HP ProDesk 400 G6 Mini vs. Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Small

Comparison and Differences

HP_ProDesk_400_G6_Mini.jpg case front and back pannel

Lenovo_ThinkCentre_M900_Small.jpg case front and back pannel

Model
Form factor	Micro	Small
CPU options	Intel Gen10 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;	Intel Gen6 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
Chipset	Q470	Q170
Dedicated GPU *	N.A.	GeForce GT 1030 Low Profile
RAM	SODIMM DDR4-3200	DIMM DDR4-2133
RAM slots	2	4
RAM speed	3200 MT/s	2133 MT/s
RAM max	64 GB	64 GB
USB ports	USB-C 3.1; USB-A 3.1; (3x) USB-A 3.0; (2x) USB-A 2.0;	(8x)USB-A 3.0;
Video ports	DisplayPort; HDMI;	(2x) DisplayPort 1.2; VGA;
Other ports	RJ45; Headset;	RJ45; Hdph; (2x) Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Serial;
Optional ports	DP1.4/HDMI2.0/VGA/Serial/USB-C; Serial/(2x)USB-A3.1; WiFi anntena;	2x USB-A 2.0; Media card reader (USB 2.0); (2x) PS2; eSATA;
SATA ports	1	3
PCI slots	N.A.	PCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x1; PCIe 3.0 x16 (wired x4); M2 to PCI adapter (optional);
M.2 slots	M.2 2280 M-key (PCIe x4); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT)	M.2 (WiFi/BT or PCI extension card)
Drive bays	2.5in;	2.5in; 2.5/3.5in; 5.25in (slim);
PSU	65 W	TFX 210 W
Weight	1.25 kg (2.74 lb)	9 kg (19.8 lbs)
Released	2020	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 G6 Mini and Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Small

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the HP ProDesk 400 G6 Mini which was released in 2020. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Small is older and entered production in 2015.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the HP ProDesk 400 G6 Mini is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Small 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 ProDesk 400 G6 Mini 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

The Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Small has 4 RAM slots while the HP ProDesk 400 G6 Mini 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.

The HP ProDesk 400 G6 Mini is using the faster 3200 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 Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Small has 8 USB ports. The HP ProDesk 400 G6 Mini is inferior in this regard and packs 7 USB ports. In any case, if you miss USB ports, you can always purchase a USB hub. What is nice about the HP ProDesk 400 G6 Mini, is that it has 2 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.

DisplayPort is crucial for any desktop machine. It is good to see that both models are featuring DisplayPorts. However, the Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Small comes with 2 ports, while the HP ProDesk 400 G6 Mini has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Small is the better choice.

The HP ProDesk 400 G6 Mini comes with an HDMI port, while the Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Small 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 Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Small is better equipped as it comes with 3 SATA slot(s), while the HP ProDesk 400 G6 Mini has 1 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 ProDesk 400 G6 Mini. 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 HP ProDesk 400 G6 Mini comes with a decent 65 Watt PSU, but the Lenovo ThinkCentre M900 Small has a more powerful one rated at 210 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.