Dell OptiPlex 5090 MT vs. Lenovo ThinkCentre M93 Tower

Comparison and Differences

Dell_OptiPlex_5090_MT.jpg case front and back pannelLenovo_ThinkCentre_M93_Tower.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMini TowerMini Tower
CPU optionsIntel Gen10&11 i3/i5/i7;Intel Gen4 i3/i5/i7;
ChipsetQ570Q87
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GTX 1660 SuperGeForce GTX 1660 Super
RAMDIMM DDR4-2666/2933/3200DIMM DDR3-1600
RAM slots44
RAM speed3200 MT/s1600 MT/s
RAM max128 GB32 GB
USB portsUSB 3.1 Type C; (x5) USB-A 3.0; (x4) USB-A 2.0;(6x)USB-A 3.0; (2x)USB-A 2.0;
Video ports(4x) Display Port 1.4; (x3) HDMI 2.0b; VGA;(2x) DisplayPort; VGA;
Other portsRJ45; Headset; Line-Out/In;RJ45; Hdph; (2x) Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Serial;
Optional portsVGA /DisplayPort 1.4/HDMI 2.0b/USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C Port Alt-mode; SD Card;(2x) PS2; Serial; Parallel; Media card reader (USB 2.0);
SATA ports44
PCI slotsPCIe 4.0 x16; PCIe 4.0 x4; (x2) PCIe x1;PCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 2.0 x1; PCIe 2.0 x16 (wired x4); PCI;
M.2 slotsM.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT) N.A.
Drive bays(x2) 3.5in; (2x) 2.5in; 5.25in (slim);(2x) 2.5/3.5in; (2x) 5.25in;
PSU260/300/360 WATX 280 W
Weight7.24 kg (15.95 lb)11.20 kg (24.69 lb)
Released20212013
Manuallinklink
Price**Check PriceCheck Price

** As an Amazon associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
* 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 5090 MT and Lenovo ThinkCentre M93 Tower

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Dell OptiPlex 5090 MT which was released in 2021. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M93 Tower 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 5090 MT as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Lenovo ThinkCentre M93 Tower is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

Both models have have equal amount of ram slots (4 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 5090 MT is using the faster 3200 MT/s RAM. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M93 Tower 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 5090 MT as it has the ability to run 128 GB of RAM. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M93 Tower can do a bit less at max 32 GB. Most of the times, this should be sufficient for the majority of users.

Ports

In total the Dell OptiPlex 5090 MT has 10 USB ports. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M93 Tower is inferior in this regard and packs 8 USB ports. In any case, if you miss USB ports, you can always purchase a USB hub. What is nice about the Dell OptiPlex 5090 MT, is that it has 3 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the Lenovo ThinkCentre M93 Tower has no such port, thus restricting your transfer speeds significantly. For people who want to use external drives on regular basis, this might be an issue.

DisplayPort is crucial for any desktop machine. It is good to see that both models are featuring DisplayPorts. However, the Dell OptiPlex 5090 MT comes with 4 ports, while the Lenovo ThinkCentre M93 Tower has only 2. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the Dell OptiPlex 5090 MT is the better choice.

The Dell OptiPlex 5090 MT comes with an HDMI port, while the Lenovo ThinkCentre M93 Tower 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 4 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 5090 MT. Sadly, the Lenovo ThinkCentre M93 Tower 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 M93 Tower comes with a decent 280 Watt PSU, but the Dell OptiPlex 5090 MT has a more powerful one rated at 360 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_5090_MT_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutLenovo_ThinkCentre_M93_Tower_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout