Dell OptiPlex 5050 SFF vs. Dell OptiPlex 7090 MT
Comparison and Differences
Differences between Dell OptiPlex 5050 SFF and Dell OptiPlex 7090 MT
If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Dell OptiPlex 7090 MT which was released in 2021. The Dell OptiPlex 5050 SFF is older and entered production in 2017.
If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Dell OptiPlex 5050 SFF is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Dell OptiPlex 7090 MT and will fit more easily under your desk.
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 7090 MT as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Dell OptiPlex 5050 SFF is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.
Memory
Both models have have equal amount of ram slots (4 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 7090 MT is using the faster 3200 MT/s RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 5050 SFF is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 2400 MT/s. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Dell OptiPlex 7090 MT as it has the ability to run 128 GB of RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 5050 SFF can do a bit less at max 64 GB. Most of the times, this should be sufficient for the majority of users.
Ports
In total the Dell OptiPlex 5050 SFF has 10 USB ports. The Dell OptiPlex 7090 MT is inferior in this regard and packs 9 USB ports. In any case, if you miss USB ports, you can always purchase a USB hub. What is nice about the Dell OptiPlex 7090 MT, is that it has 3 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the Dell OptiPlex 5050 SFF 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 7090 MT comes with 4 ports, while the Dell OptiPlex 5050 SFF has only 2. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the Dell OptiPlex 7090 MT is the better choice.
The HDMI video interface is broadly used and the majority of the external displays support it. Thus, it is nice to see that both models have this video interface. If you are going to use multiple monitors go with the Dell OptiPlex 7090 MT which has 2 ports. The Dell OptiPlex 5050 SFF has only 1 ports.
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 7090 MT is better equipped as it comes with 4 SATA slot(s), while the Dell OptiPlex 5050 SFF has 3 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 7090 MT has 1 M.2 slots while the Dell OptiPlex 5050 SFF 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 Dell OptiPlex 5050 SFF comes with a decent 180 Watt PSU, but the Dell OptiPlex 7090 MT 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
