hub is always a viable option. What is nice about the HP ProDesk 600 G5 Mini, is that it has 4 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the HP ProDesk 600 G3 Mini 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.

The DisplayPort is usually the more popular video port used with desktops and laptops, while the HDMI is used predominantly in consumer electronics. That's why, it is good to see that both of the models come with a DisplayPort.

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 1 SATA slot(s). Keep in mind that having too few SATA slots might limit your options for connecting additional memory drives.

An M.2 SSD can be several times faster than a SATA one. Thus, we are happy to see that both models support the M.2 interface. However, the HP ProDesk 600 G5 Mini has 1 M.2 slots while the HP ProDesk 600 G3 Mini comes with just 1.

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 G5 Mini comes with a decent 65 Watt PSU, but the HP ProDesk 600 G3 Mini has a more powerful one rated at 90 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_600_G3_Mini_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutHP_ProDesk_600_G5_Mini_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout