Dell OptiPlex 3010 SFF vs. Dell OptiPlex 980 MT

Comparison and Differences

Dell_OptiPlex_3010_SFF.jpg case front and back pannelDell_OptiPlex_980_MT.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorSmallMini Tower
CPU optionsIntel Gen2&3 i3/i5; Celeron; Pentium;Intel Gen1 i3/i5/i7; Pentium Dual Core;
ChipsetH61Q57
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GTX 1650 Low ProfileGeForce GTX 1650
RAMDIMM DDR3-1333/1600 DIMM DDR3-1060/1333
RAM slots24
RAM speed1600 MT/s1333 MT/s
RAM max8 GB16 GB
USB ports(8x)USB-A 2.0; (10x)USB-A 2.0;
Video portsHDMI 1.2; VGA;DisplayPort 1.2; VGA;
Other portsRJ45; Hdph; Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; RJ45; Hdph; (2x) Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; PS2/COM; Serial; Parallel; eSATA
Optional portsN.A.N.A.
SATA ports24
PCI slotsPCIe 2.0 x16; PCIe 2.0 x1;PCIe 2.0 x16; PCIe 2.0 x4;
M.2 slotsN.A.N.A.
Drive bays3.5in/2.5in; 5.25in(slim);(2x)3.5in; (2x)5.25in;
PSU240 W255 W
Weight5.70 kg (12.57 lb)11.40 kg (25.13 lb)
Released20122010
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 3010 SFF and Dell OptiPlex 980 MT

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Dell OptiPlex 3010 SFF which was released in 2012. The Dell OptiPlex 980 MT is older and entered production in 2010.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Dell OptiPlex 3010 SFF is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Dell OptiPlex 980 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 3010 SFF as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Dell OptiPlex 980 MT is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

The Dell OptiPlex 980 MT has 4 RAM slots while the Dell OptiPlex 3010 SFF 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 3010 SFF is using the faster 1600 MT/s RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 980 MT is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 1333 MT/s. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Dell OptiPlex 980 MT as it has the ability to run 16 GB of RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 3010 SFF can do a bit less at max 8 GB. Most of the times, this should be sufficient for the majority of users.

Ports

In total the Dell OptiPlex 980 MT has 10 USB ports. The Dell OptiPlex 3010 SFF 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. None of the desktop models has a USB 3.1 port (10Gb/s), so if you need a fast connection to your peripherals, like external Solid State Drive, you will need to look elsewhere.

Unfortunately, only the Dell OptiPlex 980 MT has a DisplayPort. The Dell OptiPlex 3010 SFF does not have one? Don't worry though, nowadays video adapters are cheap and you can get almost any combination of conversion types.

The Dell OptiPlex 3010 SFF comes with an HDMI port, while the Dell OptiPlex 980 MT 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 980 MT is better equipped as it comes with 4 SATA slot(s), while the Dell OptiPlex 3010 SFF has 2 slot(s).

M.2 SSD interface allows you to transfer data with higher speeds compared to the old SATA interface. Unfortunately, neither the Dell OptiPlex 3010 SFF, nor the Dell OptiPlex 980 MT has one. However, you can still use a SATA SSD drive which should give you satisfactory performance.

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 3010 SFF comes with a decent 240 Watt PSU, but the Dell OptiPlex 980 MT has a more powerful one rated at 255 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

Dell_OptiPlex_3010_SFF_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutDell_OptiPlex_980_MT_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout