Dell OptiPlex 5000 SFF vs. Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Small

Comparison and Differences

Dell_OptiPlex_5000_SFF.jpg case front and back pannelLenovo_ThinkCentre_M73_Small.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorSmallSmall
CPU optionsIntel Gen 12 i3/i5/i7; PentiumIntel Gen4 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
ChipsetQ670H81
Dedicated GPU *AMD Radeon RX 6400 Low ProfileGeForce GTX 1650 Low Profile
RAMDIMM DDR4-3200DIMM DDR3-1600
RAM slots42
RAM speed3200 MT/s1600 MT/s
RAM max128 GB16 GB
USB ports(4x) USB-A 2.0; (5x) USB-A 3.0; USB-C 3.1;(2x)USB-A 3.0; (4x)USB-A 2.0;
Video ports(2x) Display Port 1.4a;DisplayPort; VGA;
Other portsRJ45; Audio; Line-Out/In;RJ45; Hdph; (2x) Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Serial; (2x) PS2;
Optional portsHDMI 2.0b/Displayport/VGA/PS2/serial/USB Type-C; SD-card slotParallel; Serial; Media card reader (USB 2.0);
SATA ports33
PCI slotsPCIe 4.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x4;PCIe 3.0 x16; (2x) PCIe 2.0 x1;
M.2 slotsM.2 2230/2280 (PCIe 4.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT) N.A.
Drive bays3.5in; 2.5in;2.5in; 3.5in; 5.25in;
PSU240/260/300 WTFX 240 W
Weight5.16 kg (11.39 lb)6.6 kg (14.55 lb)
Released20222013
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 OptiPlex 5000 SFF and Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Small

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Dell OptiPlex 5000 SFF which was released in 2022. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Small 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 Dell OptiPlex 5000 SFF as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Small is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

The Dell OptiPlex 5000 SFF has 4 RAM slots while the Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 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 OptiPlex 5000 SFF is using the faster 3200 MT/s RAM. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 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 OptiPlex 5000 SFF as it has the ability to run 128 GB of RAM. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 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 OptiPlex 5000 SFF has 10 USB ports. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 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. What is nice about the Dell OptiPlex 5000 SFF, is that it has 1 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Small has no such port, thus restricting your transfer speeds significantly. For people who want to use external drives on regular basis, this might be an issue.

DisplayPort is crucial for any desktop machine. It is good to see that both models are featuring DisplayPorts. However, the Dell OptiPlex 5000 SFF comes with 2 ports, while the Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Small has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the Dell OptiPlex 5000 SFF 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 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.

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 5000 SFF. Sadly, the Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 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 M73 Small comes with a decent 240 Watt PSU, but the Dell OptiPlex 5000 SFF has a more powerful one rated at 300 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_OptiPlex_5000_SFF_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutLenovo_ThinkCentre_M73_Small_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout