Dell OptiPlex 5040 SFF vs. Dell OptiPlex Tower Plus 7010 2023

Comparison and Differences

Dell_OptiPlex_5040_SFF.jpg case front and back pannel

Dell_OptiPlex_Tower_Plus_7010_2023.jpg case front and back pannel

Model
Form factor	Small	Mini Tower
CPU options	Intel Gen6 i3/i5/i7; Pentium;	Intel Gen 12&13 i3/i5/i7/i9; Celeron; Pentium
Chipset	Q170	Q670
Dedicated GPU *	GeForce GT 1030 Low Profile	GeForce RTX 3070
RAM	DIMM DDR3L-1600	DIMM DDR5-3600/4000/4400
RAM slots	4	4
RAM speed	1600 MT/s	4400 MT/s
RAM max	16 GB	128 GB
USB ports	(6x) USB-A 3.0; (4x) USB-A 2.0;	(4x) USB-A 2.0; (3x) USB-A 3.0; (2x) USB-A 3.1; USB-C 3.2
Video ports	(2x) Display Port 1.2; HDMI 1.4;	(3x) Display Port 1.4a;
Other ports	Serial; (2x) PS2; RJ45; Headset; Line-Out;	RJ45(2.5GHz); Audio; Line-Out/In;
Optional ports	VGA; Media Card Reader;	HDMI 2.0b/Displayport/VGA/PS2/serial/USB Type-C; Serial port; SD-card slot
SATA ports	3	4
PCI slots	PCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x4;	PCIe 4.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x4;PCIe 3.0 x1; PCI-32;
M.2 slots	M.2 2280 M-key (PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe)	M.2 2230/2280 (PCIe 4.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT)
Drive bays	3.5in/(2x)2.5in; 5.25in (slim);	(x2) 3.5in; (2x) 2.5in; 5.25in (slim);
PSU	180 W	260/500 W
Weight	6.00 kg (13.22 lb)	6.52 kg (14.38 lb)
Released	2015	2023
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 5040 SFF and Dell OptiPlex Tower Plus 7010 2023

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Dell OptiPlex Tower Plus 7010 2023 which was released in 2023. The Dell OptiPlex 5040 SFF is older and entered production in 2015.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Dell OptiPlex 5040 SFF is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Dell OptiPlex Tower Plus 7010 2023 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 Plus 7010 2023 as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Dell OptiPlex 5040 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 Tower Plus 7010 2023 is using the faster 4400 MT/s RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 5040 SFF is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 1600 MT/s. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Dell OptiPlex Tower Plus 7010 2023 as it has the ability to run 128 GB of RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 5040 SFF can do a bit less at max 16 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 10. If this is not enough, using a USB hub is always a viable option. What is nice about the Dell OptiPlex Tower Plus 7010 2023, is that it has 2 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the Dell OptiPlex 5040 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 Tower Plus 7010 2023 comes with 3 ports, while the Dell OptiPlex 5040 SFF has only 2. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the Dell OptiPlex Tower Plus 7010 2023 is the better choice.

The Dell OptiPlex 5040 SFF comes with an HDMI port, while the Dell OptiPlex Tower Plus 7010 2023 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 Tower Plus 7010 2023 is better equipped as it comes with 4 SATA slot(s), while the Dell OptiPlex 5040 SFF has 3 slot(s).

When your goal is to have the fastest SSD transfer speeds, an M.2 interface is crucial. Thus, it is good that both models have M.2 SSD slots. Today M.2 SSDs are not much more expensive than the average SATA drives, so it really does not make sense to invest in SATA drives anymore.

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 5040 SFF comes with a decent 180 Watt PSU, but the Dell OptiPlex Tower Plus 7010 2023 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.