Lenovo M73p Tiny, Core i5-4570T, 8GB, 128GB SSD

The Lenovo M73p Tiny is a genuinely tiny refurbished desktop running Windows 11 Pro for CAD 140. Its dual-core i5-4570T and 8GB of DDR3 RAM put it near the bottom of our performance charts, with CPU, RAM, and storage all ranking in the bottom 11th percentile or worse. It's fine for basic email and web browsing, but anything more will feel slow. Buy it for the size and price, not the performance.

Let's talk about what those percentile numbers actually mean. The CPU sits in the 11th percentile, which puts it near the bottom of the barrel for mini PCs. The i5-4570T runs at 3.2GHz, but with only two cores and four threads, it chokes on anything that wants real parallel processing. Opening a dozen browser tabs will make it sweat. Video calls while running other apps? Expect stutters. The 8GB of DDR3 RAM doesn't help either. DDR3 is two generations old at this point, and 8GB is the bare minimum for Windows 11 to feel responsive. Our database ranks the RAM in the 9th percentile, which means almost every other mini PC we've tested has more and faster memory.

The 128GB SSD is actually the one bright spot in the spec sheet, but even that comes with a caveat. It's enough for Windows 11, a handful of apps, and some documents, but you'll fill it up fast if you store photos, videos, or more than a couple of large programs. The storage ranks in the 6th percentile, which reflects both the small capacity and the fact that many competitors ship with 256GB or 512GB drives. The integrated graphics are, well, integrated graphics from 2013. The GPU sits in the 8th percentile, and gaming performance scored a 4.3 out of 100. That's not a typo. This machine is not for games, period.

Stack this against the Minisforum DeskMini UM880 Plus and the gap is almost comical. The UM880 Plus has a modern Ryzen processor, faster RAM, and a bigger SSD, but it also costs several times more. That's not a fair fight. The more realistic comparison is against other refurbished business machines like the HP ProDesk G4 or the Dell OptiPlex 3070 Small Form Factor. Those machines typically come with newer processors, more RAM, and larger storage drives, though they're also physically bigger and often pricier. The Dell OptiPlex 3070 SFF, for instance, gives you a proper desktop-class CPU and room to upgrade, but it won't hide behind your monitor.

The MSI Cubi NUC 1MG-295US is another interesting alternative. It's a newer mini PC with better performance and more modern connectivity, but again, you'll pay more. The PELADN WO4 with a Ryzen 5600H and 16GB of RAM absolutely demolishes the M73p in every performance metric, but it's a different price bracket entirely. The M73p's real competition is the used market for old business PCs, and there it holds its own on price and size, if not on raw capability.

At CAD 140, this is a cheap computer. There's no getting around that. You're paying less than the cost of a decent mechanical keyboard for a full Windows 11 Pro desktop. The value proposition depends entirely on what you expect it to do. If you need a basic machine for email, web browsing, and light office work, it'll get the job done without breaking the bank. The SSD means it boots quickly and feels snappier than you'd expect from a 2013-era processor.

But value isn't just about the sticker price. The 8GB of RAM and 128GB SSD mean you'll likely hit limits sooner than you'd like. Upgrading the RAM or storage on these Tiny machines is possible but fiddly, and by the time you add a bigger SSD and more memory, you might be approaching the price of a newer refurbished mini PC with better specs out of the box. The port selection is also just average, ranking in the 40th percentile, so you're not getting exceptional connectivity for the money.

The Lenovo ThinkCentre M73p Tiny is one of those machines that makes you do a double take. It's genuinely tiny, small enough to hide behind a monitor or tuck under a shelf, and it's running Windows 11 Pro on a 128GB SSD. For CAD 140, you're getting a complete desktop that sips power and takes up less room than a hardcover novel. That's the pitch, anyway.

But here's the thing. The Core i5-4570T inside this little box is a dual-core chip from 2013. It's not a 4-core processor despite what the listing might suggest. The "T" suffix means it's a low-power variant designed for thin clients and embedded systems, not a workhorse. Our database puts its CPU performance in the 11th percentile among mini PCs, which is a polite way of saying it's one of the slowest processors we've tracked in this category.

So who is this for? Honestly, it's for someone who needs a basic Windows machine for light tasks, email, web browsing, maybe some light document editing, and doesn't want to spend real money. It's also a decent option if you need a cheap box to run a single-purpose setup like a digital signage player or a home server for something undemanding. Just don't expect it to multitask like a modern machine.

Skip this if you plan to do any real work on it. The dual-core CPU and 8GB of DDR3 RAM will choke on anything beyond light web browsing and email. If you need to run spreadsheets with lots of data, edit photos, or keep more than a few browser tabs open, look at a refurbished HP ProDesk G4 or Dell OptiPlex 3070 SFF instead. They're bigger, but they have proper desktop processors and room to grow.

Also skip it if you care about future-proofing. Windows 11 on a 2013-era processor is already a stretch, and the 128GB SSD will fill up faster than you think. If you can stretch your budget, the MSI Cubi NUC or a newer Minisforum model will give you years of usable life instead of months of frustration. This machine is a stopgap, not a long-term solution.

If you need a cheap, tiny Windows machine for basic tasks and you're realistic about its limits, the M73p Tiny is a reasonable buy at CAD 140. It'll handle email, web browsing, light document work, and maybe some light media playback. The SSD keeps it feeling responsive for everyday tasks, and the reliability ranking suggests it won't die on you immediately. Just keep your expectations in check and don't try to run anything demanding.

For anyone who needs to multitask, run modern software, or do anything beyond the basics, this machine will frustrate you. The dual-core CPU and 8GB of DDR3 RAM are simply too old and too limited. You'd be better off saving up for a newer refurbished mini PC or a budget desktop with a more modern processor. The M73p is a niche machine for a niche buyer, and that buyer needs to know exactly what they're getting into.