Lenovo ThinkCentre M72e Tower vs. Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Small

Comparison and Differences

Lenovo_ThinkCentre_M72e_Tower.jpg case front and back pannel

Lenovo_ThinkCentre_M73_Small.jpg case front and back pannel

Model
Form factor	Mini Tower	Small
CPU options	Intel Gen2&3 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;	Intel Gen4 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
Chipset	H61	H81
Dedicated GPU *	GeForce GTX 1660 Super	GeForce GTX 1650 Low Profile
RAM	DIMM DDR3-1600	DIMM DDR3-1600
RAM slots	2	2
RAM speed	1600 MT/s	1600 MT/s
RAM max	16 GB	16 GB
USB ports	(6x)USB-A 2.0;	(2x)USB-A 3.0; (4x)USB-A 2.0;
Video ports	DVI-D; VGA;	DisplayPort; VGA;
Other ports	RJ45; Hdph; (2x) Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Serial; (2x) PS2;	RJ45; Hdph; (2x) Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Serial; (2x) PS2;
Optional ports	Parallel; Serial; Media card reader (USB 2.0);	Parallel; Serial; Media card reader (USB 2.0);
SATA ports	3	3
PCI slots	PCIe 2.0 x16; (2x) PCIe 2.0 x1;	PCIe 3.0 x16; (2x) PCIe 2.0 x1;
M.2 slots	N.A.	N.A.
Drive bays	(2x) 2.5/3.5in; 5.25in;	2.5in; 3.5in; 5.25in;
PSU	ATX 280/320 W	TFX 240 W
Weight	9.4 kg (20.72 lb)	6.6 kg (14.55 lb)
Released	2012	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 Lenovo ThinkCentre M72e Tower and Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Small

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Small which was released in 2013. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M72e Tower is older and entered production in 2012.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Small is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Lenovo ThinkCentre M72e Tower 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 Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Small as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Lenovo ThinkCentre M72e Tower is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

Both models have have equal amount of ram slots (2 RAM). Usually two RAM slots are more than enough for most cases. However, the count should be taken into account when planning how much and what combination of RAM you are going to need for your system.

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 1600. In addition, you will be able to install the same amount of RAM in both models, and most probably 16 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

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. 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.

Unfortunately, only the Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Small has a DisplayPort. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M72e Tower 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.

M.2 SSD interface allows you to transfer data with higher speeds compared to the old SATA interface. Unfortunately, neither the Lenovo ThinkCentre M72e Tower, nor the Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Small 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 Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Small comes with a decent 240 Watt PSU, but the Lenovo ThinkCentre M72e Tower has a more powerful one rated at 320 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.