Dell OptiPlex 5040 SFF vs. Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Tiny

Differences between Dell OptiPlex 5040 SFF and Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Tiny

Both computers, the Dell OptiPlex 5040 SFF and the Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Tiny, were released during the same year - 2015.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Tiny is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Dell OptiPlex 5040 SFF 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 Dell OptiPlex 5040 SFF has 4 RAM slots while the Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Tiny 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 Tiny is using the faster 2133 MT/s RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 5040 SFF 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 Tiny as it has the ability to run 32 GB of RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 5040 SFF 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 5040 SFF has 10 USB ports. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Tiny 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.

The Dell OptiPlex 5040 SFF comes with an HDMI port, while the Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Tiny 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 Dell OptiPlex 5040 SFF is better equipped as it comes with 3 SATA slot(s), while the Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Tiny has 1 slot(s).

When your goal is to have the fastest SSD transfer speeds, an M.2 interface is crucial. Thus, it is good that both models have M.2 SSD slots. Today M.2 SSDs are not much more expensive than the average SATA drives, so it really does not make sense to invest in SATA drives anymore.

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 M900 Tiny comes with a decent 65 Watt PSU, but the Dell OptiPlex 5040 SFF has a more powerful one rated at 180 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