Dell OptiPlex 3040M vs. Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Small

Comparison and Differences

Dell_OptiPlex_3040M.jpg case front and back pannelLenovo_ThinkCentre_M900_Small.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMicroSmall
CPU optionsIntel Gen6 i3/i5; Pentium; Celeron; Intel Gen6 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
ChipsetH110Q170
Dedicated GPU *N.A.GeForce GT 1030 Low Profile
RAMSODIMM DDR3L-1600 DIMM DDR4-2133
RAM slots24
RAM speed1600 MT/s2133 MT/s
RAM max16 GB64 GB
USB ports(4x) USB-A 3.0; (2x) USB-A 2.0; (8x)USB-A 3.0;
Video portsDisplay Port 1.2; HDMI 1.4;(2x) DisplayPort 1.2; VGA;
Other portsRJ45; Headset; Line-Out; RJ45; Hdph; (2x) Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Serial;
Optional portsSerial+PS2/Serial/VGA; WiFi antenna;2x USB-A 2.0; Media card reader (USB 2.0); (2x) PS2; eSATA;
SATA ports13
PCI slotsN.A.PCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x1; PCIe 3.0 x16 (wired x4); M2 to PCI adapter (optional);
M.2 slotsM.2 2230 (WiFi/BT)M.2 (WiFi/BT or PCI extension card)
Drive bays2.5in;2.5in; 2.5/3.5in; 5.25in (slim);
PSU65 WTFX 210 W
Weight1.28 kg (2.82 lb)9 kg (19.8 lbs)
Released20152015
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 3040M and Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Small

Both computers, the Dell OptiPlex 3040M and the Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Small, were released during the same year - 2015.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Dell OptiPlex 3040M is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Small and will fit more easily under your desk.

Processor

The two models have the same generation of Intel processors. We think that the 6 generation of Intel Processors have enough power to execute all of the home and office tasks that most people will care to do.

Memory

The Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Small has 4 RAM slots while the Dell OptiPlex 3040M 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 Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Small is using the faster 2133 MT/s RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 3040M 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 Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Small as it has the ability to run 64 GB of RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 3040M 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 Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Small has 8 USB ports. The Dell OptiPlex 3040M 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.

DisplayPort is crucial for any desktop machine. It is good to see that both models are featuring DisplayPorts. However, the Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Small comes with 2 ports, while the Dell OptiPlex 3040M has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Small is the better choice.

The Dell OptiPlex 3040M comes with an HDMI port, while the Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 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 Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Small is better equipped as it comes with 3 SATA slot(s), while the Dell OptiPlex 3040M has 1 slot(s).

M.2 SSD interface allows you to transfer data with higher speeds compared to the old SATA interface. Unfortunately, neither the Dell OptiPlex 3040M, nor the Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 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 Dell OptiPlex 3040M comes with a decent 65 Watt PSU, but the Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Small has a more powerful one rated at 210 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_3040M_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutLenovo_ThinkCentre_M900_Small_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout