HP EliteDesk 800 G1 SFF vs. Lenovo ThinkCentre Edge 72 Small

Differences between HP EliteDesk 800 G1 SFF and Lenovo ThinkCentre Edge 72 Small

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the HP EliteDesk 800 G1 SFF which was released in 2013. The Lenovo ThinkCentre Edge 72 Small is older and entered production in 2012.

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 HP EliteDesk 800 G1 SFF as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Lenovo ThinkCentre Edge 72 Small is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

The HP EliteDesk 800 G1 SFF has 4 RAM slots while the Lenovo ThinkCentre Edge 72 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.

None of the desktops has an advantage when it comes to the speed of the RAM being used. Both models support RAM speeds of up to 1600. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the HP EliteDesk 800 G1 SFF as it has the ability to run 32 GB of RAM. The Lenovo ThinkCentre Edge 72 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 EliteDesk 800 G1 SFF has 10 USB ports. The Lenovo ThinkCentre Edge 72 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.

Unfortunately, only the HP EliteDesk 800 G1 SFF has a DisplayPort. The Lenovo ThinkCentre Edge 72 Small does not have one? Don't worry though, nowadays video adapters are cheap and you can get almost any combination of conversion types.

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.

M.2 SSD interface allows you to transfer data with higher speeds compared to the old SATA interface. Unfortunately, neither the HP EliteDesk 800 G1 SFF, nor the Lenovo ThinkCentre Edge 72 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 Edge 72 Small comes with a decent 180 Watt PSU, but the HP EliteDesk 800 G1 SFF has a more powerful one rated at 320 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