OptiPlex 3070 Micro vs M720q
Dell or Lenovo: which 9th gen box is the better home server? The differences that matter for a home server:
- M720q can take a PCIe card (PCIe x8 via riser); OptiPlex 3070 Micro cannot. Choose M720q for a router, 10GbE or an HBA.
- M720q has a built-in path to a second network port (PCIe x8 card via Lenovo riser (replaces the 2.5" bay)); on OptiPlex 3070 Micro you would need a USB adapter.
- The top CPU option in M720q has 12 threads versus 6 in OptiPlex 3070 Micro.
- M720q has a path to 10GbE networking; OptiPlex 3070 Micro is limited to 1 GbE plus USB adapters.
- Onboard Ethernet differs: OptiPlex 3070 Micro uses Realtek RTL8111HSD, M720q uses Intel I219-V.
Full spec comparison
| Spec | OptiPlex 3070 Micro | M720q |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2019 | 2018 |
| CPU generations | 9th gen (Coffee Lake Refresh) | 8th gen (Coffee Lake) / 9th gen (Coffee Lake Refresh) |
| Most threads | 6 | 12 |
| Chipset | H370 | B360 |
| Memory type | DDR4-2666 | DDR4-2666 |
| Max RAM (official) | 32 GB | 32 GB |
| M.2 NVMe slots | 1 | 1 |
| 2.5" bays | 1 | 1 |
| PCIe expansion | None | PCIe x8 via riser |
| Onboard NIC | Realtek RTL8111HSD | Intel I219-V |
| Second NIC option | USB only | PCIe x8 card via Lenovo riser (replaces the 2.5" bay) |
| 2.5/10GbE path | USB only | 10GbE (owner-reported) |
| AV1 decode | No | No |
| Transcoding | Good for 4K HEVC; no AV1 decode | Good for 4K HEVC; no AV1 decode |
| Idle power (measured) | Not measured yet | 11–14 W at the wall (ServeTheHome, Dual-core Pentium Gold G5400T (an i5-8500T config draws somewhat more)) |
| Spec confidence | Widely confirmed | Widely confirmed |
Which one for which job
OptiPlex 3070 Micro
Upgrades: 2× DDR4-2666 SODIMM (max 32 GB official), 1× M.2 2280 NVMe + 1× 2.5" SATA.
M720q
- PCIe slot
- 10GbE
- 2.5GbE+ networking
- Plex / Jellyfin 4K
- Proxmox node
- OPNsense / pfSense router
- Budget home server
- Low idle power (measured)
Upgrades: 2× DDR4-2666 SODIMM (max 32 GB official), 1× M.2 2280 NVMe + 1× 2.5" SATA, PCIe x8 card via Lenovo riser (replaces the 2.5" bay).
OptiPlex 3070 Micro detailsM720q details
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