HP ProDesk 490 G2 Microtower vs. Lenovo ThinkCentre M83 Tower

Comparison and Differences

HP_ProDesk_490_G2_Microtower.jpg case front and back pannel

Lenovo_ThinkCentre_M83_Tower.jpg case front and back pannel

Model
Form factor	Mini Tower	Mini Tower
CPU options	Intel Gen4 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;	Intel Gen4 i3/i5/i7; Pentium;
Chipset	H81	Q85
Dedicated GPU *	GeForce GTX 1660 Super	GeForce GTX 1650 Low Profile
RAM	DIMM DDR3-1600	DIMM DDR3-1600
RAM slots	4	4
RAM speed	1600 MT/s	1600 MT/s
RAM max	32 GB	32 GB
USB ports	(4x)USB-A 3.0; (4x)USB-A 2.0;	(4x)USB-A 3.0; (4x)USB-A 2.0;
Video ports	VGA; DVI-D;	(2x) DisplayPort; VGA;
Other ports	RJ45; Hdph; Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Serial; (2x) PS2;	RJ45; Hdph; (2x) Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Serial;
Optional ports	SD card reader; Serial; Parallel; DisplayPort	Parallel; Serial; (2x) PS2; Media card reader (USB 2.0);
SATA ports	3	4
PCI slots	PCIe x16; (2x) PCIe x1; PCIe x16 (wired x4);	PCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 2.0 x1; PCIe 2.0 x16 (wired x4);
M.2 slots	N.A.	N.A.
Drive bays	(2x) 3.5in; 5.25in (slim)	2.5in; 2.5/3.5in; 5.25in;
PSU	180/300 W	TFX 280 W
Weight	6.5 kg (14.3 lb)	7.8 kg (17.20 lb)
Released	2014	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 G2 Microtower and Lenovo ThinkCentre M83 Tower

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the HP ProDesk 490 G2 Microtower which was released in 2014. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M83 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

The two models have the same generation of Intel processors. We think that the 4 generation of Intel Processors have enough power to execute all of the home and office tasks that most people will care to do.

Memory

Both models have have equal amount of ram slots (4 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 32 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 8. 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 M83 Tower has a DisplayPort. The HP ProDesk 490 G2 Microtower 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 ports are placed on the system board and it is where you connect your HDD, SSD and Optical Disk Drives. More SATA slots will allow you to have more drives running at the same time. In this regard the Lenovo ThinkCentre M83 Tower is better equipped as it comes with 4 SATA slot(s), while the HP ProDesk 490 G2 Microtower has 3 slot(s).

M.2 SSD interface allows you to transfer data with higher speeds compared to the old SATA interface. Unfortunately, neither the HP ProDesk 490 G2 Microtower, nor the Lenovo ThinkCentre M83 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 Lenovo ThinkCentre M83 Tower comes with a decent 280 Watt PSU, but the HP ProDesk 490 G2 Microtower has a more powerful one rated at 300 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.