HP EliteDesk 800 G4 Tower vs. HP ProDesk 400 G6 SFF

Comparison and Differences

HP_EliteDesk_800_G4_Tower.jpg case front and back pannel

HP_ProDesk_400_G6_SFF.jpg case front and back pannel

Model
Form factor	Mini Tower	Small
CPU options	Intel Gen8 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;	Intel Gen8&9 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
Chipset	Q370	B360
Dedicated GPU *	GeForce GTX 1660 Super	GeForce GT 1030 Low Profile
RAM	DIMM DDR4-2666	DIMM DDR4-2666
RAM slots	4	2
RAM speed	2666 MT/s	2666 MT/s
RAM max	64 GB	64 GB
USB ports	USB-C 3.1; (4x)USB-A 3.1; (2x)USB-A 3.0; (4x)USB-A 2.0;	(4x)USB-A 3.0; (4x)USB-A 2.0;
Video ports	(2x) DisplayPort;	DisplayPort; VGA;
Other ports	RJ45; Hdph; Headset; Line-Out; Line-In;	RJ45; Headset; Line-In; Line-Out;
Optional ports	DP/HDMI/VGA/USB-C(DP); Serial; SD card reader;	SD card reader; Serial; Serial and (2x) PS2; DP/HDMI/VGA/USB-C;
SATA ports	4	2
PCI slots	PCIe 3.0 x16; (2x) PCIe 3.0 x1; PCIe 3.0 x16 (wired x4);	PCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x1 ;
M.2 slots	(2x) M.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe x4); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT);	M.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe x4); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT)
Drive bays	2.5in; (2x) 3.5in; 5.25in; 5.25in (slim);	(2x) 2.5/3.5in; 5.25in (slim);
PSU	250/500 W	180 W
Weight	9.86 kg (21.74 lb)	4.6 kg (10.14 lb)
Released	2018	2019
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 HP EliteDesk 800 G4 Tower and HP ProDesk 400 G6 SFF

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the HP ProDesk 400 G6 SFF which was released in 2019. The HP EliteDesk 800 G4 Tower is older and entered production in 2018.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the HP ProDesk 400 G6 SFF is the right one for you. It is smaller than the HP EliteDesk 800 G4 Tower 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 HP ProDesk 400 G6 SFF as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that HP EliteDesk 800 G4 Tower is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

The HP EliteDesk 800 G4 Tower has 4 RAM slots while the HP ProDesk 400 G6 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.

None of the desktops has an advantage when it comes to the speed of the RAM being used. Both models support RAM speeds of up to 2666. In addition, you will be able to install the same amount of RAM in both models, and most probably 64 GB of RAM will be enough for most people. However, if you will be needing more RAM, make sure to check other desktop models too.

Ports

In total the HP EliteDesk 800 G4 Tower has 11 USB ports. The HP ProDesk 400 G6 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. What is nice about the HP EliteDesk 800 G4 Tower, is that it has 5 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the HP ProDesk 400 G6 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 HP EliteDesk 800 G4 Tower comes with 2 ports, while the HP ProDesk 400 G6 SFF has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the HP EliteDesk 800 G4 Tower 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 HP EliteDesk 800 G4 Tower is better equipped as it comes with 4 SATA slot(s), while the HP ProDesk 400 G6 SFF has 2 slot(s).

An M.2 SSD can be several times faster than a SATA one. Thus, we are happy to see that both models support the M.2 interface. However, the HP EliteDesk 800 G4 Tower has 1 M.2 slots while the HP ProDesk 400 G6 SFF comes with just 1.

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 HP ProDesk 400 G6 SFF comes with a decent 180 Watt PSU, but the HP EliteDesk 800 G4 Tower 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.