Dell Inspiron 3881 vs. Lenovo ThinkCentre M92 Tower

Comparison and Differences

Dell_Inspiron_3881.jpg case front and back pannelLenovo_ThinkCentre_M92_Tower.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorMini TowerMini Tower
CPU optionsIntel Gen10 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;Intel Gen2&3 i3; Celeron; Pentium;
ChipsetH470Q77
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GTX 1650 SuperGeForce GTX 1660 Super
RAMDIMM DDR4-2666/2933DIMM DDR3-1600
RAM slots24
RAM speed2933 MT/s1600 MT/s
RAM max64 GB32 GB
USB ports(3x) USB 3.0 Type A; USB 3.1 Type C; (4x) USB-A 2.0;(4x)USB-A 3.0; (4x)USB-A 2.0;
Video portsHDMI 1.4; DisplayPort 1.4; VGA;DisplayPort; VGA;
Other portsRJ45; Headset; Line-Out; Card Reader;RJ45; Hdph; (2x) Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Serial;
Optional portsN.A.DisplayPort; (2x) PS2; Serial; Parallel; Media card reader (USB 2.0);
SATA ports24
PCI slotsPCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x1;PCIe 2.0 x16; PCIe 2.0 x1; (2x) PCI;
M.2 slotsM.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT); N.A.
Drive bays3.25in; 9.5mm(2x) 2.5/3.5in; (2x) 5.25in;
PSU260 WATX 280 W
Weight6.40 kg (14.11 lb)11 kg (24.25 lb)
Released20202011
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 Inspiron 3881 and Lenovo ThinkCentre M92 Tower

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Dell Inspiron 3881 which was released in 2020. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M92 Tower is older and entered production in 2011.

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 Inspiron 3881 as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Lenovo ThinkCentre M92 Tower is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

The Lenovo ThinkCentre M92 Tower has 4 RAM slots while the Dell Inspiron 3881 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 Inspiron 3881 is using the faster 2933 MT/s RAM. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M92 Tower 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 Inspiron 3881 as it has the ability to run 64 GB of RAM. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M92 Tower can do a bit less at max 32 GB. Most of the times, this should be sufficient for the majority of users.

Ports

Both models have the same amount of USB ports for total count of 8. If this is not enough, using a USB hub is always a viable option. What is nice about the Dell Inspiron 3881, is that it has 1 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the Lenovo ThinkCentre M92 Tower 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.

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 Inspiron 3881 comes with an HDMI port, while the Lenovo ThinkCentre M92 Tower 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 M92 Tower is better equipped as it comes with 4 SATA slot(s), while the Dell Inspiron 3881 has 2 slot(s).

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 Inspiron 3881. Sadly, the Lenovo ThinkCentre M92 Tower 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 Dell Inspiron 3881 comes with a decent 260 Watt PSU, but the Lenovo ThinkCentre M92 Tower has a more powerful one rated at 280 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_Inspiron_3881_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutLenovo_ThinkCentre_M92_Tower_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout