Dell OptiPlex 3090 Tower vs. Lenovo ThinkCentre M92 Small

Comparison and Differences

Dell_OptiPlex_3090_Tower.jpg case front and back pannel

Lenovo_ThinkCentre_M92_Small.jpg case front and back pannel

Model
Form factor	Mini Tower	Small
CPU options	Intel Gen 10 i3/i5/i7/i9; Pentium	Intel Gen2&3 i3; Celeron; Pentium;
Chipset	Q470	Q77
Dedicated GPU *	GeForce GTX 1650	GeForce GTX 1650 Low Profile
RAM	DIMM DDR4-2666	DIMM DDR3-1600
RAM slots	2	4
RAM speed	2666 MT/s	1600 MT/s
RAM max	64 GB	32 GB
USB ports	(4x) USB-A 2.0; (4x) USB-A 3.0;	(4x)USB-A 3.0; (4x)USB-A 2.0;
Video ports	Display Port 1.4a; HDMI 1.4b;	DisplayPort; VGA;
Other ports	RJ45; Audio; Line-Out/In;	RJ45; Hdph; (2x) Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Serial;
Optional ports	HDMI 2.0b/Displayport/VGA;	DisplayPort; (2x) PS2; Serial; Parallel; Media card reader (USB 2.0);
SATA ports	3	4
PCI slots	PCIe 3.0 x16; (2x) PCIe 3.0 x1;	PCIe 2.0 x16; PCIe 2.0 x1; (2x) PCI;
M.2 slots	M.2 2230/2280 (PCIe 4.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT)	N.A.
Drive bays	3.5in; 2.5in; 5.25in (slim);	2.5/3.5in; 5.25in;
PSU	260 W	TFX 240 W
Weight	6.50 kg (14.33 lb)	7.5 kg (16.5 lb)
Released	2021	2011
Manual	link	link
Price**	Check Price	Check 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 3090 Tower and Lenovo ThinkCentre M92 Small

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Dell OptiPlex 3090 Tower which was released in 2021. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M92 Small is older and entered production in 2011.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Lenovo ThinkCentre M92 Small is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Dell OptiPlex 3090 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 Dell OptiPlex 3090 Tower as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Lenovo ThinkCentre M92 Small is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

The Lenovo ThinkCentre M92 Small has 4 RAM slots while the Dell OptiPlex 3090 Tower 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 OptiPlex 3090 Tower is using the faster 2666 MT/s RAM. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M92 Small 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 OptiPlex 3090 Tower as it has the ability to run 64 GB of RAM. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M92 Small 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. 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 Dell OptiPlex 3090 Tower comes with 2 ports, while the Lenovo ThinkCentre M92 Small has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the Dell OptiPlex 3090 Tower is the better choice.

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 Small is better equipped as it comes with 4 SATA slot(s), while the Dell OptiPlex 3090 Tower has 3 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 OptiPlex 3090 Tower. Sadly, the Lenovo ThinkCentre M92 Small 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 M92 Small comes with a decent 240 Watt PSU, but the Dell OptiPlex 3090 Tower has a more powerful one rated at 260 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.