HP EliteDesk 800 G1 Mini vs. Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Tiny

Comparison and Differences

HP_EliteDesk_800_G1_Mini.jpg case front and back pannelLenovo_ThinkCentre_M73_Tiny.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMicroMicro
CPU optionsIntel Gen4 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;Intel Gen4 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
ChipsetQ87H81
Dedicated GPU *N.A.N.A.
RAMSODIMM DDR3-1600 SODIMM DDR3-1600
RAM slots22
RAM speed1600 MT/s1600 MT/s
RAM max16 GB16 GB
USB ports(6x)USB-A 3.0;(2x)USB-A 3.0; (3x) USB-A 2.0;
Video ports(2x) DisplayPort 1.2; VGA;DisplayPort; VGA;
Other ports RJ45; Hdph; Mic; Line-Out;RJ45; Hdph; Mic;
Optional portsN.A.USB-A 2.0; Serial; WiFi antenna;
SATA ports11
PCI slotsN.A.Mini PCIe
M.2 slotsM.2 2280 M-key (PCIe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT)M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT)
Drive bays2.5in;2.5in
PSU65 W65 W
Weight1.3 kg (2.9 lb)1.3 kg (2.9 lb)
Released20142013
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 HP EliteDesk 800 G1 Mini and Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Tiny

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the HP EliteDesk 800 G1 Mini which was released in 2014. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Tiny 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

The two models have the same generation of Intel processors. We think that the 4 generation of Intel Processors have enough power to execute all of the home and office tasks that most people will care to do.

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.

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. In addition, you will be able to install the same amount of RAM in both models, and most probably 16 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 Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Tiny has 5 USB ports. The HP EliteDesk 800 G1 Mini is inferior in this regard and packs 4 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 HP EliteDesk 800 G1 Mini comes with 2 ports, while the Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Tiny has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the HP EliteDesk 800 G1 Mini 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 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 HP EliteDesk 800 G1 Mini. Sadly, the Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 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

HP_EliteDesk_800_G1_Mini_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutLenovo_ThinkCentre_M73_Tiny_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout