Acer Veriton L4610g vs. Dell OptiPlex 980 MT

Comparison and Differences

Acer_Veriton_L4610g.jpg case front and back pannelDell_OptiPlex_980_MT.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorUltra SmallMini Tower
CPU optionsIntel Gen2 i3/i5/i7; PentiumIntel Gen1 i3/i5/i7; Pentium Dual Core;
ChipsetH61Q57
Dedicated GPU *N.A.GeForce GTX 1650
RAMSODIMM DDR3-1333DIMM DDR3-1060/1333
RAM slots24
RAM speed1333 MT/s1333 MT/s
RAM max8 GB16 GB
USB ports(8x) USB-A 2.0(10x)USB-A 2.0;
Video portsDVI; VGADisplayPort 1.2; VGA;
Other portsRJ45; (2x) Mic, Speaker; Line in; Line outRJ45; Hdph; (2x) Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; PS2/COM; Serial; Parallel; eSATA
Optional portsParallel; Serial; eSATAN.A.
SATA ports14
PCI slotsMini PCIe 2.0PCIe 2.0 x16; PCIe 2.0 x4;
M.2 slotsN.A.N.A.
Drive bays2.5/3.5in; 5.25 inch slim(2x)3.5in; (2x)5.25in;
PSU135 W255 W
Weight1.50 kg (3.31 lb)11.40 kg (25.13 lb)
Released20122010
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 Acer Veriton L4610g and Dell OptiPlex 980 MT

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Acer Veriton L4610g which was released in 2012. The Dell OptiPlex 980 MT is older and entered production in 2010.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Acer Veriton L4610g is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Dell OptiPlex 980 MT and will fit more easily under your desk.

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 Acer Veriton L4610g 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

The Dell OptiPlex 980 MT has 4 RAM slots while the Acer Veriton L4610g 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.

None of the desktops has an advantage when it comes to the speed of the RAM being used. Both models support RAM speeds of up to 1333. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Dell OptiPlex 980 MT as it has the ability to run 16 GB of RAM. The Acer Veriton L4610g can do a bit less at max 8 GB. Most of the times, this should be sufficient for the majority of users.

Ports

In total the Dell OptiPlex 980 MT has 10 USB ports. The Acer Veriton L4610g 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.

Unfortunately, only the Dell OptiPlex 980 MT has a DisplayPort. The Acer Veriton L4610g 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 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 980 MT is better equipped as it comes with 4 SATA slot(s), while the Acer Veriton L4610g has 1 slot(s).

M.2 SSD interface allows you to transfer data with higher speeds compared to the old SATA interface. Unfortunately, neither the Dell OptiPlex 980 MT, nor the Acer Veriton L4610g 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 Acer Veriton L4610g comes with a decent 135 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

Acer_Veriton_L4610g_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutDell_OptiPlex_980_MT_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout