HP ProDesk 400 G2 Microtower vs. HP ProDesk 600 G6 SFF

Comparison and Differences

HP_ProDesk_400_G2_Microtower.jpg case front and back pannel

HP_ProDesk_600_G6_SFF.jpg case front and back pannel

Model
Form factor	Mini Tower	Small
CPU options	Intel Gen4 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;	Intel Gen10 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
Chipset	H81	Q470
Dedicated GPU *	GeForce GTX 1660 Super	GeForce GT 1030 Low Profile
RAM	DIMM DDR3-1600	DIMM DDR4-3200
RAM slots	2	4
RAM speed	1600 MT/s	3200 MT/s
RAM max	16 GB	128 GB
USB ports	(2x)USB-A 3.0; (4x)USB-A 2.0;	USB-C 3.1; (2x)USB-A 3.1; (5x)USB-A 3.0; (2x)USB-A 2.0;
Video ports	VGA; DVI-D;	(2x) DisplayPort:
Other ports	RJ45; Hdph; Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Serial; (2x) PS2; SD card reader (USB-? 2.0);	RJ45; Headset; Line-Out;
Optional ports	Serial; Parallel;	DP1.4/ HDMI2.0a/ VGA/ USB-C(DP1.4)/ (2x)USB-A 3.0/ LAN/ Serial; Serial/Thunderbolt3; SD card reader;
SATA ports	3	3
PCI slots	PCIe x16; (3x) PCIe x1;	PCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe x4 (open ended);
M.2 slots	N.A.	M.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe x4); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT);
Drive bays	(2x) 3.5in; 5.25in (slim)	(2x)2.5in/3.5in; 5.25in (slim);
PSU	180/300 W	180/210 W
Weight	6.5 kg (14.33 lb)	3.9 kg (8.6 lb)
Released	2014	2020
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 G2 Microtower and HP ProDesk 600 G6 SFF

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the HP ProDesk 600 G6 SFF which was released in 2020. The HP ProDesk 400 G2 Microtower is older and entered production in 2014.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the HP ProDesk 600 G6 SFF is the right one for you. It is smaller than the HP ProDesk 400 G2 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 G6 SFF as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that HP ProDesk 400 G2 Microtower is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

The HP ProDesk 600 G6 SFF has 4 RAM slots while the HP ProDesk 400 G2 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.

The HP ProDesk 600 G6 SFF is using the faster 3200 MT/s RAM. The HP ProDesk 400 G2 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 600 G6 SFF as it has the ability to run 128 GB of RAM. The HP ProDesk 400 G2 Microtower 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 600 G6 SFF has 10 USB ports. The HP ProDesk 400 G2 Microtower 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. What is nice about the HP ProDesk 600 G6 SFF, is that it has 3 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the HP ProDesk 400 G2 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.

Unfortunately, only the HP ProDesk 600 G6 SFF has a DisplayPort. The HP ProDesk 400 G2 Microtower does not have one? Don't worry though, nowadays video adapters are cheap and you can get almost any combination of conversion types.

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.

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 ProDesk 600 G6 SFF. Sadly, the HP ProDesk 400 G2 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 ProDesk 600 G6 SFF comes with a decent 210 Watt PSU, but the HP ProDesk 400 G2 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.