Dell OptiPlex 3090 SFF vs. Lenovo ThinkCentre E73 Small

Comparison and Differences

Dell_OptiPlex_3090_SFF.jpg case front and back pannelLenovo_ThinkCentre_E73_Small.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorSmallSmall
CPU optionsIntel Gen 10 i3/i5/i7/i9; PentiumIntel Gen4 i3/i5/i7; Pentium;
ChipsetQ470H81
Dedicated GPU *AMD Radeon RX 6400 Low ProfileGeForce GT 1030 Low Profile
RAMDIMM DDR4-2666DIMM DDR3-1600
RAM slots22
RAM speed2666 MT/s1600 MT/s
RAM max64 GB16 GB
USB ports(4x) USB-A 2.0; (4x) USB-A 3.0;(2x)USB-A 3.0; (4x)USB-A 2.0;
Video portsDisplay Port 1.4a; HDMI 1.4b;DisplayPort; VGA;
Other portsRJ45; Audio; Line-Out/In;RJ45; Hdph; (2x) Mic; Line-Out; Line-In;
Optional portsHDMI 2.0b/Displayport/VGA;Serial; Media card reader (USB 2.0);
SATA ports23
PCI slotsPCIe 3.0 x16; (2x) PCIe 3.0 x1;PCIe 3.0 x16; (2x) PCIe 2.0 x1;
M.2 slotsM.2 2230/2280 (PCIe 4.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT) N.A.
Drive bays3.5in; 2.5in; 5.25in (slim);2.5in; 2.5/3.5in; 5.25in;
PSU200 WATX 180 W
Weight5.10 kg (11.25 lb)6.0 kg (13.2 lb)
Released20212013
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 3090 SFF and Lenovo ThinkCentre E73 Small

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Dell OptiPlex 3090 SFF which was released in 2021. The Lenovo ThinkCentre E73 Small 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 3090 SFF as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Lenovo ThinkCentre E73 Small is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

Both models have have equal amount of ram slots (2 RAM). Usually two RAM slots are more than enough for most cases. However, the count should be taken into account when planning how much and what combination of RAM you are going to need for your system.

The Dell OptiPlex 3090 SFF is using the faster 2666 MT/s RAM. The Lenovo ThinkCentre E73 Small 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 3090 SFF as it has the ability to run 64 GB of RAM. The Lenovo ThinkCentre E73 Small can do a bit less at max 16 GB. Most of the times, this should be sufficient for the majority of users.

Ports

In total the Dell OptiPlex 3090 SFF has 8 USB ports. The Lenovo ThinkCentre E73 Small is inferior in this regard and packs 6 USB ports. In any case, if you miss USB ports, you can always purchase a USB hub. 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 Dell OptiPlex 3090 SFF comes with 2 ports, while the Lenovo ThinkCentre E73 Small has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the Dell OptiPlex 3090 SFF 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 E73 Small is better equipped as it comes with 3 SATA slot(s), while the Dell OptiPlex 3090 SFF has 2 slot(s).

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 3090 SFF. Sadly, the Lenovo ThinkCentre E73 Small 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

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 E73 Small comes with a decent 180 Watt PSU, but the Dell OptiPlex 3090 SFF has a more powerful one rated at 200 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_3090_SFF_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutLenovo_ThinkCentre_E73_Small_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout