HP ProDesk 490 G3 Microtower vs. Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Tower

Comparison and Differences

HP_ProDesk_490_G3_Microtower.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 Gen6 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;	Intel Gen4 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
Chipset	H110	H81
Dedicated GPU *	GeForce GTX 1660 Super	GeForce GTX 1660 Super
RAM	DIMM DDR4-2133	DIMM DDR3-1600
RAM slots	4	2
RAM speed	2133 MT/s	1600 MT/s
RAM max	64 GB	16 GB
USB ports	(6x)USB-A 3.0; (2x)USB-A 2.0;	(2x)USB-A 3.0; (4x)USB-A 2.0;
Video ports	DisplayPort; VGA;	DisplayPort; VGA;
Other ports	RJ45; Hdph; Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Serial; (2x) PS2;	RJ45; Hdph; (2x) Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Serial; (2x) PS2;
Optional ports	SD card reader; Serial; Parallel;	Parallel; Serial; Media card reader (USB 2.0);
SATA ports	3	3
PCI slots	PCIe 3.0 x16; (2x) PCIe x1; PCIe 3.0 x16 (wired x4);	PCIe 3.0 x16; (2x) PCIe 2.0 x1;
M.2 slots	N.A.	N.A.
Drive bays	(2x) 3.5in; 5.25in (slim)	(2x) 2.5/3.5in; 5.25in;
PSU	180/300 W	ATX 280/450 W
Weight	7.05 kg (15.5 lb)	9.4 kg (20.72 lb)
Released	2015	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 HP ProDesk 490 G3 Microtower and Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Tower

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the HP ProDesk 490 G3 Microtower which was released in 2015. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Tower is older and entered production in 2013.

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 HP ProDesk 490 G3 Microtower as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Tower is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

The HP ProDesk 490 G3 Microtower 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.

The HP ProDesk 490 G3 Microtower is using the faster 2133 MT/s RAM. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Tower is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 1600 MT/s. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the HP ProDesk 490 G3 Microtower as it has the ability to run 64 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 HP ProDesk 490 G3 Microtower has 8 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.

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 slots are located on the motherboard and it is where SSD, HDD and Optical Disk Drives are connected. Each of the two models being compared have 3 SATA slot(s). Keep in mind that having too few SATA slots might limit your options for connecting additional memory drives.

M.2 SSD interface allows you to transfer data with higher speeds compared to the old SATA interface. Unfortunately, neither the HP ProDesk 490 G3 Microtower, 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 HP ProDesk 490 G3 Microtower comes with a decent 300 Watt PSU, but the Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Tower has a more powerful one rated at 450 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.