Dell OptiPlex 5060 SFF vs. HP ProDesk 480 G5 Microtower
Comparison and Differences
Differences between Dell OptiPlex 5060 SFF and HP ProDesk 480 G5 Microtower
Both computers, the Dell OptiPlex 5060 SFF and the HP ProDesk 480 G5 Microtower, were released during the same year - 2018.
If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Dell OptiPlex 5060 SFF is the right one for you. It is smaller than the HP ProDesk 480 G5 Microtower and will fit more easily under your desk.
Processor
The two models have the same generation of Intel processors. We think that the 8 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 Dell OptiPlex 5060 SFF has 4 RAM slots while the HP ProDesk 480 G5 Microtower 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 2666. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Dell OptiPlex 5060 SFF as it has the ability to run 64 GB of RAM. The HP ProDesk 480 G5 Microtower 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 5060 SFF has 10 USB ports. The HP ProDesk 480 G5 Microtower is inferior in this regard and packs 8 USB ports. In any case, if you miss USB ports, you can always purchase a USB hub. What is nice about the Dell OptiPlex 5060 SFF, is that it has 1 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the HP ProDesk 480 G5 Microtower 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 Dell OptiPlex 5060 SFF comes with 2 ports, while the HP ProDesk 480 G5 Microtower has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the Dell OptiPlex 5060 SFF 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.
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 5060 SFF comes with a decent 200 Watt PSU, but the HP ProDesk 480 G5 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.