Dell OptiPlex 3040 SFF vs. Lenovo ThinkCentre M82 Tower

Comparison and Differences

Dell_OptiPlex_3040_SFF.jpg case front and back pannel

Lenovo_ThinkCentre_M82_Tower.jpg case front and back pannel

Model
Form factor	Small	Mini Tower
CPU options	Intel Gen6 i3/i5; Pentium; Celeron;	Intel Gen2&3 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
Chipset	H110	Q75
Dedicated GPU *	GeForce GT 1030 Low Profile	GeForce GTX 1660 Super
RAM	DIMM DDR3L-1600	DIMM DDR3-1600
RAM slots	2	4
RAM speed	1600 MT/s	1600 MT/s
RAM max	16 GB	32 GB
USB ports	(4x) USB-A 3.0; (4x) USB-A 2.0;	(4x)USB-A 3.0; (4x)USB-A 2.0;
Video ports	Display Port 1.2; HDMI 1.4;	DisplayPort; VGA;
Other ports	RJ45; Headset; Line-Out;	RJ45; Hdph; (2x) Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Serial;
Optional ports	Serial+PS2; VGA; Media Card Reader;	DisplayPort; (2x) PS2; Serial; Media card reader (USB 2.0);
SATA ports	2	4
PCI slots	PCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x1;	PCIe 2.0 x16; PCIe 2.0 x1; (2x) PCI;
M.2 slots	N.A.	N.A.
Drive bays	3.5in/2.5in; 5.25in (slim);	(2x) 2.5/3.5in; (2x) 5.25in;
PSU	180 W	ATX 280/450 W
Weight	6.1 kg (13.45 lb)	11 kg (24.25 lb)
Released	2015	2012
Manual	link	link
Price**	Check Price	Check 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 OptiPlex 3040 SFF and Lenovo ThinkCentre M82 Tower

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Dell OptiPlex 3040 SFF which was released in 2015. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M82 Tower is older and entered production in 2012.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Dell OptiPlex 3040 SFF is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Lenovo ThinkCentre M82 Tower 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 OptiPlex 3040 SFF as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Lenovo ThinkCentre M82 Tower is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

The Lenovo ThinkCentre M82 Tower has 4 RAM slots while the Dell OptiPlex 3040 SFF 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 1600. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Lenovo ThinkCentre M82 Tower as it has the ability to run 32 GB of RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 3040 SFF can do a bit less at max 16 GB. Most of the times, this should be sufficient for the majority of users.

Ports

Both models have the same amount of USB ports for total count of 8. If this is not enough, using a USB hub is always a viable option. 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.

The DisplayPort is usually the more popular video port used with desktops and laptops, while the HDMI is used predominantly in consumer electronics. That's why, it is good to see that both of the models come with a DisplayPort.

The Dell OptiPlex 3040 SFF comes with an HDMI port, while the Lenovo ThinkCentre M82 Tower 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 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 Lenovo ThinkCentre M82 Tower is better equipped as it comes with 4 SATA slot(s), while the Dell OptiPlex 3040 SFF has 2 slot(s).

M.2 SSD interface allows you to transfer data with higher speeds compared to the old SATA interface. Unfortunately, neither the Dell OptiPlex 3040 SFF, nor the Lenovo ThinkCentre M82 Tower 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 OptiPlex 3040 SFF comes with a decent 180 Watt PSU, but the Lenovo ThinkCentre M82 Tower has a more powerful one rated at 450 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.