Dell Vostro 3668 vs. HP ProDesk 490 G1 Microtower

Comparison and Differences

Dell_Vostro_3668.jpg case front and back pannelHP_ProDesk_490_G1_Microtower.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMini TowerMini Tower
CPU optionsIntel Gen7 i3/i5/i7; Pentium; Celeron;Intel Gen4 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
ChipsetH110H81
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GTX 1660 SuperGeForce GTX 1660 Super
RAMDIMM DDR3-2133/2400DIMM DDR3-1600
RAM slots24
RAM speed2400 MT/s1600 MT/s
RAM max16 GB32 GB
USB ports(4x)USB-A 2.0; (2x)USB-A 3.0; (4x)USB-A 3.0; (6x)USB-A 2.0;
Video portsHDMI 1.4; VGA;DVI-D; VGA;
Other portsRJ45; Hdph; Mic; Line-Out; Line-In;RJ45; Hdph; Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Serial; (2x) PS2;
Optional portsN/ASD card reader; DisplayPort 1.2; Serial; Parallel;
SATA ports44
PCI slotsPCIe 2.0 x16; (2x) PCIe 2.0 x1;PCIe x16; (3x) PCIe x1;
M.2 slotsM.2 2230 (WiFi/BT);N.A.
Drive bays3.5in; 5.25in; (2x) 2.5in; 9.5 mm(3x) 3.5in; (2x) 5.25in
PSU240W300 W
Weight5.90 kg (13.01 lbs)7.1 kg (15.7 lb)
Released20162013
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 Vostro 3668 and HP ProDesk 490 G1 Microtower

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Dell Vostro 3668 which was released in 2016. The HP ProDesk 490 G1 Microtower is older and entered production in 2013.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Dell Vostro 3668 is the right one for you. It is smaller than the HP ProDesk 490 G1 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 Dell Vostro 3668 as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that HP ProDesk 490 G1 Microtower is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

The HP ProDesk 490 G1 Microtower has 4 RAM slots while the Dell Vostro 3668 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 Vostro 3668 is using the faster 2400 MT/s RAM. The HP ProDesk 490 G1 Microtower 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 490 G1 Microtower as it has the ability to run 32 GB of RAM. The Dell Vostro 3668 can do a bit less at max 16 GB. Most of the times, this should be sufficient for the majority of users.

Ports

In total the HP ProDesk 490 G1 Microtower has 10 USB ports. The Dell Vostro 3668 is inferior in this regard and packs 6 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.

Nowadays, almost every new computer comes equipped with a DisplayPort. However, none of the devices being compared here has one. Don't worry though, DisplayPort adapters are very cheap and you can get virtually any combination of conversion types.

The Dell Vostro 3668 comes with an HDMI port, while the HP ProDesk 490 G1 Microtower 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 4 SATA slot(s). Keep in mind that having too few SATA slots might limit your options for connecting additional memory drives.

M.2 SSD interface allows you to transfer data with higher speeds compared to the old SATA interface. Unfortunately, neither the Dell Vostro 3668, nor the HP ProDesk 490 G1 Microtower has one. However, you can still use a SATA SSD drive which should give you satisfactory performance.

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 Vostro 3668 comes with a decent 240 Watt PSU, but the HP ProDesk 490 G1 Microtower has a more powerful one rated at 300 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_Vostro_3668_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutHP_ProDesk_490_G1_Microtower_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout