Dell XPS 8900 vs. Lenovo ThinkCentre E73 Small

Comparison and Differences

Dell_XPS_8900.jpg case front and back pannelLenovo_ThinkCentre_E73_Small.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMini TowerSmall
CPU optionsIntel Gen6 i3/i5/i7;Intel Gen4 i3/i5/i7; Pentium;
ChipsetZ170H81
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GTX 1080 TiGeForce GT 1030 Low Profile
RAMDIMM DDR4-2133/2400 DIMM DDR3-1600
RAM slots42
RAM speed2133 MT/s1600 MT/s
RAM max64 GB16 GB
USB ports(4x) USB-A 2.0; (6x) USB 3.0;(2x)USB-A 3.0; (4x)USB-A 2.0;
Video portsHDMI 1.4; DisplayPort 1.2;DisplayPort; VGA;
Other portsRJ45; Mic; Headset; Card Reader;RJ45; Hdph; (2x) Mic; Line-Out; Line-In;
Optional portsN.A.Serial; Media card reader (USB 2.0);
SATA ports53
PCI slotsPCIe 3.0 x16; (x2) PCIe x4;PCIe 3.0 x16; (2x) PCIe 2.0 x1;
M.2 slotsM.2 2230 (WiFi/BT)N.A.
Drive bays(3x) 3.5in; (2x) 5.25in;2.5in; 2.5/3.5in; 5.25in;
PSU460 WATX 180 W
Weight13.3 kg (29.32 lb)6.0 kg (13.2 lb)
Released20152013
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 Dell XPS 8900 and Lenovo ThinkCentre E73 Small

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Dell XPS 8900 which was released in 2015. 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 Dell XPS 8900 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 Dell XPS 8900 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

The Dell XPS 8900 has 4 RAM slots while the Lenovo ThinkCentre E73 Small 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 Dell XPS 8900 is using the faster 2133 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 Dell XPS 8900 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 Dell XPS 8900 has 10 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.

The Dell XPS 8900 comes with an HDMI port, while the Lenovo ThinkCentre E73 Small does not support the interface. Of course missing HDMI port is something that can be easily fixed with a good adapter (e.g. DisplayPort to HDMI).

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 Dell XPS 8900 is better equipped as it comes with 5 SATA slot(s), while the Lenovo ThinkCentre E73 Small 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 Dell XPS 8900, nor the Lenovo ThinkCentre E73 Small 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 Lenovo ThinkCentre E73 Small comes with a decent 180 Watt PSU, but the Dell XPS 8900 has a more powerful one rated at 460 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

Dell_XPS_8900_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutLenovo_ThinkCentre_E73_Small_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout