Lenovo ThinkCentre M90 review

We’ve seen a number of Lenovo ThinkCentre machines in the past, and we’ve always been impressed by their combination of ingenious easy-access design and powerful specifications. The latest ThinkCentre, the M90, is the smallest and most powerful yet.

We’re pleased to report that the compact dimensions – the M90 measures just 275mm across and 78mm tall – don’t mean a compromise when it comes to usability. The M90 folds open like a book and, while it doesn’t open wide enough to lay flat on a desk, the system’s various components are all within easy reach.

The motherboard, for instance, can be lifted entirely out of the lid by releasing two purple catches, and its pair of SODIMM slots are easily accessible. The other end of the board is home to a PCI slot that’s been rotated to sit horizontally on the PC. While space is restricted – there’s only room inside the case for low-profile cards, unlike the full-size Dell Optiplex 980 – this still allows for sensible upgrades such as the addition of a wireless card.

Other components can be accessed just as simply. The hard disk sits in a purple, plastic caddy and is held in place by small rods rather than screws, so it can be effortlessly popped out and replaced, while four small screws unlock the CPU heatsink and allow access to the LGA 1156 processor socket.

The only component that puts up a fight is the DVD writer, which is fully encased in metal and offers no easy solution for removal – the only way to unseat this part is to separate the two halves of the machine, and that requires special tools.

We were also slightly disappointed to note that Lenovo’s colour-coding – so prevalent in the preceding ThinkCentre A58 – has taken a back seat. While removable components such as the hard disk and motherboard are signified by purple plastic, the motherboard’s various jumpers and power connectors aren’t, so it isn’t as easy to pull apart and put back together again.

Thankfully, Lenovo hasn’t compromised on build quality. The M90’s panels are extremely strong and rigid, and the machine is covered with a sensible matte finish, so fingerprints, scratches and scuffs won’t ruin its looks.

The port selection is mostly fine, with plenty of USB 2 sockets – including two on the front of the machine that can be deactivated – but the M90 does have its quirks: there’s no eSATA, and display output is limited to D-SUB and DisplayPort, with no DVI-I in sight.

As usual, Lenovo has partnered its impressive hardware with a familiar range of software that’s more comprehensive than Dell’s more limited offering. The ThinkVantage Toolbox offers a range of diagnostic, security and system health tools alongside tutorials and a free trial of Norton Internet Security 2009.

Sitting inside the solid chassis is an impressive specification. It’s the first time we’ve seen the Intel Core i5-660 processor, and its 3.33GHz clock speed propelled this new chip to superb benchmark results: an overall score of 2.01 was backed up by a result of 2.33 in our multi-tasking test. It’s marginally faster than the Dell, and indicative of the kind of power available from Intel’s latest generation of processors.

We were pleased to see that this level of performance didn’t require a lot of power. The M90 used just 22W when idle and 86W when we stress-tested the machine, far less than rivals. The A-Listed Dell used 35W and 89W in the same tests, and the VeryPC Broadleaf, which prides itself on its eco-friendly performance, drew 33W when idle.

The rest of the specification is suitably businesslike, with a TPM 2.1 chip and chassis intrusion detection. Four gigabytes of RAM is more than enough to keep Windows 7 Professional 64-bit ticking over, and there’s a 500GB hard disk and DVD writer. Graphics are provided by the processor-integrated Intel GMA X4500HD GPU, which is fine for most office tasks.

It’s a corporate workhorse of some pedigree, and a solid all-round PC too, but all this doesn’t come cheap. The cheapest M90 with just a Core i3 processor on board, 2GB of RAM and a 320GB hard disk will set you back £531 exc VAT. And although Lenovo wouldn’t give us a price for our review model, we spotted a similar M90 with a Core i5-650 processor, 4GB of RAM and Intel vPro on its website for £645 exc VAT. That’s not far short of the A-Listed Dell Optiplex 980, which is virtually as fast, far more versatile; and it’s almost twice as expensive as its predecessor, the ThinkCentre A58.

If you’re willing to pay for one of the fastest and most compact corporate machines ever, though, then few systems are as impressive as the M90 thanks to Lenovo’s ingenious design. The Dell is still our favourite thanks to its all-round excellence and superior flexibility but, if you need a smaller system, the M90 will be money well spent.

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