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ThinkCentre Tiny vs OptiPlex Micro vs EliteDesk Mini: Used Guide

Generation map, vPro tiers, expansion slots, dual-NVMe models, NICs and noise for the big three 1-liter business PCs on the used market.

Fact-checked

Lenovo, Dell and HP all built 1-liter business desktops on the same Intel T-series (35 W) processors, so a ThinkCentre M920q, an OptiPlex 7070 Micro and an EliteDesk 800 G4 Mini perform about the same with the same CPU. The differences are in the chassis: which tier gets vPro, how many drives fit, what goes in the expansion slot, and how easy the machine is to work on. This guide lines them up by generation, using vendor spec sheets and ServeTheHome's Project TinyMiniMicro reviews.

Generation map

Tiers and vPro

Each vendor splits its line into a value tier and a manageability tier. The value tiers use cheaper chipsets and, often, a Realtek network chip. On the vPro tiers, vPro works only when the CPU is vPro-eligible and the unit was ordered with it enabled.

  • Lenovo: M7x0q models have no vPro (Lenovo lists the M720q as non-vPro). M9x0q models offer it: the M910q lists Intel AMT 11.0 on some models, and the M920q and M920x list "Intel vPro with Intel AMT 12.0" or none.
  • Dell: the 3000 series has no vPro (ServeTheHome found a 3050 with a vPro-capable i5-6500T but no support, and a 3070 on an H370 chipset with a Realtek NIC). The 7000 series uses Q-series chipsets and the Intel I219-LM required for vPro. The 5000 series sits between: its manuals include Intel AMT and MEBx settings.
  • HP: ProDesk 400 has no vPro (B360 and Realtek on the 400 G4). The ProDesk 600 G4 has a Q370 chipset and I219-LM, but ServeTheHome's unit lacked vPro and its sticker didn't mention it. The EliteDesk 800 has vPro with a compatible CPU.
  • AMD systems use DASH instead: Lenovo lists DASH 1.2 as an option on the M75q Gen 2, and ServeTheHome's M75q units had a DASH-capable Realtek NIC.

Expansion quirks

Lenovo: the M720q and M920q have an internal PCIe 3.0 x8 slot that needs a riser and takes the place of the 2.5-inch bay (Lenovo says the two are mutually exclusive). Lenovo sold it with an Intel I350-T4 quad-port gigabit card, which its configurator paired with a 135 W adapter. ServeTheHome lists riser part numbers 01AJ929 (x4) and 01AJ902 (x8) for anyone building one up. The M920x adds a second M.2 NVMe slot and uses the same x8 slot for Lenovo-qualified cards (I350-T4, a serial card, or an AMD Radeon RX 560), and ships only with a 135 W adapter. The M920q's rear optional ports can be serial, VGA, DisplayPort or HDMI. The M710q's board lacks the populated riser connector.

Dell: one rear option port (VGA, DisplayPort, HDMI, serial or USB-C), and dGPU versions use a different chassis and board. ServeTheHome found this the least expandable of the three, but Dell's tool-less 2.5-inch tray with a hard-mounted SATA connector is the easiest drive bay. The 7080 and 7090 Micro have two M.2 SSD slots, and on the 7090 one runs at PCIe 4.0 with an 11th-gen CPU.

HP: Flex IO modules. The G4 generation uses the original Flex IO, and ServeTheHome warns that some USB-C modules need a header that lower models lack. The 800 G6 has two Flex Ports. Port 1 options include an Intel i225-LM 2.5GbE NIC and a fiber NIC; port 2 options include a GeForce GTX 1660 Ti, serial or USB. Flex IO V2 modules don't fit V1 machines; ServeTheHome identifies the 2.5GbE V2 board as HP part M74416-001. The 800 G4, 600 G4, 800 G6 and 805 G6 all have two M.2 slots. The trade-off is serviceability: HP's 2.5-inch tray is held with screws.

