www.hardware-corner.

net
/compare/Dell-OptiPlex-3040-SFF_vs_Dell-OptiPlex-5050-SFF/

Dell OptiPlex 3040 SFF vs. Dell OptiPlex 5050 SFF

Comparison and Differences

Model Dell OptiPlex 3040 SFF Dell OptiPlex 5050 SFF

Form factor Small Small

1/4
 CPU options Intel Gen6 i3/i5; Pentium; Celeron; Intel Gen6&7 i3/i5/i7; Pentium;
Chipset H110 Q270
Dedicated GPU
GeForce GT 1030 Low Profile GeForce GT 1030 Low Profile
*
RAM DIMM DDR3L-1600 DIMM DDR4-2133/2400
RAM slots 2 4
RAM speed 1600 MT/s 2400 MT/s
RAM max 16 GB 64 GB
USB ports (4x) USB-A 3.0; (4x) USB-A 2.0; (6x) USB-A 3.0; (4x) USB-A 2.0;
Video ports Display Port 1.2; HDMI 1.4; (2x) Display Port 1.2; HDMI 1.4;
Serial; (2x) PS2; RJ45; Headset; Line-
Other ports RJ45; Headset; Line-Out;
Out;
Serial+PS2; VGA; Media Card
Optional ports VGA; Media Card Reader;
Reader;
SATA ports 2 3
PCI slots PCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x1; PCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x4;
M.2 2280/2242 M-key (PCIe 3.0 x4,
M.2 slots N.A.
NVMe)
Drive bays 3.5in/2.5in; 5.25in (slim); 3.5in/(2x)2.5in; 5.25in (slim);
PSU 180 W 180 W
Weight 6.1 kg (13.45 lb) 5.26 kg (11.57 lb)
Released 2015 2017
Manual link link
Price** Check Price Check 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 Dell OptiPlex 3040 SFF and Dell OptiPlex

5050 SFF
If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Dell OptiPlex 5050 SFF which
was released in 2017. The Dell OptiPlex 3040 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 Dell OptiPlex 5050 SFF as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is
not to say that Dell OptiPlex 3040 SFF is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older
generation.

Memory

2/4
The Dell OptiPlex 5050 SFF has 4 RAM slots while the Dell OptiPlex 3040 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 Dell OptiPlex 5050 SFF is using the faster 2400 MT/s RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 3040 SFF 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 Dell OptiPlex 5050 SFF as it has the ability to run 64 GB of RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 3040 SFF 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 Dell OptiPlex 5050 SFF has 10 USB ports. The Dell OptiPlex 3040 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 5050 SFF comes with 2 ports, while the Dell OptiPlex 3040 SFF
has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the Dell OptiPlex 5050 SFF is the better choice.

In case your monitor supports HDMI only, you will be happy to hear that both models come with an HDMI
port.

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 5050 SFF is better equipped as it comes with 3 SATA slot(s), while the Dell OptiPlex 3040
SFF has 2 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 Dell OptiPlex 5050 SFF. Sadly, the Dell OptiPlex 3040
SFF 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

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.

Latest models in our database

3/4
Learn how to upgrade your OptiPlex xx20 series for gaming

4/4