Acer Veriton M4630g vs. Dell OptiPlex 3020M

Comparison and Differences

Acer_Veriton_M4630g.jpg case front and back pannelDell_OptiPlex_3020M.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMini TowerMicro
CPU optionsIntel Gen4 i3/i5/i7; PentiumIntel Gen4 i3/i5; Celeron; Pentium;
ChipsetB85H81
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GTX 1650 SuperN.A.
RAMUDIMM DDR3-1600SODIMM DDR3-1600
RAM slots42
RAM speed1600 MT/s1600 MT/s
RAM max32 GB16 GB
USB ports(2x) USB-A 3.0; (6x) USB-A 2.0(2x) USB-A 3.0; (4x) USB-A 2.0;
Video ports(2x) DisplayPort 1.2; DVI; VGADisplayPort 1.2; VGA;
Other portsRJ45; (2x) Mic, Speaker; Line in; Line out; PS/2 ports; SerialRJ45; Headset; Mic/Hdph;
Optional portsCard reader; USB-A 3.0; Parallel; SerialWiFi antenna; Serial+PS2;
SATA ports51
PCI slotsPCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 2.0 x1; PCI; PCIe 3.0 x16 (wired x4) N.A.
M.2 slotsN.A.M.2 2230 (WiFi)
Drive bays(4x) 3.5in; (2x) 5.25 inch2.5in;
PSU300/500 W65 W
Weight7.00 kg (15.40 lb)1.28 kg (2.82 lb)
Released20132013
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 M4630g and Dell OptiPlex 3020M

Both computers, the Dell OptiPlex 3020M and the Acer Veriton M4630g, were released during the same year - 2013.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Dell OptiPlex 3020M is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Acer Veriton M4630g and will fit more easily under your desk.

Processor

The two models have the same generation of Intel processors. We think that the 4 generation of Intel Processors have enough power to execute all of the home and office tasks that most people will care to do.

Memory

The Acer Veriton M4630g has 4 RAM slots while the Dell OptiPlex 3020M 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 1600. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Acer Veriton M4630g as it has the ability to run 32 GB of RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 3020M 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 Acer Veriton M4630g has 8 USB ports. The Dell OptiPlex 3020M 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 M4630g comes with 2 ports, while the Dell OptiPlex 3020M has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the Acer Veriton M4630g 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 M4630g is better equipped as it comes with 5 SATA slot(s), while the Dell OptiPlex 3020M 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 3020M, nor the Acer Veriton M4630g 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 Dell OptiPlex 3020M comes with a decent 65 Watt PSU, but the Acer Veriton M4630g has a more powerful one rated at 500 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_M4630g_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutDell_OptiPlex_3020M_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout