Dell OptiPlex 7070 SFF vs. Lenovo ThinkCentre Edge 72 Tower
Comparison and Differences
| Model | Dell OptiPlex 7070 SFF | Lenovo ThinkCentre Edge 72 Tower |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | Small | Mini Tower |
| CPU options | Intel Gen8&9 i3/i5/i7; | Intel Gen2&3 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium; |
| Chipset | Q370 | H61 |
| Dedicated GPU * | GeForce GTX 1650 Low Profile | Radeon RX 550 |
| RAM | DIMM DDR4-2400/2666 | DIMM DDR3-1600 |
| RAM slots | 4 | 2 |
| RAM speed | 2666 MT/s | 1600 MT/s |
| RAM max | 64 GB | 16 GB |
| USB ports | USB 3.1 Type C; (5x) USB-A 3.0; (4x) USB-A 2.0; | (6x)USB-A 2.0; |
| Video ports | (2x) Display Port 1.2; | DVI-D; VGA; |
| Other ports | RJ45; Headset; Line-Out; Serial; (2x) PS2; | RJ45; Hdph; (2x) Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; |
| Optional ports | HDMI2.0b/DP1.2/VGA/USB Type-C (DP Alt Mode); Media Card Reader; WiFi antenna; | Serial; Media card reader (USB 2.0); |
| SATA ports | 3 | 3 |
| PCI slots | PCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x4 (open ended); | PCIe 2.0 x16; (2x) PCIe 2.0 x1; |
| M.2 slots | M.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe 3.0 x4, SATA); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT) | N.A. |
| Drive bays | 3.5-inch/(2x)2.5-inch; 5.25-inch (slim); | (2x) 2.5/3.5-inch; 5.25-inch; |
| PSU | 200 W | ATX 180 W |
| Weight | 5.26 kg (11.57 lb) | 7.5 kg (16.53 Ib) |
| Released | 2019 | 2012 |
| Manual | link | link |
| Price** | Check Price | Check Price |
Differences between Dell OptiPlex 7070 SFF and Lenovo ThinkCentre Edge 72 Tower
If a more modern desktop is what you are looking for, then you should go with the Dell OptiPlex 7070 SFF which was released in 2019. The Lenovo ThinkCentre Edge 72 Tower is older and entered production in 2012.
If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Dell OptiPlex 7070 SFF is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Lenovo ThinkCentre Edge 72 Tower 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 OptiPlex 7070 SFF as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Lenovo ThinkCentre Edge 72 Tower is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.
Memory
The Dell OptiPlex 7070 SFF has 4 RAM slots while the Lenovo ThinkCentre Edge 72 Tower has only 2 slot(s). Of course this is not something to worry about. Just make sure you take it into consideration when planning how much RAM will your system be using.
The Dell OptiPlex 7070 SFF is using the faster 2666 MT/s RAM. The Lenovo ThinkCentre Edge 72 Tower is slower by supporting RAM speeds of only up to 1600 MT/s. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Dell OptiPlex 7070 SFF as it has the ability to run 64 GB of RAM. The Lenovo ThinkCentre Edge 72 Tower can do a bit less at max 16 GB. Most of the times, this should be sufficient for most users.Ports
In total the Dell OptiPlex 7070 SFF has 10 USB ports. The Lenovo ThinkCentre Edge 72 Tower is inferior in this regard and packs 6 USB ports. What is nice about the Dell OptiPlex 7070 SFF, is that it has 1 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the Lenovo ThinkCentre Edge 72 Tower has no such port, thus restricting your transfer speeds a bit.
Unfortunately, only the Dell OptiPlex 7070 SFF has a DisplayPort. The Lenovo ThinkCentre Edge 72 Tower does not have one? Don't worry though, nowadays video adapters are cheap and you can get almost any combination of mode conversion.
None of the models has an HDMI port. If your monitor supports only the HDMI interface, you will need to buy an adapter.
SATA slot is where SSD, HDD and Optical Disk Drives are connected. Each of the two models being compared have 3 SATA slots.
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 Dell OptiPlex 7070 SFF. Sadly, the Lenovo ThinkCentre Edge 72 Tower has no such slot, and you will be forced to use the SATA interface instead.
Remark: Make sure that the M.2 slot supports the PCIe (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 6 Gb/s, while the PCIe 3.0 x4 will support speeds up to 32 Gb/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 Tower comes with a decent 180 Watt PSU, but the Dell OptiPlex 7070 SFF has a more powerful one rated at 200 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.
Motherboard
