Dell OptiPlex 5090 MT vs. Dell Vostro 3681

Comparison and Differences

Dell_OptiPlex_5090_MT.jpg case front and back pannelDell_Vostro_3681.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMini TowerSmall
CPU optionsIntel Gen10&11 i3/i5/i7;Intel Gen10 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
ChipsetQ570B460
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GTX 1660 SuperGeForce GT 1030 Low Profile
RAMDIMM DDR4-2666/2933/3200DIMM DDR4-2666/2933
RAM slots42
RAM speed3200 MT/s2933 MT/s
RAM max128 GB64 GB
USB portsUSB 3.1 Type C; (x5) USB-A 3.0; (x4) USB-A 2.0;(4x) USB-A 3.0; (4x) USB-A 2.0;
Video ports(4x) Display Port 1.4; (x3) HDMI 2.0b; VGA;HDMI 1.4b; VGA;
Other portsRJ45; Headset; Line-Out/In;RJ45; Headset; Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Card Reader;
Optional portsVGA /DisplayPort 1.4/HDMI 2.0b/USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C Port Alt-mode; SD Card;N.A.
SATA ports42
PCI slotsPCIe 4.0 x16; PCIe 4.0 x4; (x2) PCIe x1;PCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x1;
M.2 slotsM.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT) M.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT);
Drive bays(x2) 3.5in; (2x) 2.5in; 5.25in (slim);3.5in; 9.5mm
PSU260/300/360 W200 W
Weight7.24 kg (15.95 lb)4.66 Kg (10.28 lbs)
Released20212020
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 5090 MT and Dell Vostro 3681

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Dell OptiPlex 5090 MT which was released in 2021. The Dell Vostro 3681 is older and entered production in 2020.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Dell Vostro 3681 is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Dell OptiPlex 5090 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 5090 MT as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Dell Vostro 3681 is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

The Dell OptiPlex 5090 MT has 4 RAM slots while the Dell Vostro 3681 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 5090 MT is using the faster 3200 MT/s RAM. The Dell Vostro 3681 is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 2933 MT/s. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Dell OptiPlex 5090 MT as it has the ability to run 128 GB of RAM. The Dell Vostro 3681 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 5090 MT has 10 USB ports. The Dell Vostro 3681 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 5090 MT, is that it has 3 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the Dell Vostro 3681 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.

Unfortunately, only the Dell OptiPlex 5090 MT has a DisplayPort. The Dell Vostro 3681 does not have one? Don't worry though, nowadays video adapters are cheap and you can get almost any combination of conversion types.

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 5090 MT which has 2 ports. The Dell Vostro 3681 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 5090 MT is better equipped as it comes with 4 SATA slot(s), while the Dell Vostro 3681 has 2 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 Vostro 3681 comes with a decent 200 Watt PSU, but the Dell OptiPlex 5090 MT has a more powerful one rated at 360 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_5090_MT_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutDell_Vostro_3681_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout