Dell XPS 8700 vs. Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Tower

Comparison and Differences

Dell_XPS_8700.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 Gen4 i3/i5/i7;	Intel Gen4 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
Chipset	Z87	H81
Dedicated GPU *	GeForce GTX 1080 Ti	GeForce GTX 1660 Super
RAM	DIMM DDR3-1333/1600	DIMM DDR3-1600
RAM slots	4	2
RAM speed	1600 MT/s	1600 MT/s
RAM max	32 GB	16 GB
USB ports	(4x) USB-A 2.0; (5x) USB 3.0;	(2x)USB-A 3.0; (4x)USB-A 2.0;
Video ports	HDMI 1.2; DisplayPort 1.2;	DisplayPort; VGA;
Other ports	RJ45; Mic; Headset; Card Reader;	RJ45; Hdph; (2x) Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Serial; (2x) PS2;
Optional ports	N.A.	Parallel; Serial; Media card reader (USB 2.0);
SATA ports	5	3
PCI slots	PCIe 3.0 x16; (x3) PCIe x1; (2x) mPCI;	PCIe 3.0 x16; (2x) PCIe 2.0 x1;
M.2 slots	N.A.	N.A.
Drive bays	(3x) 3.5in; (2x) 5.25in; mSATA;	(2x) 2.5/3.5in; 5.25in;
PSU	460 W	ATX 280/450 W
Weight	13.8 kg (30.42 lb)	9.4 kg (20.72 lb)
Released	2013	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 XPS 8700 and Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Tower

Both computers, the Dell XPS 8700 and the Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Tower, were released during the same year - 2013.

Both models have the same form factor, meaning reoughtly they have the same phiysical size and form.

Processor

The two models have the same generation of Intel processors. We think that the 4 generation of Intel Processors have enough power to execute all of the home and office tasks that most people will care to do.

Memory

The Dell XPS 8700 has 4 RAM slots while the Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 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.

None of the desktops has an advantage when it comes to the speed of the RAM being used. Both models support RAM speeds of up to 1600. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Dell XPS 8700 as it has the ability to run 32 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 XPS 8700 has 9 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.

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.

The Dell XPS 8700 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 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 XPS 8700 is better equipped as it comes with 5 SATA slot(s), while the Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Tower 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 XPS 8700, nor the Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Tower 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 M73 Tower comes with a decent 450 Watt PSU, but the Dell XPS 8700 has a more powerful one rated at 460 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.