Pros & Cons
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- Compact chassis with some internal expansion space.
- Generous port selection.
- Easy to service.
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- Half-height PCIe slots.
- Lacks integrated Wi-Fi.
Dell Optiplex 3040 Small Form Factor Specs
| All-in-One Screen Type | 0 |
| Graphics Card | Intel HD Graphics 530 |
| Operating System | Windows 10 Pro |
| Optical Drive | external |
| Processor | Intel Core i5-6500 |
| Processor Speed | 3.2 |
| RAM (as Tested) | 8 |
The Dell Optiplex 3040 Small Form Factor ($767.50 as tested) is a utilitarian midrange business desktop. It might look like every other desktop in your organization, but this one has been updated with a sixth-generation Intel Core i5 processor, which makes a difference when you're calculating a 10,000-cell spreadsheet or prepping files for prepress proofing. A small form factor (SFF) case means that it doesn't take up as much space as a traditional desktop would. But it still has some internal expansion room, which makes it a bit larger than our current Editors' Choice for midrange business systems, the Polywell B150L2-i7. That said, the Optiplex 3040 SFF would be a capable addition to your company's arsenal.
Design and Features
Measuring 11.4 by 3.6 by 11.5 inches (HWD), the Optiplex 3040 SFF will fit on most cubicle and open-workspace desks. The Polywell B150L2-i7 is even more compact (1.75 by 8 by 8 inches (HWD) but has very little internal expansion space. The Optiplex 3040 SFF is also larger than the Dell Optiplex 9020 Micro and Lenovo ThinkCentre M83 Tiny, speaking of systems with zero internal expansion.
View All The Optiplex 3040 SFF has room inside for an additional memory DIMM (two total, one filled), a half-height PCIe x1 card, and a half-height PCIe x16 graphics card. Since they are half-height, you won't be able to install a full-height card such as the Nvidia GeForce GTX 960. Other SFF systems, including the Lenovo ThinkStation P300 SFF, have the same restrictions for PCIe cards. Like other Dell Optiplex systems, the Optiplex 3040 SFF has a tool-less hard drive bracket and expansion slots: You won't need a screwdriver for most component swaps, which will save time on repairs.
Business systems like the Optiplex 3040 SFF come with Microsoft Windows 10 and hardware drivers preinstalled, and thankfully, there's not much preloaded software on the 1TB hard drive. The 8GB of memory is perfectly suited for general business tasks and multitasking in your Web browser and office apps such as Microsoft Word and PowerPoint. The system has a free DIMM slot in case you want to upgrade to accommodate huge 500,000-cell Excel spreadsheets or database work. (It costs an extra $91 to upgrade to 16GB when you order). The Optiplex 3040 SFF also comes with a basic USB-wired keyboard and mouse.
