Dell OptiPlex 3070 MT vs. HP ProDesk 400 G6 Microtower

Comparison and Differences

Dell_OptiPlex_3070_MT.jpg case front and back pannelHP_ProDesk_400_G6_Microtower.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMini TowerMini Tower
CPU optionsIntel Gen8&9 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;Intel Gen8 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
ChipsetH370B360
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GTX 1650 SuperGeForce GTX 1660 Super
RAMDIMM DDR4-2400/2666DIMM DDR4-2666
RAM slots22
RAM speed2666 MT/s2666 MT/s
RAM max32 GB64 GB
USB ports(4x) USB-A 3.0; (4x) USB-A 2.0; (4x)USB-A 3.0; (4x)USB-A 2.0;
Video portsDisplay Port 1.2; HDMI 1.4;DisplayPort; VGA;
Other portsRJ45; Headset; Line-Out; RJ45; Headset Line-Out; Line-In;
Optional portsSerial+PS2; DP1.2/HDMI2.0b/VGA; Media Card Reader; WiFi antenna; SD card reader; Serial; Serial and (2x) PS2; DP/HDMI/VGA/USB-C;
SATA ports33
PCI slotsPCIe 3.0 x16; (3x) PCIe x1;PCIe 3.0 x16; (2x) PCIe 3.0 x1;
M.2 slotsM.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe 2.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT) M.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe x4); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT)
Drive bays3.5in; (2x) 2.5in; 5.25in (slim);2.5/3.5in; 3.5in; 5.25in (slim)
PSU260 W180/250/310 W
Weight7.93 kg (17.49 lb)5.47 kg (12.06 lb)
Released20192018
Manuallinklink
Price**Check PriceCheck Price

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* 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 OptiPlex 3070 MT and HP ProDesk 400 G6 Microtower

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Dell OptiPlex 3070 MT which was released in 2019. The HP ProDesk 400 G6 Microtower is older and entered production in 2018.

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 Dell OptiPlex 3070 MT as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that HP ProDesk 400 G6 Microtower is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

Both models have have equal amount of ram slots (2 RAM). Usually two RAM slots are more than enough for most cases. However, the count should be taken into account when planning how much and what combination of RAM you are going to need for your system.

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 2666. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the HP ProDesk 400 G6 Microtower as it has the ability to run 64 GB of RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 3070 MT can do a bit less at max 32 GB. Most of the times, this should be sufficient for the majority of users.

Ports

Both models have the same amount of USB ports for total count of 8. If this is not enough, using a USB hub is always a viable option. 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.

The DisplayPort is usually the more popular video port used with desktops and laptops, while the HDMI is used predominantly in consumer electronics. That's why, it is good to see that both of the models come with a DisplayPort.

The Dell OptiPlex 3070 MT comes with an HDMI port, while the HP ProDesk 400 G6 Microtower 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 3 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 OptiPlex 3070 MT comes with a decent 260 Watt PSU, but the HP ProDesk 400 G6 Microtower has a more powerful one rated at 310 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_OptiPlex_3070_MT_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutHP_ProDesk_400_G6_Microtower_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout