Dell Inspiron 3471 vs. Lenovo ThinkCentre M93 Tower

Comparison and Differences

Dell_Inspiron_3471.jpg case front and back pannel

Lenovo_ThinkCentre_M93_Tower.jpg case front and back pannel

Model
Form factor	Small	Mini Tower
CPU options	Intel Gen9 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;	Intel Gen4 i3/i5/i7;
Chipset	B365	Q87
Dedicated GPU *	GeForce GTX 1650 Low Profile	GeForce GTX 1660 Super
RAM	DIMM DDR4-2133/2400	DIMM DDR3-1600
RAM slots	2	4
RAM speed	2400 MT/s	1600 MT/s
RAM max	32 GB	32 GB
USB ports	(2x) USB-A 3.0; (4x) USB-A 2.0;	(6x)USB-A 3.0; (2x)USB-A 2.0;
Video ports	HDMI 1.4b; VGA;	(2x) DisplayPort; VGA;
Other ports	RJ45; Hdph; Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Card Reader;	RJ45; Hdph; (2x) Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Serial;
Optional ports	N.A.	(2x) PS2; Serial; Parallel; Media card reader (USB 2.0);
SATA ports	4	4
PCI slots	PCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x1;	PCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 2.0 x1; PCIe 2.0 x16 (wired x4); PCI;
M.2 slots	M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT); M.2 2280 B-Key (SATA only);	N.A.
Drive bays	(2x) 2.5in; 3.25in;	(2x) 2.5/3.5in; (2x) 5.25in;
PSU	200 W	ATX 280 W
Weight	4.80 kg (10.58 lb)	11.20 kg (24.69 lb)
Released	2019	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 Inspiron 3471 and Lenovo ThinkCentre M93 Tower

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Dell Inspiron 3471 which was released in 2019. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M93 Tower is older and entered production in 2013.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Dell Inspiron 3471 is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Lenovo ThinkCentre M93 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 Dell Inspiron 3471 as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Lenovo ThinkCentre M93 Tower is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

The Lenovo ThinkCentre M93 Tower has 4 RAM slots while the Dell Inspiron 3471 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 Dell Inspiron 3471 is using the faster 2400 MT/s RAM. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M93 Tower is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 1600 MT/s. 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

In total the Lenovo ThinkCentre M93 Tower has 8 USB ports. The Dell Inspiron 3471 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.

Unfortunately, only the Lenovo ThinkCentre M93 Tower has a DisplayPort. The Dell Inspiron 3471 does not have one? Don't worry though, nowadays video adapters are cheap and you can get almost any combination of conversion types.

The Dell Inspiron 3471 comes with an HDMI port, while the Lenovo ThinkCentre M93 Tower does not support the interface. Of course missing HDMI port is something that can be easily fixed with a good adapter (e.g. DisplayPort to HDMI).

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 4 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 Inspiron 3471. Sadly, the Lenovo ThinkCentre M93 Tower 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 Dell Inspiron 3471 comes with a decent 200 Watt PSU, but the Lenovo ThinkCentre M93 Tower has a more powerful one rated at 280 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.