HP ProDesk 400 G6 Microtower vs. HP ProDesk 600 G5 SFF

Comparison and Differences

HP_ProDesk_400_G6_Microtower.jpg case front and back pannel

HP_ProDesk_600_G5_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	B360	Q370
Dedicated GPU *	GeForce GTX 1660 Super	GeForce GT 1030 Low Profile
RAM	DIMM DDR4-2666	DIMM DDR4-2666
RAM slots	2	4
RAM speed	2666 MT/s	2666 MT/s
RAM max	64 GB	128 GB
USB ports	(4x)USB-A 3.0; (4x)USB-A 2.0;	USB-C 3.1; (4x)USB-A 3.1; (2x)USB-A 3.0; (4x)USB-A 2.0;
Video ports	DisplayPort; VGA;	(2x) DisplayPort:
Other ports	RJ45; Headset Line-Out; Line-In;	RJ45; Headset; Line-Out; Line-In;
Optional ports	SD card reader; Serial; Serial and (2x) PS2; DP/HDMI/VGA/USB-C;	DP1.2/HDMI2.0/VGA/USB-C(DP); Serial; SD card reader;
SATA ports	3	3
PCI slots	PCIe 3.0 x16; (2x) PCIe 3.0 x1;	PCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe x4 (open ended);
M.2 slots	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	2.5/3.5in; 3.5in; 5.25in (slim)	(2x)2.5in/3.5in; 5.25in (slim);
PSU	180/250/310 W	180 W
Weight	5.47 kg (12.06 lb)	4.54 kg (10.01 lb)
Released	2018	2018
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 ProDesk 400 G6 Microtower and HP ProDesk 600 G5 SFF

Both computers, the HP ProDesk 400 G6 Microtower and the HP ProDesk 600 G5 SFF, were released during the same year - 2018.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the HP ProDesk 600 G5 SFF is the right one for you. It is smaller than the HP ProDesk 400 G6 Microtower 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 600 G5 SFF as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that HP ProDesk 400 G6 Microtower is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

The HP ProDesk 600 G5 SFF has 4 RAM slots while the HP ProDesk 400 G6 Microtower 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. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the HP ProDesk 600 G5 SFF as it has the ability to run 128 GB of RAM. The HP ProDesk 400 G6 Microtower 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 HP ProDesk 600 G5 SFF has 11 USB ports. The HP ProDesk 400 G6 Microtower 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 ProDesk 600 G5 SFF, is that it has 5 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the HP ProDesk 400 G6 Microtower 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 ProDesk 600 G5 SFF comes with 2 ports, while the HP ProDesk 400 G6 Microtower has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the HP ProDesk 600 G5 SFF 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 slots are located on the motherboard and it is where SSD, HDD and Optical Disk Drives are connected. Each of the two models being compared have 3 SATA slot(s). Keep in mind that having too few SATA slots might limit your options for connecting additional memory drives.

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 HP ProDesk 600 G5 SFF comes with a decent 180 Watt PSU, but the HP ProDesk 400 G6 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.