Dell OptiPlex 3040 SFF vs. Lenovo ThinkCentre M93 Small Pro

Comparison and Differences

Dell_OptiPlex_3040_SFF.jpg case front and back pannelLenovo_ThinkCentre_M93_Small_Pro.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorSmallSmall
CPU optionsIntel Gen6 i3/i5; Pentium; Celeron; Intel Gen4 i3/i5/i7; Pentium;
ChipsetH110Q87
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GT 1030 Low ProfileGeForce GTX 1650 Low Profile
RAMDIMM DDR3L-1600 DIMM DDR3-1600
RAM slots24
RAM speed1600 MT/s1600 MT/s
RAM max16 GB32 GB
USB ports(4x) USB-A 3.0; (4x) USB-A 2.0; (6x)USB-A 3.0; (2x)USB-A 2.0;
Video portsDisplay Port 1.2; HDMI 1.4;(2x) DisplayPort; VGA;
Other portsRJ45; Headset; Line-Out; RJ45; Hdph; (2x) Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Serial;
Optional portsSerial+PS2; VGA; Media Card Reader;(2x) PS2; Serial; Parallel; Media card reader (USB 2.0);
SATA ports24
PCI slotsPCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x1; PCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 2.0 x1; PCIe 2.0 x16 (wired x4); PCI;
M.2 slotsN.A.N.A.
Drive bays3.5in/2.5in; 5.25in (slim); 2.5in; 2.5/3.5in; 5.25in;
PSU180 WTFX 240 W
Weight6.1 kg (13.45 lb)7.8 kg (17.20 lb)
Released20152013
Manuallinklink
Price**Check PriceCheck 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 M93 Small Pro

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 M93 Small Pro is older and entered production in 2013.

Both models have the same form factor, meaning reoughtly they have the same phiysical size and form.

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 M93 Small Pro is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

The Lenovo ThinkCentre M93 Small Pro 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 M93 Small Pro 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.

DisplayPort is crucial for any desktop machine. It is good to see that both models are featuring DisplayPorts. However, the Lenovo ThinkCentre M93 Small Pro comes with 2 ports, while the Dell OptiPlex 3040 SFF has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the Lenovo ThinkCentre M93 Small Pro is the better choice.

The Dell OptiPlex 3040 SFF comes with an HDMI port, while the Lenovo ThinkCentre M93 Small Pro 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 M93 Small Pro 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 M93 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 Dell OptiPlex 3040 SFF comes with a decent 180 Watt PSU, but the Lenovo ThinkCentre M93 Small Pro has a more powerful one rated at 240 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

Dell_OptiPlex_3040_SFF_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutLenovo_ThinkCentre_M93_Small_Pro_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout