HP ProDesk 400 G2.5 SFF vs. Lenovo ThinkCentre M92 Tower

Comparison and Differences

HP_ProDesk_400_G2.5_SFF.jpg case front and back pannelLenovo_ThinkCentre_M92_Tower.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorSmallMini Tower
CPU optionsIntel Gen4 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;Intel Gen2&3 i3; Celeron; Pentium;
ChipsetH81Q77
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GT 1030 Low ProfileGeForce GTX 1660 Super
RAMDIMM DDR3-1600 DIMM DDR3-1600
RAM slots24
RAM speed1600 MT/s1600 MT/s
RAM max16 GB32 GB
USB ports(2x)USB-A 3.0; (6x)USB-A 2.0; (4x)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;
Optional portsMedia card reader; Serial; Parallel; DisplayPort; (2x) PS2; Serial; Parallel; Media card reader (USB 2.0);
SATA ports34
PCI slotsPCIe x16; PCIe x1; PCIe 2.0 x16; PCIe 2.0 x1; (2x) PCI;
M.2 slotsN.A.N.A.
Drive bays3.5in; 5.25in (slim)(2x) 2.5/3.5in; (2x) 5.25in;
PSU180 WATX 280 W
Weight4.5 kg (9.92 lb)11 kg (24.25 lb)
Released20142011
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 400 G2.5 SFF and Lenovo ThinkCentre M92 Tower

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the HP ProDesk 400 G2.5 SFF which was released in 2014. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M92 Tower is older and entered production in 2011.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the HP ProDesk 400 G2.5 SFF is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Lenovo ThinkCentre M92 Tower 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 400 G2.5 SFF 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 HP ProDesk 400 G2.5 SFF 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.

None of the desktops has an advantage when it comes to the speed of the RAM being used. Both models support RAM speeds of up to 1600. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Lenovo ThinkCentre M92 Tower as it has the ability to run 32 GB of RAM. The HP ProDesk 400 G2.5 SFF can do a bit less at max 16 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. 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 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 HP ProDesk 400 G2.5 SFF has 3 slot(s).

M.2 SSD interface allows you to transfer data with higher speeds compared to the old SATA interface. Unfortunately, neither the HP ProDesk 400 G2.5 SFF, nor the Lenovo ThinkCentre M92 Tower 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 HP ProDesk 400 G2.5 SFF comes with a decent 180 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

HP_ProDesk_400_G2.5_SFF_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutLenovo_ThinkCentre_M92_Tower_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout