Lenovo ThinkCentre M70q Gen 5 2024, Core i7-14700T, 16GB, 512GB SSD

A shockingly powerful 20-core CPU in a box the size of a paperback. Buy it for work, not for play.

The 20-core i7-14700T is the real star here. In our database, this chip lands in the 72nd percentile for CPU performance, which is impressive for a mini PC that sips power through a 135W adapter. It chews through spreadsheets, virtual meetings, and software development tasks without breaking a sweat. The integrated Intel UHD Graphics 770 is the obvious weak spot, sitting in the 33rd percentile. It's fine for pushing pixels to a couple of 4K monitors, but it'll choke on anything more demanding than a YouTube video.

The M70q doesn't really compete with gaming towers like the HP Omen GT22 or MSI Aegis Z2. Those are in a different universe for graphics performance. Its real rivals are other 1-liter business PCs like the Dell OptiPlex Micro and HP Elite Mini. Compared to those, the Lenovo's 14th-gen i7 gives it a clear edge in raw processing power, and its port selection is more modern with HDMI 2.1. The Dell might edge it out in build quality, but the ThinkCentre is the one we'd pick for pure performance per square inch.

Pricing on this thing is all over the map, with a wild spread from $999 to over $24,000 depending on the vendor. The $999 entry point is a solid deal for a vPro-enabled business machine with this much CPU horsepower. But if you're looking at the higher end of that range, you're getting fleeced. Shop around and don't pay a cent over the lowest listed price.

The Lenovo ThinkCentre M70q Gen 5 is a tiny desktop that punches way above its weight class for office work. It's packing a 20-core Intel i7-14700T, 16GB of DDR5 RAM, and a snappy 512GB NVMe SSD into a chassis you can hide behind a monitor. If you need a no-nonsense Windows 11 Pro machine for data crunching, coding, or running a multi-monitor trading setup without your desk looking like a server room, this is it. Just don't expect to play games on it.

If you're looking for a machine that can handle even light gaming or GPU-accelerated creative work, this isn't it. The integrated graphics are a dead end for anything beyond desktop apps and video playback. Go get a small form factor PC with a dedicated GPU, like an ASUS ROG or MSI Aegis, instead.

The Lenovo ThinkCentre M70q Gen 5 is a near-perfect office workhorse for anyone who values desk space and quiet operation. It's a top-tier choice for developers, analysts, and business pros who need serious CPU power without a giant tower. Just pair it with a good monitor and know that gaming is completely off the table. For a clutter-free, high-performance workstation, this is one of the best tiny PCs you can buy right now.