Dell OptiPlex 990 USFF vs. Dell OptiPlex Tower Plus 7010 2023

Comparison and Differences

Dell_OptiPlex_990_USFF.jpg case front and back pannel

Dell_OptiPlex_Tower_Plus_7010_2023.jpg case front and back pannel

Model
Form factor	Ultra Small	Mini Tower
CPU options	Intel Gen2 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;	Intel Gen 12&13 i3/i5/i7/i9; Celeron; Pentium
Chipset	Q67	Q670
Dedicated GPU *	N.A.	GeForce RTX 3070
RAM	DIMM DDR3-1333	DIMM DDR5-3600/4000/4400
RAM slots	2	4
RAM speed	1333 MT/s	4400 MT/s
RAM max	8 GB	128 GB
USB ports	(7x)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	DisplayPort 1.2; VGA;	(3x) Display Port 1.4a;
Other ports	RJ45; Hdph; (2x) Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; PS2/COM; Serial; Parallel;	RJ45(2.5GHz); Audio; Line-Out/In;
Optional ports	N.A.	HDMI 2.0b/Displayport/VGA/PS2/serial/USB Type-C; Serial port; SD-card slot
SATA ports	2	4
PCI slots	N.A.	PCIe 4.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x4;PCIe 3.0 x1; PCI-32;
M.2 slots	N.A.	M.2 2230/2280 (PCIe 4.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT)
Drive bays	2.5in; 5.25in(slim);	(x2) 3.5in; (2x) 2.5in; 5.25in (slim);
PSU	200 W	260/500 W
Weight	3.27 kg (7.20 lb)	6.52 kg (14.38 lb)
Released	2011	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 990 USFF 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 990 USFF is older and entered production in 2011.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Dell OptiPlex 990 USFF 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 990 USFF is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

The Dell OptiPlex Tower Plus 7010 2023 has 4 RAM slots while the Dell OptiPlex 990 USFF 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 Plus 7010 2023 is using the faster 4400 MT/s RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 990 USFF 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 Tower Plus 7010 2023 as it has the ability to run 128 GB of RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 990 USFF 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 Tower Plus 7010 2023 has 10 USB ports. The Dell OptiPlex 990 USFF is inferior in this regard and packs 7 USB ports. In any case, if you miss USB ports, you can always purchase a USB hub. 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 990 USFF 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 990 USFF has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the Dell OptiPlex Tower Plus 7010 2023 is the better choice.

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 Tower Plus 7010 2023 is better equipped as it comes with 4 SATA slot(s), while the Dell OptiPlex 990 USFF has 2 slot(s).

If you want the fastest transfer speeds for your SSD, an M.2 interface is crucial. Thus, if the M.2 SSD slot is a mandatory requirement for you, go with the Dell OptiPlex Tower Plus 7010 2023. Sadly, the Dell OptiPlex 990 USFF has no such slot, and you will be forced to use the SATA interface instead.

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 990 USFF comes with a decent 200 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.