Acer Veriton S2680g vs. Dell OptiPlex 9020 MT
Comparison and Differences
Differences between Acer Veriton S2680g and Dell OptiPlex 9020 MT
If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Acer Veriton S2680g which was released in 2021. The Dell OptiPlex 9020 MT is older and entered production in 2013.
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 Acer Veriton S2680g as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Dell OptiPlex 9020 MT is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.
Memory
The Dell OptiPlex 9020 MT has 4 RAM slots while the Acer Veriton S2680g 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 Acer Veriton S2680g is using the faster 2933 MT/s RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 9020 MT 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 Acer Veriton S2680g as it has the ability to run 64 GB of RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 9020 MT can do a bit less at max 32 GB. Most of the times, this should be sufficient for the majority of users.
Ports
In total the Dell OptiPlex 9020 MT has 10 USB ports. The Acer Veriton S2680g 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 Acer Veriton S2680g, is that it has 2 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the Dell OptiPlex 9020 MT 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 Dell OptiPlex 9020 MT comes with 2 ports, while the Acer Veriton S2680g has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the Dell OptiPlex 9020 MT is the better choice.
The Acer Veriton S2680g comes with an HDMI port, while the Dell OptiPlex 9020 MT does not support the interface. Of course missing HDMI port is something that can be easily fixed with a good adapter (e.g. DisplayPort to HDMI).
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 4 SATA slot(s). Keep in mind that having too few SATA slots might limit your options for connecting additional memory drives.
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 Acer Veriton S2680g. Sadly, the Dell OptiPlex 9020 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 Dell OptiPlex 9020 MT comes with a decent 290 Watt PSU, but the Acer Veriton S2680g has a more powerful one rated at 300 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
