HP ProDesk 600 G3 Microtower vs. Lenovo ThinkCentre M92 Small

Comparison and Differences

HP_ProDesk_600_G3_Microtower.jpg case front and back pannelLenovo_ThinkCentre_M92_Small.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMini TowerSmall
CPU optionsIntel Gen6&7 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;Intel Gen2&3 i3; Celeron; Pentium;
ChipsetQ270Q77
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GTX 1650 GeForce GTX 1650 Low Profile
RAMDIMM DDR4-2400DIMM DDR3-1600
RAM slots44
RAM speed2400 MT/s1600 MT/s
RAM max64 GB32 GB
USB portsUSB-C 3.0; (6x)USB-A 3.0; (4x)USB-A 2.0;(4x)USB-A 3.0; (4x)USB-A 2.0;
Video ports(2x) DisplayPort:DisplayPort; VGA;
Other portsRJ45; Headset; Line-Out; Line-In;RJ45; Hdph; (2x) Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Serial;
Optional portsDP/HDMI/VGA/USB-C(DP); Serial; SD card reader;DisplayPort; (2x) PS2; Serial; Parallel; Media card reader (USB 2.0);
SATA ports54
PCI slotsPCIe 3.0 x16; (2x) PCIe 3.0 x1; PCIe 3.0 x16 (wired x4);PCIe 2.0 x16; PCIe 2.0 x1; (2x) PCI;
M.2 slotsM.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe x4); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT);N.A.
Drive bays2.5in; (2x) 3.5in; 5.25in; 5.25in (slim);2.5/3.5in; 5.25in;
PSU180/250 WTFX 240 W
Weight7.35 kg (16.2 lb)7.5 kg (16.5 lb)
Released20172011
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 G3 Microtower and Lenovo ThinkCentre M92 Small

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the HP ProDesk 600 G3 Microtower which was released in 2017. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M92 Small is older and entered production in 2011.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Lenovo ThinkCentre M92 Small is the right one for you. It is smaller than the HP ProDesk 600 G3 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 600 G3 Microtower as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Lenovo ThinkCentre M92 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 (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 HP ProDesk 600 G3 Microtower is using the faster 2400 MT/s RAM. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M92 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 600 G3 Microtower as it has the ability to run 64 GB of RAM. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M92 Small 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 G3 Microtower has 11 USB ports. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M92 Small 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.

DisplayPort is crucial for any desktop machine. It is good to see that both models are featuring DisplayPorts. However, the HP ProDesk 600 G3 Microtower comes with 2 ports, while the Lenovo ThinkCentre M92 Small has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the HP ProDesk 600 G3 Microtower 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 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 G3 Microtower is better equipped as it comes with 5 SATA slot(s), while the Lenovo ThinkCentre M92 Small has 4 slot(s).

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 600 G3 Microtower. Sadly, the Lenovo ThinkCentre M92 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 M92 Small comes with a decent 240 Watt PSU, but the HP ProDesk 600 G3 Microtower 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_600_G3_Microtower_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutLenovo_ThinkCentre_M92_Small_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout