Acer Veriton X4630g vs. HP ProDesk 400 G3 Mini
Comparison and Differences
Differences between Acer Veriton X4630g and HP ProDesk 400 G3 Mini
If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the HP ProDesk 400 G3 Mini which was released in 2016. The Acer Veriton X4630g is older and entered production in 2013.
If you are looking for the smaller form factor the HP ProDesk 400 G3 Mini is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Acer Veriton X4630g 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 HP ProDesk 400 G3 Mini as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Acer Veriton X4630g is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.
Memory
The Acer Veriton X4630g has 4 RAM slots while the HP ProDesk 400 G3 Mini 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 HP ProDesk 400 G3 Mini is using the faster 2400 MT/s RAM. The Acer Veriton X4630g is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 1600 MT/s. In addition, you will be able to install the same amount of RAM in both models, and most probably 32 GB of RAM will be enough for most people. However, if you will be needing more RAM, make sure to check other desktop models too.
Ports
In total the Acer Veriton X4630g has 8 USB ports. The HP ProDesk 400 G3 Mini is inferior in this regard and packs 6 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 Acer Veriton X4630g comes with 2 ports, while the HP ProDesk 400 G3 Mini has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the Acer Veriton X4630g 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 Acer Veriton X4630g is better equipped as it comes with 4 SATA slot(s), while the HP ProDesk 400 G3 Mini has 1 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 400 G3 Mini. Sadly, the Acer Veriton X4630g 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 400 G3 Mini comes with a decent 90 Watt PSU, but the Acer Veriton X4630g has a more powerful one rated at 220 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
