Lenovo ThinkCentre M90q Gen 5 2025, Core i9-14900, 32GB, 512GB SSD, Black

A 24-core beast in a box smaller than a lunchbox, but the 512GB SSD and integrated graphics hold it back. Great for business, pointless for play.

The i9-14900 here sits at the 86th percentile for CPU performance in our database, which is genuinely impressive for a mini PC. Turbo speeds hit 5.80 GHz and you've got 32 threads to throw at whatever you're doing. The 32GB of DDR5 at 5200 MHz is also well above average, so multitasking feels effortless. But here's the kicker: the storage is only 512GB, which lands at the 30th percentile. For a machine this powerful, that's like putting a fuel tank from a scooter on a sports car. You'll be reaching for an external drive sooner than you'd like.

The M90q Gen 5 doesn't really compete with the HP OMEN GT16-0364 or Dell Aurora Gaming. Those are gaming desktops with dedicated GPUs, and this Lenovo would get embarrassed in any gaming benchmark. The Apple Mac Studio M3 Ultra is the more interesting comparison for creative pros, but that's a completely different price bracket and ecosystem. Honestly, the real competition is other business mini PCs like Dell's OptiPlex Micro or HP's Elite Mini. Against those, the M90q wins on raw CPU power but loses on storage capacity and price consistency.

Here's where it gets tricky. The price spread across US vendors is wild, ranging from USD 2,050 to USD 3,192. That's a USD 1,142 difference for the same machine. If you're paying the high end, you're getting fleeced. At the lower end, it's still a premium price for a business mini PC, but the CPU performance justifies it for the right buyer. Shop around. Newegg and Best Buy both list this, and one of them is likely closer to that USD 2,050 mark. Don't pay over USD 2,500 for this config.

The Lenovo ThinkCentre M90q Gen 5 is a tiny desktop that packs a serious punch. You're getting a 24-core Intel Core i9-14900 with 32GB of DDR5 in a box you can hide behind a monitor. That's the headline. This is a business workhorse, not a gaming rig, and Lenovo knows exactly who it's for. If you need raw CPU power in the smallest possible footprint for spreadsheets, code compiles, or running a dozen browser tabs plus a VM, this thing delivers. But the integrated Intel UHD 770 graphics means you should forget about playing anything more demanding than Solitaire.

If you want to play games, this isn't it. The Intel UHD 770 integrated graphics put this at the 45th percentile for GPU performance, which means even older titles will struggle. Go get a mini PC with a dedicated GPU or just buy a small gaming desktop like the ASUS ROG GM700. Also skip this if you need lots of local storage. 512GB is a joke for a machine this expensive, and you'll be juggling external drives within months.

Buy this if you need maximum CPU performance in a tiny, vPro-manageable package and you don't care about gaming or storage capacity. The i9-14900 is the star here, and it's genuinely one of the best CPUs you can get in a mini form factor. But if you're a home user who wants a small PC for everyday stuff, save your money. A mid-range mini PC with a Ryzen 7 will feel just as snappy for half the price. This is a business tool, and it's priced like one.