HP ProDesk 480 G6 Microtower vs. Lenovo ThinkCentre E73 Small

Comparison and Differences

HP_ProDesk_480_G6_Microtower.jpg case front and back pannelLenovo_ThinkCentre_E73_Small.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMini TowerSmall
CPU optionsIntel Gen8 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;Intel Gen4 i3/i5/i7; Pentium;
ChipsetB360H81
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GTX 1660 SuperGeForce 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 3.0; (4x)USB-A 2.0; (2x)USB-A 3.0; (4x)USB-A 2.0;
Video portsDisplayPort; VGA;DisplayPort; VGA;
Other portsRJ45; Headset; Line-In; Line-Out;RJ45; Hdph; (2x) Mic; Line-Out; Line-In;
Optional portsSD card reader; Serial; Serial and (2x) PS2; DP/HDMI/VGA/USB-C;Serial; Media card reader (USB 2.0);
SATA ports33
PCI slotsPCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x16 (wired x4); PCI;PCIe 3.0 x16; (2x) PCIe 2.0 x1;
M.2 slotsM.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe x4); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT) N.A.
Drive bays2.5/3.5in; 3.5in; 5.25in (slim);2.5in; 2.5/3.5in; 5.25in;
PSU180/250/310 WATX 180 W
Weight5.47 kg (12.0 lb)6.0 kg (13.2 lb)
Released20182013
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 480 G6 Microtower and Lenovo ThinkCentre E73 Small

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the HP ProDesk 480 G6 Microtower which was released in 2018. The Lenovo ThinkCentre E73 Small is older and entered production in 2013.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Lenovo ThinkCentre E73 Small is the right one for you. It is smaller than the HP ProDesk 480 G6 Microtower 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 480 G6 Microtower 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 HP ProDesk 480 G6 Microtower 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 HP ProDesk 480 G6 Microtower 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 HP ProDesk 480 G6 Microtower 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.

The DisplayPort is usually the more popular video port used with desktops and laptops, while the HDMI is used predominantly in consumer electronics. That's why, it is good to see that both of the models come with a DisplayPort.

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 480 G6 Microtower. 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 HP ProDesk 480 G6 Microtower has a more powerful one rated at 310 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_480_G6_Microtower_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutLenovo_ThinkCentre_E73_Small_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout