Dell OptiPlex 990 DT vs. Lenovo ThinkCentre M92p Small

Comparison and Differences

Dell_OptiPlex_990_DT.jpg case front and back pannelLenovo_ThinkCentre_M92p_Small.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorDesktopSmall
CPU optionsIntel Gen2 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;Intel Gen2&3 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
ChipsetQ67Q77
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GTX 1650 Low ProfileGeForce GTX 1650 Low Profile
RAMDIMM DDR3-1333DIMM DDR3-1600
RAM slots44
RAM speed1333 MT/s1600 MT/s
RAM max16 GB32 GB
USB ports(10x)USB-A 2.0; (4x)USB-A 3.0; (4x)USB-A 2.0;
Video portsDisplayPort 1.2; VGA;DisplayPort; VGA;
Other portsRJ45; Hdph; (2x) Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; PS2/COM; Serial; Parallel;RJ45; Hdph; (2x) Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Serial;
Optional portsN.A.DisplayPort; (2x) PS2; Serial; Parallel; Media card reader (USB 2.0);
SATA ports34
PCI slotsPCIe 2.0 x16; PCIe 2.0 x4; PCIe 2.0 x1;PCIe 2.0 x16; PCIe 2.0 x1; (2x) PCI;
M.2 slotsN.A.N.A.
Drive bays3.5in; 2.5in; 5.25in;2.5/3.5in; 5.25in;
PSU250 WTFX 240 W
Weight7.56 kg (16.67 lb)7.5 kg (16.5 lb)
Released20112011
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 OptiPlex 990 DT and Lenovo ThinkCentre M92p Small

Both computers, the Dell OptiPlex 990 DT and the Lenovo ThinkCentre M92p Small, were released during the same year - 2011.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Lenovo ThinkCentre M92p Small is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Dell OptiPlex 990 DT 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 Lenovo ThinkCentre M92p Small as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Dell OptiPlex 990 DT is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

Both models have have equal amount of ram slots (4 RAM). Usually two RAM slots are more than enough for most cases. However, the count should be taken into account when planning how much and what combination of RAM you are going to need for your system.

The Lenovo ThinkCentre M92p Small is using the faster 1600 MT/s RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 990 DT is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 1333 MT/s. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Lenovo ThinkCentre M92p Small as it has the ability to run 32 GB of RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 990 DT 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 M92p Small is better equipped as it comes with 4 SATA slot(s), while the Dell OptiPlex 990 DT 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 Dell OptiPlex 990 DT, nor the Lenovo ThinkCentre M92p 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 Lenovo ThinkCentre M92p Small comes with a decent 240 Watt PSU, but the Dell OptiPlex 990 DT has a more powerful one rated at 250 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_990_DT_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutLenovo_ThinkCentre_M92p_Small_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout