HP ProDesk 600 G5 SFF vs. Lenovo ThinkCentre M72e Small

Comparison and Differences

HP_ProDesk_600_G5_SFF.jpg case front and back pannel

Lenovo_ThinkCentre_M72e_Small.jpg case front and back pannel

Model
Form factor	Small	Small
CPU options	Intel Gen8&9 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;	Intel Gen2&3 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
Chipset	Q370	H61
Dedicated GPU *	GeForce GT 1030 Low Profile	GeForce GTX 1650 Low Profile
RAM	DIMM DDR4-2666	DIMM DDR3-1600
RAM slots	4	2
RAM speed	2666 MT/s	1600 MT/s
RAM max	128 GB	16 GB
USB ports	USB-C 3.1; (4x)USB-A 3.1; (2x)USB-A 3.0; (4x)USB-A 2.0;	(6x)USB-A 2.0;
Video ports	(2x) DisplayPort:	DVI-D; VGA;
Other ports	RJ45; Headset; Line-Out; Line-In;	RJ45; Hdph; (2x) Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Serial; (2x) PS2;
Optional ports	DP1.2/HDMI2.0/VGA/USB-C(DP); Serial; SD card reader;	Parallel; Serial; Media card reader (USB 2.0);
SATA ports	3	3
PCI slots	PCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe x4 (open ended);	PCIe 2.0 x16; (2x) PCIe 2.0 x1;
M.2 slots	M.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe x4); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT);	N.A.
Drive bays	(2x)2.5in/3.5in; 5.25in (slim);	2.5/3.5in; 5.25in;
PSU	180 W	TFX 240 W
Weight	4.54 kg (10.01 lb)	6.6 kg (14.55 lb)
Released	2018	2012
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 600 G5 SFF and Lenovo ThinkCentre M72e Small

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the HP ProDesk 600 G5 SFF which was released in 2018. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M72e Small is older and entered production in 2012.

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 600 G5 SFF as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Lenovo ThinkCentre M72e Small is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

The HP ProDesk 600 G5 SFF has 4 RAM slots while the Lenovo ThinkCentre M72e Small 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 600 G5 SFF is using the faster 2666 MT/s RAM. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M72e Small 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 600 G5 SFF as it has the ability to run 128 GB of RAM. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M72e Small 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 600 G5 SFF has 11 USB ports. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M72e Small 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. What is nice about the HP ProDesk 600 G5 SFF, is that it has 5 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the Lenovo ThinkCentre M72e 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.

Unfortunately, only the HP ProDesk 600 G5 SFF has a DisplayPort. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M72e Small does not have one? Don't worry though, nowadays video adapters are cheap and you can get almost any combination of conversion types.

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.

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 600 G5 SFF. Sadly, the Lenovo ThinkCentre M72e 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 600 G5 SFF comes with a decent 180 Watt PSU, but the Lenovo ThinkCentre M72e Small has a more powerful one rated at 240 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.