Lenovo ThinkCentre M920q Tiny vs Lenovo ThinkCentre M920x Tiny
| Field | Lenovo ThinkCentre M920q Tiny | Lenovo ThinkCentre M920x Tiny |
|---|---|---|
| CPU | Intel Core i5-8500T / i7-8700T (8th gen, six-core) | Intel Core i5-8500T (STH config with AMD Radeon RX 560 dGPU) |
| Cores | 6C / 6T (i5) – 6C/12T (i7) | 6C / 6T |
| Form factor | 1L Tiny | 1 L Tiny (taller M920x chassis with dGPU) |
| Measured idle power | 12–15 W idle (120 V, quad/six-core); ships with a 90 W adapter wall-measured · Wall meter (ServeTheHome 120 V) · source · 2021 | ~29–34 W idle (six-core i5-8500T + RX 560 dGPU config, 120 V wall — high because of the discrete GPU) wall-measured · Wall meter (120 V) · source · 2020-12-06 |
| ECC memory | No (Q370 chipset, non-ECC) source · 2021 | No (consumer DDR4 SODIMM, non-ECC) source · 2020-12-06 |
| NIC chipset | 1× 1GbE Intel I219 source · 2021 | Intel i219 1GbE (vPro) source · 2020-12-06 |
| RAM ceiling | 64 GB (2× DDR4 SODIMM) source · 2021 | 32 GB official / 64 GB unofficial (2× DDR4 SODIMM) source · 2020-12-06 |
| IOMMU / passthrough | Has an optional PCIe/M.2 riser slot; widely used for an added NIC. iGPU (UHD 630) transcode works well under Proxmox LXC. source · 2021 | No sourced passthrough report yet. |
| AMD reset bug | — | — |
| Price band | $120–200 used | $200–350 (used, dGPU config) |
| Proxmox fit (editorial) | excellent — 6-core, 64 GB ceiling, riser slot, UHD 630 for transcode — the most capable used 1L Intel box. Slightly higher idle. | caution — vPro Intel i219 NIC and a 64 GB unofficial RAM ceiling are attractive, but the M920x's discrete RX 560 GPU pushes idle to a high 29–34 W — a power-hungry choice versus a plain M920q for a 24/7 host. |
| Where to buy | Amazon Newegg eBay | Amazon Newegg eBay |
Frequently asked questions
Does the Lenovo ThinkCentre M920q Tiny or the Lenovo ThinkCentre M920x Tiny use less idle power?
The Lenovo ThinkCentre M920q Tiny idles at 12–15 W idle (120 V, quad/six-core); ships with a 90 W adapter (wall-measured); the Lenovo ThinkCentre M920x Tiny idles at ~29–34 W idle (six-core i5-8500T + RX 560 dGPU config, 120 V wall — high because of the discrete GPU) (wall-measured). On the cited lower-bound figures, the Lenovo ThinkCentre M920q Tiny draws less. Idle varies with OS, 120 V vs 240 V mains and power tuning, so treat these as the third-party measured numbers, not a guarantee for your exact unit.
Lenovo ThinkCentre M920q Tiny vs Lenovo ThinkCentre M920x Tiny: which has the better NIC for Proxmox?
Lenovo ThinkCentre M920q Tiny NIC: 1× 1GbE Intel I219 (rated solid). Lenovo ThinkCentre M920x Tiny NIC: Intel i219 1GbE (vPro) (rated solid). Intel i226 is the chipset to want; i225 has a documented dropout history and Realtek RTL8125 works on Linux/Proxmox but not VMware ESXi. Confirm the silicon on the unit you receive with lspci -nn.
Which is the better homelab / Proxmox box, the Lenovo ThinkCentre M920q Tiny or the Lenovo ThinkCentre M920x Tiny?
Lenovo ThinkCentre M920q Tiny: 6-core, 64 GB ceiling, riser slot, UHD 630 for transcode — the most capable used 1L Intel box. Slightly higher idle. Lenovo ThinkCentre M920x Tiny: vPro Intel i219 NIC and a 64 GB unofficial RAM ceiling are attractive, but the M920x's discrete RX 560 GPU pushes idle to a high 29–34 W — a power-hungry choice versus a plain M920q for a 24/7 host. These are our editorial verdicts derived from the cited fields above — not a spec.
Cited public information, not purchasing advice. Idle draw depends on OS, mains voltage (120 V vs 240 V) and power tuning (powertop); onboard NIC silicon can differ between production batches of the same model — confirm with
lspci -nn before relying on a NIC or passthrough claim. Full per-model detail and every source on the model pages.