Dell OptiPlex 5090 M vs. HP ProDesk 600 G4 Mini
Comparison and Differences
Differences between Dell OptiPlex 5090 M and HP ProDesk 600 G4 Mini
If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Dell OptiPlex 5090 M which was released in 2021. The HP ProDesk 600 G4 Mini 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 5090 M as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that HP ProDesk 600 G4 Mini 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 5090 M is using the faster 3200 MT/s RAM. The HP ProDesk 600 G4 Mini 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 5090 M as it has the ability to run 64 GB of RAM. The HP ProDesk 600 G4 Mini 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 HP ProDesk 600 G4 Mini has 7 USB ports. The Dell OptiPlex 5090 M 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. It's great that both of the models have USB 3.1 ports which will allow you to exchange data with your peripherals at up to 10Gb/s. But if you need maximum connectivity, go with the HP ProDesk 600 G4 Mini as it has 4 USB3.1 ports (the Dell OptiPlex 5090 M has 1).
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.
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 Dell OptiPlex 5090 M is better equipped as it comes with 3 SATA slot(s), while the HP ProDesk 600 G4 Mini has 1 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 HP ProDesk 600 G4 Mini has 1 M.2 slots while the Dell OptiPlex 5090 M 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
Having a Power Supply Unit with high power rating is important, if you are going to use components which require extra power. The HP ProDesk 600 G4 Mini comes with a decent 65 Watt PSU, but the Dell OptiPlex 5090 M has a more powerful one rated at 130 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
