Dell Inspiron 3881 vs. Dell Vostro 470

Comparison and Differences

Dell_Inspiron_3881.jpg case front and back pannelDell_Vostro_470.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMini TowerMini Tower
CPU optionsIntel Gen10 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;Intel Gen3 i3/i5/i7;
ChipsetH470H77
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GTX 1650 SuperGeForce GTX 1660 Super
RAMDIMM DDR4-2666/2933DIMM DDR3-1333/1600
RAM slots24
RAM speed2933 MT/s1600 MT/s
RAM max64 GB32 GB
USB ports(3x) USB 3.0 Type A; USB 3.1 Type C; (4x) USB-A 2.0;(6x)USB-A 2.0; (3x)USB-A 3.0;
Video portsHDMI 1.4; DisplayPort 1.4; VGA;HDMI 1.2; VGA;
Other portsRJ45; Headset; Line-Out; Card Reader;RJ45; Hdph; (2x) Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; S/PDIF out port
Optional portsN.A.Media Card Reader
SATA ports24
PCI slotsPCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x1;PCIe 3.0 x16; (3x) PCIe 3.0 x1; mPCIe
M.2 slotsM.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT); N.A.
Drive bays3.25in; 9.5mm(2x) 3.5in; (2x) 5.25in;
PSU260 W350/460 W
Weight6.40 kg (14.11 lb)11.22 kg (24.74 lbs)
Released20202012
Manuallinklink
Price**Check PriceCheck Price

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* 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 Inspiron 3881 and Dell Vostro 470

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Dell Inspiron 3881 which was released in 2020. The Dell Vostro 470 is older and entered production in 2012.

Both models have the same form factor, meaning reoughtly they have the same phiysical size and form.

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 Inspiron 3881 as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Dell Vostro 470 is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

The Dell Vostro 470 has 4 RAM slots while the Dell Inspiron 3881 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 Inspiron 3881 is using the faster 2933 MT/s RAM. The Dell Vostro 470 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 Inspiron 3881 as it has the ability to run 64 GB of RAM. The Dell Vostro 470 can do a bit less at max 32 GB. Most of the times, this should be sufficient for the majority of users.

Ports

In total the Dell Vostro 470 has 9 USB ports. The Dell Inspiron 3881 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 Inspiron 3881, is that it has 1 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the Dell Vostro 470 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 Inspiron 3881 has a DisplayPort. The Dell Vostro 470 does not have one? Don't worry though, nowadays video adapters are cheap and you can get almost any combination of conversion types.

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

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 Vostro 470 is better equipped as it comes with 4 SATA slot(s), while the Dell Inspiron 3881 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 Inspiron 3881. Sadly, the Dell Vostro 470 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 Inspiron 3881 comes with a decent 260 Watt PSU, but the Dell Vostro 470 has a more powerful one rated at 460 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_Inspiron_3881_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutDell_Vostro_470_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout