HP ProDesk 600 G1 Microtower vs. Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Tower

Comparison and Differences

HP_ProDesk_600_G1_Microtower.jpg case front and back pannelLenovo_ThinkCentre_M900_Tower.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMini TowerMini Tower
CPU optionsIntel Gen4 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;Intel Gen6 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
ChipsetQ85 Q170
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GTX 1660 SuperGeForce GTX 1660 Super
RAMDIMM DDR3-1600DIMM DDR4-2133
RAM slots44
RAM speed1600 MT/s2133 MT/s
RAM max32 GB64 GB
USB ports(4x)USB-A 3.0; (6x)USB-A 2.0;(8x)USB-A 3.0;
Video ports(2x) DisplayPort: VGA(2x) DisplayPort 1.2; VGA;
Other portsRJ45; Hdph; Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Serial; (2x) PS2;RJ45; Hdph; (2x) Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Serial;
Optional portsMedia card reader (USB 2.0); Serial; Parallel;2x USB-A 2.0; Media card reader (USB 2.0); (2x) PS2; eSATA;
SATA ports43
PCI slotsPCIe 3.0 x16; (3x) PCIe x1;PCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x1; PCIe 3.0 x16 (wired x4); M2 to PCI adapter (optional);
M.2 slotsN.A.M.2 (WiFi/BT or PCI extension card)
Drive bays2.5in; (2x) 3.5in; 5.25in; 5.25in (slim)(2x) 2.5/3.5in; (2x) 5.25in;
PSU320 WATX 250/400 W
Weight9.3 kg (20.5 lb)12.5 kg (27.5 lb)
Released20132015
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 600 G1 Microtower and Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Tower

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Tower which was released in 2015. The HP ProDesk 600 G1 Microtower 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 Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Tower as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that HP ProDesk 600 G1 Microtower 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 Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Tower is using the faster 2133 MT/s RAM. The HP ProDesk 600 G1 Microtower 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 Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Tower as it has the ability to run 64 GB of RAM. The HP ProDesk 600 G1 Microtower 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 HP ProDesk 600 G1 Microtower has 10 USB ports. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 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. 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 ports are placed on the system board and it is where you connect your HDD, SSD and Optical Disk Drives. More SATA slots will allow you to have more drives running at the same time. In this regard the HP ProDesk 600 G1 Microtower is better equipped as it comes with 4 SATA slot(s), while the Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Tower has 3 slot(s).

M.2 SSD interface allows you to transfer data with higher speeds compared to the old SATA interface. Unfortunately, neither the HP ProDesk 600 G1 Microtower, nor the Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Tower has one. However, you can still use a SATA SSD drive which should give you satisfactory performance.

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 600 G1 Microtower comes with a decent 320 Watt PSU, but the Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Tower has a more powerful one rated at 400 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_600_G1_Microtower_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutLenovo_ThinkCentre_M900_Tower_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout