Lenovo ThinkCentre M70q Gen 5 2024, Core i7-14700T, 32GB, 1TB SSD, Black

The ThinkCentre M70q Gen 5 is a tiny office powerhouse with a 20-core i7 and 32GB of RAM. Port selection is best-in-class, but integrated graphics kill any gaming ambitions. Worth buying if you find it near the low end of the $1,150 to $2,421 US price range.

The i7-14700T is a low-power chip, but it still has 20 cores and handles multitasking like a champ. Our database puts the CPU at 67th percentile, which is solid for a mini PC, and the 32GB of DDR5 RAM lands at 79th percentile. Storage is a 1TB NVMe SSD at 75th percentile, so boot times and app loads feel snappy. The weak link is the integrated Intel UHD 770 graphics, which sits at 38th percentile. Fine for 4K video output and everyday tasks, but don't expect to game on this thing. The gaming score is 13.7 out of 100, which is basically a polite way of saying no.

Against the HP OMEN GT22-3080 or ASUS ROG GM700, this ThinkCentre isn't even playing the same game. Those are gaming towers with dedicated GPUs, and the M70q's 13.7 gaming score makes that clear. The Dell Tower ECT1250 is a more traditional desktop that offers upgradeability the M70q can't match. The Apple Mac Studio M4 Max absolutely destroys this thing in raw performance, but it also costs way more and runs macOS. Where the M70q wins is size and efficiency. It's a fraction of the footprint of any tower, and the port selection is genuinely excellent. For office work, software development, and general productivity, it holds its own. For anything graphics-heavy, look elsewhere.

Pricing is all over the map. US listings range from $1,150 to $2,421 across 8 sellers, and Canadian listings span CAD 1,500 to CAD 3,059. That's a massive spread for the same machine. If you're in the US, shop around and aim for the low end of that range. At $1,150, this is a compelling little workhorse. At $2,421, you're paying too much for integrated graphics and a seller warranty. The Best Buy listing doesn't show a price, so you'll need to check current availability and compare against other sellers before pulling the trigger.

The Lenovo ThinkCentre M70q Gen 5 is a tiny desktop that punches above its weight class for office work. You get a 20-core i7-14700T, 32GB of DDR5, and a 1TB NVMe SSD in a box that weighs just 1.25kg. It's the kind of machine you bolt to the back of a monitor and forget about, until you realize it's been chewing through spreadsheets and code all day without a hiccup.

This particular unit is a professionally upgraded model sold through Best Buy with a 1-year seller warranty from IST Computers. That's worth knowing because Lenovo's own warranty doesn't apply here. The hardware is solid, but the support story is a bit different than buying direct.

Skip this if you need any kind of real graphics performance. Gamers, video editors, and 3D artists should look at something with a dedicated GPU, like the HP OMEN or ASUS ROG towers. Also skip it if you want manufacturer warranty coverage, since this unit is backed by a third-party seller instead of Lenovo. And if you're the type who reads reviews before buying, the complete lack of customer feedback might leave you feeling uneasy.

Buy this if you need a compact, quiet, capable desktop for work. It's ideal for developers, data analysts, and anyone who wants a clean desk setup without sacrificing CPU performance. The 32GB of RAM and 1TB SSD mean you won't be upgrading anytime soon. Just don't buy it for gaming or creative work that needs a real GPU. And make sure you're comfortable with the seller warranty situation before you commit.