Dell Inspiron 3471 vs. Dell OptiPlex 5080 MT

Comparison and Differences

Dell_Inspiron_3471.jpg case front and back pannelDell_OptiPlex_5080_MT.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorSmallMini Tower
CPU optionsIntel Gen9 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;Intel Gen10 i3/i5/i7; Pentium
ChipsetB365Q470
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GTX 1650 Low ProfileGeForce RTX 3050
RAMDIMM DDR4-2133/2400DIMM DDR4-2666/2933
RAM slots24
RAM speed2400 MT/s2933 MT/s
RAM max32 GB128 GB
USB ports(2x) USB-A 3.0; (4x) USB-A 2.0;USB 3.1 Type C; (5x) USB-A 3.0; (4x) USB-A 2.0;
Video portsHDMI 1.4b; VGA;(2x) Display Port 1.4;
Other portsRJ45; Hdph; Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Card Reader;RJ45; Headset; Line-Out/In;
Optional portsN.A.HDMI2.0b/DP1.4/VGA/USB Type-C (DP Alt Mode); Serial+PS2; SD4.0; 2xWiFi antenna;
SATA ports44
PCI slotsPCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x1;PCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x4; (2x) PCIe x1;
M.2 slotsM.2 2230 (WiFi/BT); M.2 2280 B-Key (SATA only); M.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT)
Drive bays(2x) 2.5in; 3.25in;3.5in; (2x) 2.5in; 5.25in (slim);
PSU200 W260/360 W
Weight4.80 kg (10.58 lb)7.2kg (15.89lb)
Released20192020
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 Dell Inspiron 3471 and Dell OptiPlex 5080 MT

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Dell OptiPlex 5080 MT which was released in 2020. The Dell Inspiron 3471 is older and entered production in 2019.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Dell Inspiron 3471 is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Dell OptiPlex 5080 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 Dell OptiPlex 5080 MT as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Dell Inspiron 3471 is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

The Dell OptiPlex 5080 MT has 4 RAM slots while the Dell Inspiron 3471 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 5080 MT is using the faster 2933 MT/s RAM. The Dell Inspiron 3471 is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 2400 MT/s. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Dell OptiPlex 5080 MT as it has the ability to run 128 GB of RAM. The Dell Inspiron 3471 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 5080 MT has 10 USB ports. The Dell Inspiron 3471 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. What is nice about the Dell OptiPlex 5080 MT, is that it has 1 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the Dell Inspiron 3471 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.

Unfortunately, only the Dell OptiPlex 5080 MT has a DisplayPort. The Dell Inspiron 3471 does not have one? Don't worry though, nowadays video adapters are cheap and you can get almost any combination of conversion types.

The Dell Inspiron 3471 comes with an HDMI port, while the Dell OptiPlex 5080 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.

When your goal is to have the fastest SSD transfer speeds, an M.2 interface is crucial. Thus, it is good that both models have M.2 SSD slots. Today M.2 SSDs are not much more expensive than the average SATA drives, so it really does not make sense to invest in SATA drives anymore.

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 Inspiron 3471 comes with a decent 200 Watt PSU, but the Dell OptiPlex 5080 MT has a more powerful one rated at 360 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

Dell_Inspiron_3471_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutDell_OptiPlex_5080_MT_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout