Lenovo ThinkCentre M720Q, Core i5-8400T, 16GB, 500GB SSD

The Lenovo ThinkCentre M720Q is a refurbished mini PC that delivers solid office performance in a tiny package. The six-core i5-8400T, 16GB RAM, and 500GB NVMe SSD handle everyday work smoothly, and Windows 11 Pro is included. At $247 USD, it's a great value for budget-conscious buyers who don't need gaming or heavy compute power. Just know that the CPU is aging and the storage is on the smaller side.

The i5-8400T is a 35W chip, which means it's designed to sip power rather than chug it. In our database, the CPU lands in the 22nd percentile for this category, so it's not going to win any races against newer silicon. But for the kind of work this machine is built for, that's mostly fine. Six cores at 1.7GHz base clock handle spreadsheets, email, video calls, and a dozen browser tabs without breaking a sweat. You'll notice it if you try to do anything heavy like video editing or running virtual machines, but that's not really the target audience here.

The storage situation is a bit of a mixed bag. The 500GB NVMe SSD is fast for boot times and app launches, but it sits at the 36th percentile for storage capacity in this category. That's enough for documents, applications, and a reasonable media library, but if you're someone who hoards files, you'll want an external drive or cloud storage. The 16GB of RAM is solid for multitasking, though it's also below average for the category at the 32nd percentile. For most office workloads, you won't feel constrained. For heavy multitasking with dozens of tabs and multiple apps, you might start to notice some pressure.

The M720Q sits in an interesting spot in the mini PC market. The HP Elite Mini 800 G9 and ASUS NUC 14 Pro are both newer and faster, but they also cost significantly more. The HP is a current-gen business machine with better port selection and newer CPUs, while the ASUS NUC 14 Pro offers more modern connectivity and performance. If you need the latest hardware and have the budget, those are better picks. But you'll pay for the privilege.

The Dell Optiplex 3060 is probably the closest direct competitor, being another refurbished business mini PC from the same era. It's a similar value proposition, though the M720Q's six-core CPU gives it a slight edge in multitasking. The MSI Cubi NUC AI and Minisforum DeskMini UM880 Plus are more enthusiast-oriented options with better graphics and newer CPUs, but they're also pricier and aimed at different use cases. For pure office productivity on a budget, the M720Q holds its own against all of them.

At $247 USD, the M720Q is a genuinely good deal for what it offers. You're getting a complete Windows 11 Pro machine with 16GB of RAM and an NVMe SSD for less than the cost of many tablets. The Canadian price of $350 CAD is also reasonable, though the exchange rate makes it a slightly less compelling value north of the border. Either way, this is budget territory for a machine that can handle real work.

Compared to buying new, you're saving a significant chunk of change. A new mini PC with similar specs would likely run you $400 to $500 or more. The trade-off is that this is a refurb, so you're relying on the refurbisher's quality control. The 4.1 out of 5 rating from 19 reviews suggests most buyers are happy, but it's still a gamble compared to a new unit with a full warranty. If you're comfortable with that, the value proposition is hard to beat.

The Lenovo ThinkCentre M720Q is one of those machines that quietly does its job without demanding attention. It's a refurbished business-class mini PC that's been given a second life, and for around $247 USD, it's aimed squarely at people who need a dependable desktop for everyday work without the bulk of a traditional tower. Think home offices, reception desks, or anyone who wants to reclaim some desk space.

What makes this interesting is the balance Lenovo struck here. You're getting an 8th gen Intel Core i5-8400T with six cores, 16GB of DDR4 RAM, and a 500GB NVMe SSD in a chassis that weighs just 1.32kg. That's a genuinely useful spec sheet for office work, web browsing, and light multitasking. The Windows 11 Pro license is a nice touch too, especially for a refurb at this price.

The catch is that this is a renewed unit, not new. That means you're trading some peace of mind for a lower price. But if you're okay with that, the M720Q represents a smart way to get a capable little workhorse without spending much. It's not flashy, but it doesn't need to be.

If you're looking for any kind of gaming performance, look elsewhere. The integrated Radeon graphics are fine for displaying your desktop and playing video, but they're not built for 3D games. Even older titles will struggle at anything beyond low settings. The gaming score of 17.6 out of 100 in our database tells the story. For gaming on a budget, you'd be better off with a used desktop with a dedicated GPU or a console.

Also skip this if you need lots of storage or plan to keep large media libraries locally. The 500GB SSD fills up faster than you'd think, and while you can add external drives, that defeats the purpose of a clean mini PC setup. If you work with large files regularly, like video or high-res photos, look for something with a 1TB drive or easy internal expansion. The port selection is also limited, so if you need lots of USB devices connected at once, you'll want a machine with more connectivity options.

If you need a quiet, compact desktop for everyday office work, the M720Q is an easy recommendation. It handles email, web browsing, document editing, and video calls without complaint, and the Windows 11 Pro license means you're getting a proper business OS out of the box. The 16GB of RAM and NVMe SSD keep things feeling responsive, and the tiny footprint means it'll disappear behind a monitor or under a desk.

For anyone doing more demanding work, like photo editing, programming with heavy compilation, or running multiple virtual machines, this machine will start to feel its age. The CPU is the bottleneck, and the integrated graphics won't help with anything GPU-accelerated. In those cases, you'd be better off spending more on a newer mini PC or a compact desktop with a dedicated GPU. But for the office worker, student, or home user who just needs a reliable machine that doesn't take up space, the M720Q is a smart buy.