Dell OptiPlex Tower Plus 7020 2024 vs. Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Tower

Comparison and Differences

Dell_OptiPlex_Tower_Plus_7020_2024.jpg case front and back pannel

Lenovo_ThinkCentre_M900_Tower.jpg case front and back pannel

Model
Form factor	Mini Tower	Mini Tower
CPU options	Intel Gen 12&13&14 i3/i5/i7/i9	Intel Gen6 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
Chipset	Q670	Q170
Dedicated GPU *	GeForce RTX 4060	GeForce GTX 1660 Super
RAM	DIMM DDR5-4400	DIMM DDR4-2133
RAM slots	4	4
RAM speed	4400 MT/s	2133 MT/s
RAM max	128 GB	64 GB
USB ports	(4x) USB-A 2.0; (3x) USB-A 3.0; (2x) USB-A 3.1; USB-C 3.2	(8x)USB-A 3.0;
Video ports	(3x) Display Port 1.4a;	(2x) DisplayPort 1.2; VGA;
Other ports	RJ45(2.5GHz); Audio; Line-Out/In;	RJ45; Hdph; (2x) Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Serial;
Optional ports	HDMI 2.0b/Displayport/VGA/PS2/serial/USB Type-C 3.1; Serial port; SD-card slot	2x USB-A 2.0; Media card reader (USB 2.0); (2x) PS2; eSATA;
SATA ports	4	3
PCI slots	PCIe 4.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x4;PCIe 3.0 x1; PCI-32;	PCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x1; PCIe 3.0 x16 (wired x4); M2 to PCI adapter (optional);
M.2 slots	M.2 2230/2280 (PCIe 4.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT)	M.2 (WiFi/BT or PCI extension card)
Drive bays	(x2) 3.5in	(2x) 2.5/3.5in; (2x) 5.25in;
PSU	260/500 W	ATX 250/400 W
Weight	9.63 kg (21.24 lb)	12.5 kg (27.5 lb)
Released	2024	2015
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 Plus 7020 2024 and Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Tower

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Dell OptiPlex Tower Plus 7020 2024 which was released in 2024. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Tower is older and entered production in 2015.

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 Plus 7020 2024 as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 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 (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 Dell OptiPlex Tower Plus 7020 2024 is using the faster 4400 MT/s RAM. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Tower is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 2133 MT/s. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Dell OptiPlex Tower Plus 7020 2024 as it has the ability to run 128 GB of RAM. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Tower can do a bit less at max 64 GB. Most of the times, this should be sufficient for the majority of users.

Ports

In total the Dell OptiPlex Tower Plus 7020 2024 has 10 USB ports. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Tower is inferior in this regard and packs 8 USB ports. In any case, if you miss USB ports, you can always purchase a USB hub. What is nice about the Dell OptiPlex Tower Plus 7020 2024, is that it has 2 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Tower has no such port, thus restricting your transfer speeds significantly. For people who want to use external drives on regular basis, this might be an issue.

DisplayPort is crucial for any desktop machine. It is good to see that both models are featuring DisplayPorts. However, the Dell OptiPlex Tower Plus 7020 2024 comes with 3 ports, while the Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Tower has only 2. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the Dell OptiPlex Tower Plus 7020 2024 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 Dell OptiPlex Tower Plus 7020 2024 is better equipped as it comes with 4 SATA slot(s), while the Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 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 Tower Plus 7020 2024. Sadly, the Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 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 Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Tower comes with a decent 400 Watt PSU, but the Dell OptiPlex Tower Plus 7020 2024 has a more powerful one rated at 500 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.