Dell OptiPlex 3040 SFF vs. Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Tiny
Comparison and Differences
Differences between Dell OptiPlex 3040 SFF and Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Tiny
Both computers, the Dell OptiPlex 3040 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 3040 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
Both models have have equal amount of ram slots (2 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 M900 Tiny is using the faster 2133 MT/s RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 3040 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 3040 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 3040 SFF has 8 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.
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 OptiPlex 3040 SFF has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Tiny is the better choice.
The Dell OptiPlex 3040 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 3040 SFF is better equipped as it comes with 2 SATA slot(s), while the Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Tiny has 1 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 Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Tiny. Sadly, the Dell OptiPlex 3040 SFF 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 Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Tiny comes with a decent 65 Watt PSU, but the Dell OptiPlex 3040 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
