Dell OptiPlex 7090 SFF vs. Dell OptiPlex Tower 7020 2024

Comparison and Differences

Dell_OptiPlex_7090_SFF.jpg case front and back pannel

Dell_OptiPlex_Tower_7020_2024.jpg case front and back pannel

Model
Form factor	Small	Mini Tower
CPU options	Intel Gen10&11 i3/i5/i7/i9;	Intel Gen 12&13&14 i3/i5/i7;
Chipset	Q570	Q670
Dedicated GPU *	AMD Radeon RX 6400 Low Profile	GeForce GTX 1650 Super
RAM	DIMM DDR4-2666/2933/3200	DIMM DDR5-5600
RAM slots	4	2
RAM speed	3200 MT/s	5600 MT/s
RAM max	128 GB	64 GB
USB ports	USB 3.2 Type C; USB 3.1 Type C; (2x) USB-A 3.1; USB-A 3.0; (x4) USB-A 2.0;	(4x) USB-A 2.0; (4x) USB-A 3.0;
Video ports	(3x) Display Port 1.4; HDMI 2.0b;	Display Port 1.4a; HDMI 1.4b;
Other ports	RJ45; Audio; Line-Out/In; Serial; (x2) PS2	RJ45(2.5GHz); Audio; Line-Out/In;
Optional ports	USB Type-C (DP Alt Mode); Media Card Reader;	HDMI 2.1/Displayport/VGA; Serial
SATA ports	3	3
PCI slots	PCIe 4.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x4;	PCIe 3.0 x16; (2x) PCIe 3.0 x1;
M.2 slots	M.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 M-key (PCIe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT)	M.2 2230/2280 (PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT)
Drive bays	(x2) 3.5in; (2x) 2.5in; 5.25in (slim);	3.5in; (2x) 2.5in; 5.25in (slim);
PSU	200/300 W	180/300 W
Weight	5.72 kg (12.61 lb)	6.37 kg (14.04 lb)
Released	2021	2024
Manual	link	link
Price**	Check Price	Check 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 7090 SFF and Dell OptiPlex Tower 7020 2024

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Dell OptiPlex Tower 7020 2024 which was released in 2024. The Dell OptiPlex 7090 SFF is older and entered production in 2021.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Dell OptiPlex 7090 SFF is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Dell OptiPlex Tower 7020 2024 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 Tower 7020 2024 as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Dell OptiPlex 7090 SFF is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

The Dell OptiPlex 7090 SFF has 4 RAM slots while the Dell OptiPlex Tower 7020 2024 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.

The Dell OptiPlex Tower 7020 2024 is using the faster 5600 MT/s RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 7090 SFF is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 3200 MT/s. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Dell OptiPlex 7090 SFF as it has the ability to run 128 GB of RAM. The Dell OptiPlex Tower 7020 2024 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 7090 SFF has 9 USB ports. The Dell OptiPlex Tower 7020 2024 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 7090 SFF, is that it has 3 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the Dell OptiPlex Tower 7020 2024 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 SFF comes with 3 ports, while the Dell OptiPlex Tower 7020 2024 has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the Dell OptiPlex 7090 SFF is the better choice.

In case your monitor supports HDMI only, you will be happy to hear that both models come with an HDMI port.

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.

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 SFF has 1 M.2 slots while the Dell OptiPlex Tower 7020 2024 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 300 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.