HP EliteDesk 800 G4 Tower vs. Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Small

Comparison and Differences

HP_EliteDesk_800_G4_Tower.jpg case front and back pannel

Lenovo_ThinkCentre_M900_Small.jpg case front and back pannel

Model
Form factor	Mini Tower	Small
CPU options	Intel Gen8 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;	Intel Gen6 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
Chipset	Q370	Q170
Dedicated GPU *	GeForce GTX 1660 Super	GeForce GT 1030 Low Profile
RAM	DIMM DDR4-2666	DIMM DDR4-2133
RAM slots	4	4
RAM speed	2666 MT/s	2133 MT/s
RAM max	64 GB	64 GB
USB ports	USB-C 3.1; (4x)USB-A 3.1; (2x)USB-A 3.0; (4x)USB-A 2.0;	(8x)USB-A 3.0;
Video ports	(2x) DisplayPort;	(2x) DisplayPort 1.2; VGA;
Other ports	RJ45; Hdph; Headset; Line-Out; Line-In;	RJ45; Hdph; (2x) Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Serial;
Optional ports	DP/HDMI/VGA/USB-C(DP); Serial; SD card reader;	2x USB-A 2.0; Media card reader (USB 2.0); (2x) PS2; eSATA;
SATA ports	4	3
PCI slots	PCIe 3.0 x16; (2x) PCIe 3.0 x1; PCIe 3.0 x16 (wired x4);	PCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x1; PCIe 3.0 x16 (wired x4); M2 to PCI adapter (optional);
M.2 slots	(2x) M.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe x4); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT);	M.2 (WiFi/BT or PCI extension card)
Drive bays	2.5in; (2x) 3.5in; 5.25in; 5.25in (slim);	2.5in; 2.5/3.5in; 5.25in (slim);
PSU	250/500 W	TFX 210 W
Weight	9.86 kg (21.74 lb)	9 kg (19.8 lbs)
Released	2018	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 HP EliteDesk 800 G4 Tower and Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Small

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the HP EliteDesk 800 G4 Tower which was released in 2018. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Small is older and entered production in 2015.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Small is the right one for you. It is smaller than the HP EliteDesk 800 G4 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 HP EliteDesk 800 G4 Tower as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Small 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 HP EliteDesk 800 G4 Tower is using the faster 2666 MT/s RAM. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Small is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 2133 MT/s. In addition, you will be able to install the same amount of RAM in both models, and most probably 64 GB of RAM will be enough for most people. However, if you will be needing more RAM, make sure to check other desktop models too.

Ports

In total the HP EliteDesk 800 G4 Tower has 11 USB ports. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Small 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 HP EliteDesk 800 G4 Tower, is that it has 5 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Small 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.

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.

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 HP EliteDesk 800 G4 Tower is better equipped as it comes with 4 SATA slot(s), while the Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Small 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 HP EliteDesk 800 G4 Tower. Sadly, the Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 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 M900 Small comes with a decent 210 Watt PSU, but the HP EliteDesk 800 G4 Tower 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.