Dell OptiPlex 7010 SFF vs. Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Tower

Comparison and Differences

Dell_OptiPlex_7010_SFF.jpg case front and back pannel

Lenovo_ThinkCentre_M73_Tower.jpg case front and back pannel

Model
Form factor	Small	Mini Tower
CPU options	Intel Gen2&3 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;	Intel Gen4 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;
Chipset	Q77	H81
Dedicated GPU *	GeForce GTX 1650 Low Profile	GeForce GTX 1660 Super
RAM	DIMM DDR3-1333/1600	DIMM DDR3-1600
RAM slots	4	2
RAM speed	1600 MT/s	1600 MT/s
RAM max	32 GB	16 GB
USB ports	(4x)USB-A 3.0; (6x)USB-A 2.0;	(2x)USB-A 3.0; (4x)USB-A 2.0;
Video ports	(2x) DisplayPort 1.1; VGA;	DisplayPort; VGA;
Other ports	Serial; (2x) PS2; RJ45; Hdph; Mic; Line-Out; Line-In;	RJ45; Hdph; (2x) Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Serial; (2x) PS2;
Optional ports	N.A.	Parallel; Serial; Media card reader (USB 2.0);
SATA ports	3	3
PCI slots	PCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 2.0 x16 (wired x4);	PCIe 3.0 x16; (2x) PCIe 2.0 x1;
M.2 slots	N.A.	N.A.
Drive bays	3.5in/(2x)2.5in; 5.25in(slim);	(2x) 2.5/3.5in; 5.25in;
PSU	240 W	ATX 280/450 W
Weight	6.0 kg (13.2 lb)	9.4 kg (20.72 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 Dell OptiPlex 7010 SFF and Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Tower

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Tower which was released in 2013. The Dell OptiPlex 7010 SFF is older and entered production in 2012.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Dell OptiPlex 7010 SFF is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 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 Tower as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Dell OptiPlex 7010 SFF is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

The Dell OptiPlex 7010 SFF 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.

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. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Dell OptiPlex 7010 SFF as it has the ability to run 32 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 Dell OptiPlex 7010 SFF has 10 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.

DisplayPort is crucial for any desktop machine. It is good to see that both models are featuring DisplayPorts. However, the Dell OptiPlex 7010 SFF comes with 2 ports, while the Lenovo ThinkCentre M73 Tower has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the Dell OptiPlex 7010 SFF is the better choice.

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 Dell OptiPlex 7010 SFF, 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 Dell OptiPlex 7010 SFF comes with a decent 240 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.