Dell XPS 8940 vs. Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Tiny

Comparison and Differences

Dell_XPS_8940.jpg case front and back pannelLenovo_ThinkCentre_M900_Tiny.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMini TowerMicro
CPU optionsIntel Gen10 & 11 i3/i5/i7;Intel Gen6 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
ChipsetH470Q170
Dedicated GPU *GeForce RTX 3080N.A.
RAMDIMM DDR4-2666/2933SODIMM DDR4-2133
RAM slots42
RAM speed2666 MT/s2133 MT/s
RAM max128 GB32 GB
USB portsUSB 3.0 Type C; USB 3.1 Type A; (2x) USB-A 2.0; (7x) USB-A 3.0;(6x)USB-A 3.0;
Video portsHDMI 2.0; DisplayPort 1.4;(2x) DisplayPort;
Other portsRJ45; Mic; Headset; Card Reader;RJ45; Headset; Mic;
Optional portsN.A.VGA/HDMI/DP/Serial; WiFi antenna;
SATA ports31
PCI slotsPCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe x4; PCIe x1;N.A.
M.2 slotsM.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT); M.2 2280/2242 M-key (PCIe x4); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT);
Drive bays(3x) 3.5in;2.5in;
PSU500 W65 W
Weight6.3 kg (13.89 lb)1.3 kg (2.9 lbs)
Released20202015
Manuallinklink
Price**Check PriceCheck Price

** As an Amazon associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
* 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 XPS 8940 and Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Tiny

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Dell XPS 8940 which was released in 2020. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Tiny is older and entered production in 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 XPS 8940 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 XPS 8940 as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Tiny is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

The Dell XPS 8940 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 Dell XPS 8940 is using the faster 2666 MT/s RAM. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Tiny is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 2133 MT/s. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Dell XPS 8940 as it has the ability to run 128 GB of RAM. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Tiny can do a bit less at max 32 GB. Most of the times, this should be sufficient for the majority of users.

Ports

In total the Dell XPS 8940 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. What is nice about the Dell XPS 8940, is that it has 1 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Tiny 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 Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Tiny comes with 2 ports, while the Dell XPS 8940 has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Tiny is the better choice.

The Dell XPS 8940 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 XPS 8940 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 XPS 8940 has a more powerful one rated at 500 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_XPS_8940_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutLenovo_ThinkCentre_M900_Tiny_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout