HP EliteDesk 800 G1 USDT vs. HP ProDesk 400 G6 Mini
Comparison and Differences
Differences between HP EliteDesk 800 G1 USDT and HP ProDesk 400 G6 Mini
If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the HP ProDesk 400 G6 Mini which was released in 2020. The HP EliteDesk 800 G1 USDT is older and entered production in 2013.
If you are looking for the smaller form factor the HP ProDesk 400 G6 Mini is the right one for you. It is smaller than the HP EliteDesk 800 G1 USDT 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 Mini as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that HP EliteDesk 800 G1 USDT is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.
Memory
The HP EliteDesk 800 G1 USDT has 4 RAM slots while the HP ProDesk 400 G6 Mini 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 HP ProDesk 400 G6 Mini is using the faster 3200 MT/s RAM. The HP EliteDesk 800 G1 USDT 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 HP ProDesk 400 G6 Mini as it has the ability to run 64 GB of RAM. The HP EliteDesk 800 G1 USDT 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 EliteDesk 800 G1 USDT has 10 USB ports. The HP ProDesk 400 G6 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. What is nice about the HP ProDesk 400 G6 Mini, is that it has 2 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the HP EliteDesk 800 G1 USDT 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 G1 USDT comes with 2 ports, while the HP ProDesk 400 G6 Mini has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the HP EliteDesk 800 G1 USDT is the better choice.
The HP ProDesk 400 G6 Mini comes with an HDMI port, while the HP EliteDesk 800 G1 USDT does not support the interface. Of course missing HDMI port is something that can be easily fixed with a good adapter (e.g. DisplayPort to HDMI).
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 1 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 400 G6 Mini comes with a decent 65 Watt PSU, but the HP EliteDesk 800 G1 USDT has a more powerful one rated at 180 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.