Homelab and Proxmox suitability

  • RAM: 32 GB official on the M710q/M910q, M720q/M920q/M920x, OptiPlex 5050 and 7070 Micro, and EliteDesk 800 G4; 64 GB on the M75q Gen 2, OptiPlex 7080/7090 and 5090 Micro, and EliteDesk 800 G6. ServeTheHome ran 64 GB unofficially in the M920q, M920x, 7070 Micro and ProDesk 600 G4.
  • NIC: the vPro tiers use Intel I219 (I219-LM); the M710q and M720q use I219-V; the value tiers and the AMD units mostly use Realtek RTL8111. ServeTheHome prefers the Intel I219-LM for a lab firewall. Every model has a single onboard gigabit port, so extra ports come from a USB adapter, Lenovo's riser card or HP's Flex IO NIC.
  • Dual drives: for a mirrored pair, look at the M920x, OptiPlex 7080/7090 Micro or EliteDesk 800 G4/G6, which have two M.2 slots. ServeTheHome suggests a 2.5-inch boot SSD plus two mirrored NVMe drives in the 800 G4.
  • ZFS: the Proxmox ZFS documentation calls for at least 8 GB of RAM to start and recommends ECC memory. These minis use non-ECC SO-DIMMs (Lenovo lists non-ECC on the M920x, and ServeTheHome couldn't get ECC working in a 3070), so size memory generously and keep backups. Proxmox also recommends enterprise-class SSDs for separate log devices.
  • CPU swaps: ServeTheHome reports that Lenovo uses AMD Platform Secure Boot on the M75q Gen 2, locking the factory CPU to Lenovo boards. Avoid buying used Ryzen chips pulled from these units for other machines.

Any of these will run a Proxmox homelab node. The 6-core 8th/9th-gen units with 32 GB, or the 8-core M75q Gen 2 and 805 G6, are the practical sweet spot.

Noise and power

The 35 W versions cool the CPU with a single small radial fan (some HP models add a small second fan for the M.2 area), and ServeTheHome describes them in similar terms: close to inaudible at idle from about a meter away, audible once the fan ramps under sustained full load. The 65 W-CPU variants and GPU builds are louder. The OptiPlex 7060 with a Core i5-8500 was more noticeable under load, the 65 W EliteDesk 800 G6 has a perforated top that suffers when units are stacked, and the M920x with its RX 560 was "very audible" under load. Dust makes it worse, so clean the heatsink on arrival.

ServeTheHome's idle measurements at 120 V: 11 to 13 W for an M710q (i5-7500T), 12 to 15 W for an M920q (i5-9600T), just over 13 W for an OptiPlex 7070 Micro (i5-9500T), around 11 W for a 7080 Micro (i5-10500T), 11 to 12 W for an EliteDesk 800 G4 Mini (i5-8500T), just over 18 W for a 7060 Micro with a 65 W i5-8500, and 29 to 34 W for an M920x with its GPU.

Quick Sync and Windows 11 by generation

For Plex or Jellyfin, the iGPU matters more than the brand. ServeTheHome notes that moving from 6th-gen HD 530 to 7th-gen HD 630 adds 10-bit HEVC support, and that Celeron and some Pentium Gold SKUs (G5400T, G5420T) get the cut-down UHD 610. See Quick Sync by generation and the media server guide. For Windows 11, the line is 8th-gen Intel: M720q/M920q, OptiPlex x060 and later, and EliteDesk 800 G4 and later are on Microsoft's list; M710q/M910q, OptiPlex x050 and EliteDesk 800 G3 are not. Details are in Windows 11 support by CPU generation.

Which to choose

  • Easiest to work on: Lenovo. ServeTheHome calls Lenovo's design the most serviceable, with tool-less M.2 and memory access under the bottom cover.
  • Most drives and I/O options: HP EliteDesk 800 G4/G6 and 805 G6 (two M.2 slots, Flex IO, three front USB ports).
  • Simplest 2.5-inch drive installs: Dell, but it has the least expansion.
  • Need a PCIe card in 1 liter: Lenovo M720q/M920q with a riser, or the M920x.
  • Need vPro: the 7000 or 800/M9x0 tier with a vPro sticker, not just a vPro-capable CPU.

Whichever you pick, run through the used mini PC buying checklist before you pay.

Sources

Models in this guide

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