HP ProDesk 400 G5 SFF vs. Lenovo ThinkCentre M800 Tower

Comparison and Differences

HP_ProDesk_400_G5_SFF.jpg case front and back pannelLenovo_ThinkCentre_M800_Tower.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorSmallMini Tower
CPU optionsIntel Gen8 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;Intel Gen6 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
ChipsetB360Q150
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GT 1030 Low ProfileGeForce GTX 1650
RAMDIMM DDR4-2666DIMM DDR4-2133
RAM slots24
RAM speed2666 MT/s2133 MT/s
RAM max32 GB64 GB
USB ports(4x)USB-A 3.0; (4x)USB-A 2.0; (6x)USB-A 3.0; (2x)USB-A 2.0;
Video portsDisplayPort; VGA;(2x) DisplayPort 1.2; VGA;
Other portsRJ45; Headset; Line-In; Line-Out;RJ45; Hdph; (2x) Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Serial;
Optional portsSD card reader; Serial; Serial and (2x) PS2; DP/HDMI/VGA/USB-C(DP);2x USB-A 2.0; Media card reader (USB 2.0); (2x) PS2; eSATA;
SATA ports33
PCI slotsPCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x1;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 x4); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT) M.2 (WiFi/BT or PCI extension card)
Drive bays(2x)2.5/3.5in; 5.25in (slim)(2x) 2.5/3.5in; (2x) 5.25in;
PSU180 WATX 250
Weight4.6 kg (10.14 lb)12.5 kg (27.5 lb)
Released20182015
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 ProDesk 400 G5 SFF and Lenovo ThinkCentre M800 Tower

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the HP ProDesk 400 G5 SFF which was released in 2018. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M800 Tower is older and entered production in 2015.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the HP ProDesk 400 G5 SFF is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Lenovo ThinkCentre M800 Tower and will fit more easily under your desk.

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 HP ProDesk 400 G5 SFF 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

The Lenovo ThinkCentre M800 Tower has 4 RAM slots while the HP ProDesk 400 G5 SFF has only 2 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 HP ProDesk 400 G5 SFF 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. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Lenovo ThinkCentre M800 Tower as it has the ability to run 64 GB of RAM. The HP ProDesk 400 G5 SFF can do a bit less at max 32 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 8. 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 M800 Tower comes with 2 ports, while the HP ProDesk 400 G5 SFF has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the Lenovo ThinkCentre M800 Tower 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 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 HP ProDesk 400 G5 SFF. 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 HP ProDesk 400 G5 SFF comes with a decent 180 Watt PSU, but the Lenovo ThinkCentre M800 Tower has a more powerful one rated at 250 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

HP_ProDesk_400_G5_SFF_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutLenovo_ThinkCentre_M800_Tower_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout