Lenovo ThinkCentre M720Q, Core i5-8500T, 32GB, 1TB SSD

The Lenovo ThinkCentre M720Q is a compact refurbished mini PC with 32GB RAM and a 1TB SSD, perfect for office work. The CPU is aging and the integrated graphics are weak, but for $369 USD it's a solid value. Buy it for productivity, not play.

The i5-8500T is a 35W chip with 6 cores and 6 threads, and it handles everyday business tasks without breaking a sweat. Our database puts the CPU in the 21st percentile overall, which sounds rough until you remember this is a low-power mini PC from 2018. For Word, Excel, Chrome with a dozen tabs, and video calls, it's plenty. The 32GB of RAM is the real star here, sitting in the 64th percentile and giving you tons of headroom for multitasking. The 1TB NVMe SSD is quick and roomy, though it lands mid-pack at the 54th percentile. The weak spot is graphics. The UHD 630 is one of the weakest GPUs we track, so don't expect anything beyond basic display output and light photo editing.

Stacked against the GMKtec Nucbox K8 Plus or ASUS NUC 14 Pro, the M720Q shows its age. Those newer mini PCs have much faster CPUs and better integrated graphics, but they also cost more. The Dell Tower ECT1250 and HP OmniDesk M02-0234 are traditional desktops with more upgrade room, but they take up way more space. The M720Q's real advantage is the combo of 32GB RAM and a 1TB SSD in a tiny package at a refurbished price. If you want modern performance, look at the ASUS or GMKtec. If you want cheap, compact, and capable enough for office work, the Lenovo holds its own.

At $369 USD, this is a fair deal for a refurbished business mini PC with 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. You're not getting cutting-edge performance, but you're getting a lot of memory and storage for the money. The Canadian listing at $630 CAD is less exciting, but still reasonable for what you get. Just remember you'll need to add a keyboard, mouse, monitor, and possibly a Wi-Fi adapter, so factor that into your budget.

The Lenovo ThinkCentre M720Q is a tiny refurbished workhorse that punches above its weight for office duty. You get a 6-core i5-8500T, 32GB of DDR4, and a 1TB NVMe SSD in a box you can hide behind a monitor. It runs Windows 11 Pro out of the box, which is nice for a renewed unit at this price.

But let's be real about what this thing is. The integrated UHD 630 graphics sit in the 8th percentile, so gaming is basically off the table. This is a spreadsheet slayer and email machine, not a gaming rig. If you need a compact, quiet, reliable desktop for work, it's a solid pick.

Skip this if you need any kind of graphical performance. The UHD 630 is one of the weakest GPUs we've seen, so gamers, video editors, and 3D modelers should look elsewhere. Also skip it if you want built-in Wi-Fi or need a machine with modern CPU performance. The 8th gen i5 is fine for basics, but it's showing its age.

Buy this if you need a small, quiet, reliable desktop for office work, web browsing, or as a home server. The 32GB of RAM and 1TB SSD make it a surprisingly capable multitasker. Skip it if you want to play games, edit video, or run anything graphically demanding. This is a business tool, not a toy.