HP ProDesk 400 G3 SFF vs. Lenovo ThinkCentre M800 Tower

Comparison and Differences

HP_ProDesk_400_G3_SFF.jpg case front and back pannel

Lenovo_ThinkCentre_M800_Tower.jpg case front and back pannel

Model
Form factor	Small	Mini Tower
CPU options	Intel Gen6 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;	Intel Gen6 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
Chipset	H110	Q150
Dedicated GPU *	GeForce GT 1030 Low Profile	GeForce GTX 1650
RAM	DIMM DDR4-2133	DIMM DDR4-2133
RAM slots	2	4
RAM speed	2133 MT/s	2133 MT/s
RAM max	32 GB	64 GB
USB ports	(4x)USB-A 3.0; (4x)USB-A 2.0;	(6x)USB-A 3.0; (2x)USB-A 2.0;
Video ports	DisplayPort; VGA;	(2x) DisplayPort 1.2; VGA;
Other ports	RJ45; Hdph; Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Serial; (2x) PS2;	RJ45; Hdph; (2x) Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Serial;
Optional ports	SD card reader; Serial; Parallel;	2x USB-A 2.0; Media card reader (USB 2.0); (2x) PS2; eSATA;
SATA ports	2	3
PCI slots	PCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 2.0 x1;	PCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x1; PCIe 3.0 x16 (wired x4); M2 to PCI adapter (optional);
M.2 slots	N.A.	M.2 (WiFi/BT or PCI extension card)
Drive bays	3.5in; 5.25in (slim)	(2x) 2.5/3.5in; (2x) 5.25in;
PSU	180 W	ATX 250
Weight	4.43 kg (9.8 lb)	12.5 kg (27.5 lb)
Released	2016	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 ProDesk 400 G3 SFF and Lenovo ThinkCentre M800 Tower

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the HP ProDesk 400 G3 SFF which was released in 2016. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M800 Tower is older and entered production in 2015.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the HP ProDesk 400 G3 SFF is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Lenovo ThinkCentre M800 Tower and will fit more easily under your desk.

Processor

The two models have the same generation of Intel processors. We think that the 6 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 Lenovo ThinkCentre M800 Tower has 4 RAM slots while the HP ProDesk 400 G3 SFF 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 2133. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Lenovo ThinkCentre M800 Tower as it has the ability to run 64 GB of RAM. The HP ProDesk 400 G3 SFF 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 Lenovo ThinkCentre M800 Tower comes with 2 ports, while the HP ProDesk 400 G3 SFF has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the Lenovo ThinkCentre M800 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 M800 Tower is better equipped as it comes with 3 SATA slot(s), while the HP ProDesk 400 G3 SFF has 2 slot(s).

M.2 SSD interface allows you to transfer data with higher speeds compared to the old SATA interface. Unfortunately, neither the HP ProDesk 400 G3 SFF, nor the Lenovo ThinkCentre M800 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 HP ProDesk 400 G3 SFF comes with a decent 180 Watt PSU, but the Lenovo ThinkCentre M800 Tower has a more powerful one rated at 250 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.