Dell OptiPlex 3020 MT vs. Lenovo ThinkCentre M93p Small Pro
Comparison and Differences
Differences between Dell OptiPlex 3020 MT and Lenovo ThinkCentre M93p Small Pro
Both computers, the Dell OptiPlex 3020 MT and the Lenovo ThinkCentre M93p Small Pro, were released during the same year - 2013.
If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Lenovo ThinkCentre M93p Small Pro is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Dell OptiPlex 3020 MT and will fit more easily under your desk.
Processor
The two models have the same generation of Intel processors. We think that the 4 generation of Intel Processors have enough power to execute all of the home and office tasks that most people will care to do.
Memory
The Lenovo ThinkCentre M93p Small Pro has 4 RAM slots while the Dell OptiPlex 3020 MT 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 M93p Small Pro as it has the ability to run 32 GB of RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 3020 MT 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.
DisplayPort is crucial for any desktop machine. It is good to see that both models are featuring DisplayPorts. However, the Lenovo ThinkCentre M93p Small Pro comes with 2 ports, while the Dell OptiPlex 3020 MT has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the Lenovo ThinkCentre M93p Small Pro is the better choice.
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 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 M93p Small Pro is better equipped as it comes with 4 SATA slot(s), while the Dell OptiPlex 3020 MT has 3 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 3020 MT, nor the Lenovo ThinkCentre M93p Small Pro 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 Lenovo ThinkCentre M93p Small Pro comes with a decent 240 Watt PSU, but the Dell OptiPlex 3020 MT has a more powerful one rated at 290 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
