Dell OptiPlex 3050M vs. Lenovo ThinkCentre M600 Tiny

Comparison and Differences

Dell_OptiPlex_3050M.jpg case front and back pannelLenovo_ThinkCentre_M600_Tiny.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMicroMicro
CPU optionsIntel Gen6&7 i3/i5; Pentium; Celeron;Intel Braswell Celeron; Pentium;
ChipsetB250Integrated SoC
Dedicated GPU *N.A.N.A.
RAMSODIMM DDR4-2133/2400 SODIMM DDR3-1600
RAM slots21
RAM speed2400 MT/s1600 MT/s
RAM max32 GB8 GB
USB ports(4x) USB-A 3.0; (2x) USB-A 2.0; (4x)USB-A 3.0; (2x)USB-A 2.0;
Video portsDisplay Port 1.2; HDMI 1.4;(2x) DisplayPort;
Other portsRJ45; Headset; Line-Out; RJ45; Headset; Mic;
Optional portsDP1.2/VGA/Serial+PS2/Serial; WiFi antenna;VGA/HDMI/DP/Serial; WiFi antenna;
SATA ports11
PCI slotsN.A.N.A.
M.2 slotsM.2 2280/2242 M-key (PCIe 3.0 x2, NVMe) ; M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT) Optional M.2 2280/2242 M-key (SATA); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT);
Drive bays2.5in;2.5in;
PSU65 W65 W
Weight1.18 kg (2.6 lb)1.3 kg (2.9 lb)
Released20172015
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 3050M and Lenovo ThinkCentre M600 Tiny

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Dell OptiPlex 3050M which was released in 2017. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M600 Tiny is older and entered production in 2015.

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 3050M as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Lenovo ThinkCentre M600 Tiny is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

The Dell OptiPlex 3050M has 2 RAM slots while the Lenovo ThinkCentre M600 Tiny has only 1 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.

The Dell OptiPlex 3050M is using the faster 2400 MT/s RAM. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M600 Tiny is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 1600 MT/s. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Dell OptiPlex 3050M as it has the ability to run 32 GB of RAM. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M600 Tiny can do a bit less at max 8 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 6. 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 M600 Tiny comes with 2 ports, while the Dell OptiPlex 3050M has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the Lenovo ThinkCentre M600 Tiny is the better choice.

The Dell OptiPlex 3050M comes with an HDMI port, while the Lenovo ThinkCentre M600 Tiny 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 slots are located on the motherboard and it is where SSD, HDD and Optical Disk Drives are connected. Each of the two models being compared have 1 SATA slot(s). Keep in mind that having too few SATA slots might limit your options for connecting additional memory drives.

If you want the fastest transfer speeds for your SSD, an M.2 interface is crucial. Thus, if the M.2 SSD slot is a mandatory requirement for you, go with the Dell OptiPlex 3050M. Sadly, the Lenovo ThinkCentre M600 Tiny has no such slot, and you will be forced to use the SATA interface instead.

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

Looking at the Power Supply Unit (PSU) of the two models we don't see any differences. For either of them you get a maximum power of 65 Watts. However be careful, many models have more than one power supply option. When buying your computer, it is a good idea to get a version with the most powerful PSU. This will potentially allow you to upgrade to a more powerful GPU for example.

Motherboard

Dell_OptiPlex_3050M_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutLenovo_ThinkCentre_M600_Tiny_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout