Dell OptiPlex 5080M vs. Lenovo ThinkCentre M600 Tiny
Comparison and Differences
Differences between Dell OptiPlex 5080M and Lenovo ThinkCentre M600 Tiny
If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Dell OptiPlex 5080M which was released in 2020. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M600 Tiny is older and entered production in 2015.
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 Dell OptiPlex 5080M as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Lenovo ThinkCentre M600 Tiny is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.
Memory
The Dell OptiPlex 5080M has 2 RAM slots while the Lenovo ThinkCentre M600 Tiny has only 1 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 Dell OptiPlex 5080M is using the faster 2933 MT/s RAM. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M600 Tiny 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 Dell OptiPlex 5080M as it has the ability to run 64 GB of RAM. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M600 Tiny can do a bit less at max 8 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 6. If this is not enough, using a USB hub is always a viable option. What is nice about the Dell OptiPlex 5080M, is that it has 1 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the Lenovo ThinkCentre M600 Tiny 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 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 1 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 Dell OptiPlex 5080M. Sadly, the Lenovo ThinkCentre M600 Tiny 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 M600 Tiny comes with a decent 65 Watt PSU, but the Dell OptiPlex 5080M has a more powerful one rated at 130 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.
Motherboard
