Dell OptiPlex Tower 7010 2023 vs. Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Tower

Comparison and Differences

Dell_OptiPlex_Tower_7010_2023.jpg case front and back pannel

Lenovo_ThinkCentre_M73_Tower.jpg case front and back pannel

Model
Form factor	Mini Tower	Mini Tower
CPU options	Intel Gen 12&13 i3/i5; Celeron; Pentium	Intel Gen4 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
Chipset	Q670	H81
Dedicated GPU *	GeForce GTX 1650 Super	GeForce GTX 1660 Super
RAM	DIMM DDR4-3200	DIMM DDR3-1600
RAM slots	2	2
RAM speed	3200 MT/s	1600 MT/s
RAM max	64 GB	16 GB
USB ports	(4x) USB-A 2.0; (4x) USB-A 3.0;	(2x)USB-A 3.0; (4x)USB-A 2.0;
Video ports	Display Port 1.4a; HDMI 1.4b;	DisplayPort; VGA;
Other ports	RJ45(2.5GHz); Audio; Line-Out/In;	RJ45; Hdph; (2x) Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Serial; (2x) PS2;
Optional ports	HDMI 2.1/Displayport/VGA; Serial	Parallel; Serial; Media card reader (USB 2.0);
SATA ports	3	3
PCI slots	PCIe 3.0 x16; (2x) PCIe 3.0 x1;	PCIe 3.0 x16; (2x) PCIe 2.0 x1;
M.2 slots	M.2 2230/2280 (PCIe 4.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT)	N.A.
Drive bays	3.5in; (2x) 2.5in; 5.25in (slim);	(2x) 2.5/3.5in; 5.25in;
PSU	180/300 W	ATX 280/450 W
Weight	6.52 kg (14.38 lb)	9.4 kg (20.72 lb)
Released	2023	2013
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 Tower 7010 2023 and Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Tower

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Dell OptiPlex Tower 7010 2023 which was released in 2023. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Tower is older and entered production in 2013.

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 OptiPlex Tower 7010 2023 as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Tower is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

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 Dell OptiPlex Tower 7010 2023 is using the faster 3200 MT/s RAM. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 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 OptiPlex Tower 7010 2023 as it has the ability to run 64 GB of RAM. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Tower 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 Tower 7010 2023 has 8 USB ports. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Tower 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 Dell OptiPlex Tower 7010 2023 comes with 2 ports, while the Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Tower has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the Dell OptiPlex Tower 7010 2023 is the better choice.

The Dell OptiPlex Tower 7010 2023 comes with an HDMI port, while the Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 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 slots are located on the motherboard and it is where SSD, HDD and Optical Disk Drives are connected. Each of the two models being compared have 3 SATA slot(s). Keep in mind that having too few SATA slots might limit your options for connecting additional memory drives.

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 Tower 7010 2023. Sadly, the Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 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 OptiPlex Tower 7010 2023 comes with a decent 300 Watt PSU, but the Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Tower has a more powerful one rated at 450 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.