Acer Veriton X4670g vs. Dell OptiPlex 980 SFF
Comparison and Differences
Differences between Acer Veriton X4670g and Dell OptiPlex 980 SFF
If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Acer Veriton X4670g which was released in 2020. The Dell OptiPlex 980 SFF is older and entered production in 2010.
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 X4670g as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Dell OptiPlex 980 SFF is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.
Memory
The Dell OptiPlex 980 SFF has 4 RAM slots while the Acer Veriton X4670g 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 X4670g is using the faster 2933 MT/s RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 980 SFF is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 1333 MT/s. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Acer Veriton X4670g as it has the ability to run 64 GB of RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 980 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 980 SFF has 10 USB ports. The Acer Veriton X4670g is inferior in this regard and packs 9 USB ports. In any case, if you miss USB ports, you can always purchase a USB hub. What is nice about the Acer Veriton X4670g, is that it has 5 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the Dell OptiPlex 980 SFF 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 Acer Veriton X4670g comes with 2 ports, while the Dell OptiPlex 980 SFF has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the Acer Veriton X4670g 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 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 3 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 X4670g. Sadly, the Dell OptiPlex 980 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
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 980 SFF comes with a decent 235 Watt PSU, but the Acer Veriton X4670g 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
