Dell OptiPlex 3080 MT, Mini Tower PC, 10th Gen, Intel Core I3-10105, 4GB RAM DDR4, 1TB HDD, Ubuntu, No ODD, 18.5inch Monitor E1916HV Black

The Dell OptiPlex 3080 MT is a pre-built business desktop computer first released in 2020. The motherboard is using the B460 chipset and supports 10th gen Intel Core processor, and 64GB of DIMM DDR4-2666 memory.

Dell OptiPlex 3080 MT is a Mini Tower form factor computer. The Mini Tower is the largest chassis in the business class desktops segment. If you are looking for a system with maximum upgradability, Dell OptiPlex 3080 MT is a good option. Models in this category usually have 4x PCIe slots, several drive bays and better cooling.

Windows 11 compatibility

Yes, Dell OptiPlex 3080 MT is compatible with Windows 11. According to Windows 11 specification, all models that have Intel 8th Gen processors (or newer) with TPM 2.0 support and a UEFI BIOS with Secure boot, are eligible to upgrade form Windows 10 to Windows 11 through Windows Update.

Processor

The Dell OptiPlex 3080 MT supports Gen10 Intel Core technology. Intel released its 10th generation of Intel Core processors in 2019. This update is more significant to the company's lineup than previous generations. This is because the 10th generation is using 10nm manufacturing process. The new technology brings more energy efficient CPUs which is especially important for mobile devices.

Memory

Dell OptiPlex 3080 MT has two RAM slots. This is more than enough for most users. For those of you who need extra flexibility and RAM size, go for a model with 4 memory slots.

To cover the needs of your OS, games, and apps, Dell OptiPlex 3080 MT supports up to 64 GB of DIMM DDR4-2666 RAM. For office work, home use, and light gaming we recommend 8GB of RAM. For everything else, use 16GB or more.

Faster RAM speeds permit your processor to access the data stored inside the memory faster. This is important for the overall speed of your system. The motherboard of the Dell OptiPlex 3080 MT supports RAM speeds of up to 2666 MT/s.

Wi-Fi Support

Dell OptiPlex 3080 MT comes equipped with an on-board M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT) slot. This slot is used for a Wi-Fi and Bluetooth combo card.

Ports

Ports are important and often people don't think about them when buying a PC. For example, if you don't have enough USB ports, using external devices becomes problematic. Before you buy any system, considering your use case, check the number of external devices you are going to use and plan the number of the extension ports accordingly.

USB ports

The Dell OptiPlex 3080 MT comes with eight USB ports in total. Having more USB ports is always better, but also pay attention to the version of those USB ports. Higher version ports support faster transfer speeds. Unfortunately, this model doesn't come with a USB 3.1 port. If you need a faster connection for your peripherals, like external Solid State Drive, you will need to choose another model.

Video ports

The DisplayPort (DP) is the most widely used digital interface for transmitting digital video and audio between display devices and PCs. It is good to see that the Dell OptiPlex 3080 MT is featuring a DisplayPort 1.4. The post version is important if you target higher resolutions with high refresh rate. Although, ver. 1.2 is completely fine for most users, if possible, aim for the higher versions DisplayPort.

The HDMI port is another digital video port you can use to connect external display. It has very similar capabilities to the DisplayPort with few exceptions. Dell OptiPlex 3080 MT comes with one HDMI 1.4 port(s) on the motherboard. In case your monitor supports another interface, you can always use an adapter.

*Please keep in mind in order to use the video ports available through the motherboard, you need a CPU with integrated graphics card. If you have a dedicated GPU, use his ports instead.

SSD storage - M.2 sockets and SATA ports

The SATA port is one of the places where you can connect a stora gedevice. The Dell OptiPlex 3080 MT comes with three SATA port(s). Not enough SATA ports might limit your options for additional storage devices. Think about your use case and decide if the SATA ports provided by this model will be sufficient.

Dell OptiPlex 3080 MT has also one M.2 socket(s) that supports both PCIe NVMe (PCIe 3.0 x4) and SATA M.2 drives with speed of up to 3 GB/s. This configuration works very well for both gaming and work related tasks.

The M.2 PCIe SSD connector in combination with an NVMe drive allows for higher transfer rates, compared to the old SATA interface. In some situations, NVMe device connected to the M.2 PCIe socket can be more than 5 times faster.

Power Supply

The Dell OptiPlex 3080 MT comes with a 260 Watt PSU. Having a power supply with high power rating is important, especially if you are doing upgrade with addtional components, like dedicated GPU and more HDDs. Will this 260 W be enough, it all depends on your specific use. Please keep in mind that some models might have more than one PSU option. Whenever possible get the most powerful one, as it might make future upgrades easier.