HP ProDesk 490 G3 Microtower vs. Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Small

Comparison and Differences

HP_ProDesk_490_G3_Microtower.jpg case front and back pannelLenovo_ThinkCentre_M73_Small.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMini TowerSmall
CPU optionsIntel Gen6 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;Intel Gen4 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
ChipsetH110 H81
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GTX 1660 SuperGeForce GTX 1650 Low Profile
RAMDIMM DDR4-2133DIMM DDR3-1600
RAM slots42
RAM speed2133 MT/s1600 MT/s
RAM max64 GB16 GB
USB ports(6x)USB-A 3.0; (2x)USB-A 2.0; (2x)USB-A 3.0; (4x)USB-A 2.0;
Video portsDisplayPort; VGA;DisplayPort; VGA;
Other portsRJ45; Hdph; Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Serial; (2x) PS2; RJ45; Hdph; (2x) Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Serial; (2x) PS2;
Optional portsSD card reader; Serial; Parallel;Parallel; Serial; Media card reader (USB 2.0);
SATA ports33
PCI slotsPCIe 3.0 x16; (2x) PCIe x1; PCIe 3.0 x16 (wired x4); PCIe 3.0 x16; (2x) PCIe 2.0 x1;
M.2 slotsN.A.N.A.
Drive bays(2x) 3.5in; 5.25in (slim)2.5in; 3.5in; 5.25in;
PSU180/300 WTFX 240 W
Weight7.05 kg (15.5 lb)6.6 kg (14.55 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 HP ProDesk 490 G3 Microtower and Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Small

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the HP ProDesk 490 G3 Microtower which was released in 2015. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Small is older and entered production in 2013.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Small is the right one for you. It is smaller than the HP ProDesk 490 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 490 G3 Microtower 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 HP ProDesk 490 G3 Microtower 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 HP ProDesk 490 G3 Microtower is using the faster 2133 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 HP ProDesk 490 G3 Microtower as it has the ability to run 64 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 HP ProDesk 490 G3 Microtower has 8 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. 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.

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 ProDesk 490 G3 Microtower, nor the Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 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 M73 Small comes with a decent 240 Watt PSU, but the HP ProDesk 490 G3 Microtower 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

HP_ProDesk_490_G3_Microtower_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutLenovo_ThinkCentre_M73_Small_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout