Dell XPS 8930 vs. Lenovo ThinkCentre M800 Tower

Comparison and Differences

Dell_XPS_8930.jpg case front and back pannelLenovo_ThinkCentre_M800_Tower.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMini TowerMini Tower
CPU optionsIntel Gen8 i3/i5/i7;Intel Gen6 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
ChipsetZ370Q150
Dedicated GPU *GeForce RTX 2060 SuperGeForce GTX 1650
RAMDIMM DDR4-2666/2933DIMM DDR4-2133
RAM slots44
RAM speed2666 MT/s2133 MT/s
RAM max64 GB64 GB
USB portsUSB 3.1 Type C; USB 3.1 Type A; (2x) USB-A 2.0; (6x) USB-A 3.0;(6x)USB-A 3.0; (2x)USB-A 2.0;
Video portsHDMI 1.4; DisplayPort 1.2;(2x) DisplayPort 1.2; VGA;
Other portsRJ45; Mic; Headset; Card Reader;RJ45; Hdph; (2x) Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Serial;
Optional portsN.A.2x USB-A 2.0; Media card reader (USB 2.0); (2x) PS2; eSATA;
SATA ports33
PCI slotsPCIe 3.0 x16; (x2) PCIe x4;PCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x1; PCIe 3.0 x16 (wired x4); M2 to PCI adapter (optional);
M.2 slotsM.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT); M.2 (WiFi/BT or PCI extension card)
Drive bays(3x) 3.5in;(2x) 2.5/3.5in; (2x) 5.25in;
PSU460 WATX 250
Weight8.20 kg (18.08 lb)12.5 kg (27.5 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 XPS 8930 and Lenovo ThinkCentre M800 Tower

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Dell XPS 8930 which was released in 2017. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M800 Tower 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 XPS 8930 as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Lenovo ThinkCentre M800 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 XPS 8930 is using the faster 2666 MT/s RAM. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M800 Tower is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 2133 MT/s. In addition, you will be able to install the same amount of RAM in both models, and most probably 64 GB of RAM will be enough for most people. However, if you will be needing more RAM, make sure to check other desktop models too.

Ports

In total the Dell XPS 8930 has 10 USB ports. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M800 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 XPS 8930, is that it has 2 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the Lenovo ThinkCentre M800 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 Lenovo ThinkCentre M800 Tower comes with 2 ports, while the Dell XPS 8930 has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the Lenovo ThinkCentre M800 Tower is the better choice.

The Dell XPS 8930 comes with an HDMI port, while the Lenovo ThinkCentre M800 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 3 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 XPS 8930. Sadly, the Lenovo ThinkCentre M800 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 M800 Tower comes with a decent 250 Watt PSU, but the Dell XPS 8930 has a more powerful one rated at 460 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_XPS_8930_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutLenovo_ThinkCentre_M800_Tower_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout