HP EliteDesk 800 G3 Mini vs. HP ProDesk 400 G4 Microtower
Comparison and Differences
Differences between HP EliteDesk 800 G3 Mini and HP ProDesk 400 G4 Microtower
Both computers, the HP EliteDesk 800 G3 Mini and the HP ProDesk 400 G4 Microtower, were released during the same year - 2017.
If you are looking for the smaller form factor the HP EliteDesk 800 G3 Mini is the right one for you. It is smaller than the HP ProDesk 400 G4 Microtower and will fit more easily under your desk.
Processor
The two models have the same generation of Intel processors. We think that the 7 generation of Intel Processors have enough power to execute all of the home and office tasks that most people will care to do.
Memory
Both models have have equal amount of ram slots (2 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.
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 2400. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the HP ProDesk 400 G4 Microtower as it has the ability to run 64 GB of RAM. The HP EliteDesk 800 G3 Mini 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 HP ProDesk 400 G4 Microtower has 8 USB ports. The HP EliteDesk 800 G3 Mini 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. None of the desktop models has a USB 3.1 port (10Gb/s), so if you need a fast connection to your peripherals, like external Solid State Drive, you will need to look elsewhere.
DisplayPort is crucial for any desktop machine. It is good to see that both models are featuring DisplayPorts. However, the HP EliteDesk 800 G3 Mini comes with 2 ports, while the HP ProDesk 400 G4 Microtower has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the HP EliteDesk 800 G3 Mini 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 ProDesk 400 G4 Microtower is better equipped as it comes with 3 SATA slot(s), while the HP EliteDesk 800 G3 Mini has 1 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 HP EliteDesk 800 G3 Mini. Sadly, the HP ProDesk 400 G4 Microtower 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 HP EliteDesk 800 G3 Mini comes with a decent 120 Watt PSU, but the HP ProDesk 400 G4 Microtower has a more powerful one rated at 310 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
