Dell OptiPlex 5070M vs. Dell OptiPlex M 7020 2024

Comparison and Differences

Dell_OptiPlex_5070M.jpg case front and back pannelDell_OptiPlex_M_7020_2024.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMicroMicro
CPU optionsIntel Gen8&9 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;Intel Gen 12&13&14 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium
ChipsetQ370Q670
Dedicated GPU *N.A.N.A.
RAMSODIMM DDR4-2400/2666SODIMM DDR5-5600
RAM slots22
RAM speed2666 MT/s5600 MT/s
RAM max32 GB64 GB
USB portsUSB 3.1 Type C; (5x) USB-A 3.0;(2x) USB-A 2.0; (3x) USB-A 3.0; USB-C 3.1;
Video ports(2x) Display Port 1.2;Display Port 1.4a; HDMI 1.4b;
Other portsRJ45; Headset; Line-Out; RJ45(2.5GHz); Audio
Optional portsHDMI2.0b/DP1.2/VGA/USB Type-C (DP Alt Mode); Serial; Serial+PS2; WiFi antenna;HDMI 2.1/Displayport/VGA/PS2/serial/USB Type-C;
SATA ports10
PCI slotsN.A.N.A.
M.2 slotsM.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT) M.2 2230/2280 (PCIe 4.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT)
Drive bays2.5in2.5in;
PSU90 W65/90 W
Weight1.18 kg (2.60 lb)1.32 kg (2.91 lb)
Released20192024
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 OptiPlex 5070M and Dell OptiPlex M 7020 2024

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Dell OptiPlex M 7020 2024 which was released in 2024. The Dell OptiPlex 5070M is older and entered production in 2019.

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 M 7020 2024 as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Dell OptiPlex 5070M 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.

The Dell OptiPlex M 7020 2024 is using the faster 5600 MT/s RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 5070M is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 2666 MT/s. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Dell OptiPlex M 7020 2024 as it has the ability to run 64 GB of RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 5070M 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 6. If this is not enough, using a USB hub is always a viable option. Both of the models have USB 3.1 ports which will allow you to exchange data with your peripherals at up to 10Gb/s. This is especially crucial if you are using external drives on a regular basis.

DisplayPort is crucial for any desktop machine. It is good to see that both models are featuring DisplayPorts. However, the Dell OptiPlex 5070M comes with 2 ports, while the Dell OptiPlex M 7020 2024 has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the Dell OptiPlex 5070M is the better choice.

The Dell OptiPlex M 7020 2024 comes with an HDMI port, while the Dell OptiPlex 5070M 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 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 Dell OptiPlex 5070M is better equipped as it comes with 1 SATA slot(s), while the Dell OptiPlex M 7020 2024 has 0 slot(s).

An M.2 SSD can be several times faster than a SATA one. Thus, we are happy to see that both models support the M.2 interface. However, the Dell OptiPlex M 7020 2024 has 1 M.2 slots while the Dell OptiPlex 5070M comes with just 1.

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

Looking at the Power Supply Unit (PSU) of the two models we don't see any differences. For either of them you get a maximum power of 90 Watts. However be careful, many models have more than one power supply option. When buying your computer, it is a good idea to get a version with the most powerful PSU. This will potentially allow you to upgrade to a more powerful GPU for example.

Motherboard

Dell_OptiPlex_5070M_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutDell_OptiPlex_M_7020_2024_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout