Lenovo's ThinkCentre M75e + Two L1951P 19" Monitors: Enterprise Computing Bliss? [Archive]

Jason Dunn

01-24-2011, 05:00 PM

<img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/dht/auto/1295567034.usr1.jpg" style="border: 0;" /><h6>Product Category: Desktop PC, LCD monitor</h6><h6>Manufacturer: <a href="http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/web/LenovoPortal/en_US/special-offers.workflow:ShowPromo?LandingPage=/All/US/Landing_pages/ThinkCentre_desktops/2010/M75e" target="_blank">Lenovo</a></h6><h6>Where to Buy: <a href="http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/web/LenovoPortal/en_US/catalog.workflow:category.details?current-catalog-id=12F0696583E04D86B9B79B0FEC01C087&current-category-id=D5EFACB1AF10F1B7D02C8C75641A2B36&action=init" target="_blank">Lenovo</a></h6><h6>Price: starts at $484 USD; as configured, $763 USD for desktop, $239.99 USD per L1951P monitor (19"), $1242.98 total with both monitors.</h6><h6>Specifications: See below.</h6>Pros:<ul><li>3 Ghz of quad-core power and 4 GB of RAM for under $800;</li><li>Fairly quick boot time of 36 seconds;</li><li>Dual monitor support right out of the box.</li></ul>Cons:<ul><li>If you put it up on your desk, you might find it a bit loud if you have a quiet work environment;</li><li>19" monitors seem a bit small in this age of 20"+ monitors;</li><li>Internal speaker rattles frequently.</li></ul>Summary: Lenovo sent me a small form factor <a href="http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/web/LenovoPortal/en_US/special-offers.workflow:ShowPromo?LandingPage=/All/US/Landing_pages/ThinkCentre_desktops/2010/M75e" target="_blank">ThinkCentre M75e</a> desktop computer along with two Lenovo L1951P 19" monitors to check out. After looking at two of their all-in-one systems recently (the A70z and the M90z), it was a big change to look at a corporate desktop system paired with twin 19" monitors. How does the M75e measure up with two 19" monitors in tow? Is it a cost effective enterprise computer that doesn't make too many compromises?<MORE /><h1>Physical Setup</h1>The out-of-box setup on the M75e was straight forward: unpacking the computer itself and the two 19" monitors, connecting all the cables, mounting the monitors into their stands, and pressing the power button took just under 14 minutes. The monitors come with the VGA cable connected by default, so for the second monitor I had to swap in the DVI cable. Everything was as I expected, until I pressed the power button: it seems that if you have a monitor connected to the VGA port and DVI port, it will assume the DVI-connected monitor is the primary monitor. I thought it would be the opposite, since VGA was the default cable on the monitor, but this was easily fixed by swapping the physical monitors around. <img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/dht/auto/1295568685.usr1.jpg" style="border: 0;" />Figure 1: On the left we have the regular tower version of the M75e; the one on the right is the small form factor version.Although the set-up was simple, I was reminded of how much faster it was to set up the A70z and M90z in comparison - all-in-one systems have one cable to connect. Setting up the M90z for instance was a three minute process. Also noteworthy is the lack of integrated WiFi; while that makes sense from a cost-cutting corporate computing standpoint, it's again a departure from what I've become used to in looking at the all-in-one computers.The M75e can come in one of two cases: the first is a standard desktop mini-tower, and the second is a small form factor (SFF) design. The SFF design is only slightly shorter than the mini-tower, but it has the advantage of being able to go on its side if need be.<h1>Software Setup</h1>As part of the Windows 7 Professional 64-bit setup, Lenovo includes a few extra screens of information (curiously crammed into the top-left quarter of the screen). First up is Lenovo's Rescue and Recovery software; it automatically takes backups of data and the full system image. The "Learn More" link took me to a help file that referenced Lenovo laptops and a special button on the keyboard to trigger this service. The keyboard I was sent has no such button, but I presume it can be triggered via a software link inside Windows 7. I'd like to see Lenovo clean this up and have it reference information useful to the owner of the M75e, not a Thinkpad.The next step helpfully informed me that Office 2010 was pre-installed and all I needed to do was buy a license key - as if businesses wouldn't already have a strategy in place for Microsoft Office use. Norton Security is also pre-installed, but thankfully there's a "Don't Protect My PC" option that, after telling it for a second time that, really, I didn't want Norton Security installed, it let me proceed.<img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com//dht/auto/1295627256.usr1.png" style="border: 1px solid #d2d2bb;" />Figure 2: System specs - looks like 256 MB of the memory is allocated to the GPU.After Windows 7 completely booted, I was presented with a Windows Live license agreement window - again, I have to wonder why a business would need Windows Live installed right out of the box. I personally think Windows Live is an excellent suite of services, but from a business perspective, every unnecessary piece of software is another vector for a security breech or stability problem. I'd have preferred to see Windows Live as optional as Norton Security was. I will say that it was nice to see exactly one icon on the desktop: the Recycle Bin. After un-installing Windows Live, Windows Live Sync, Windows Live Upload Tool, and the Office 2010 trial, I felt like the system was free of software I wouldn't need if I were running this as a business machine.I'm not convinced the Corel Burn.Now and Corel DVD MovieFactory software are needed either, but I left it there. A nod of approval goes out to Lenovo for not including Sun's Java VM software. Java is a popular attack vector for malware and virus writers, and shouldn't be on any computer unless there's an actual need for it. Too many OEMs include Java "just because" without thinking of the potential problems it can open a system up to.It's always a good idea to run Windows Update before you start to use a new computer for anything, so I started the initial install of 42 mandatory updates and let the system run for a while. Following a reboot, there were four more mandatory updates. And then one more. It's a shame some of these older updates can't be included from the factory image, but I'd guess there are IT-related reasons why companies might want to start with the vanilla install of Windows 7.<PAGE /><h1>What's Under The Hood?</h1>The M75e can be configured with a variety of hardware options; with a starting price tag of $484 USD, the entry level M75e comes equipped with a 2.8 Ghz AMD Sempron 145 AM3 Processor, 2 GB of RAM, a 250 GB hard drive, and no optical drive. On the other end of the spectrum is the M75e that I was sent, which rings in at $763 USD:<ul><li>CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 CPU @ 3 Ghz</li><li>Chipset: AMD 760G + SB710</li><li>RAM: 4 GB DDR3 1066 (2 x 2 GB chips, four slots)</li><li>Audio: HD Audio (Realtek)</li><li>Graphics: ATI Radeon 3000</li><li>Networking: Marvell Yukon 88E8057 (10M/100M/1000M Gigabit Ethernet)</li><li>Hard Drive: 500 GB 7200 RPM (unknown brand)</li><li>Optical Drive: CD/DVD burner (unknown speed)</li><li>Power Supply: 240 watt, 85% efficient</li><li>Ports: (4) SATA II, (2) Serial (1 standard, 1 optional), (2) PS/2 (standard), (1) VGA + DVI, (8) USB ports (2 front, 4 rear, 2 internal)</li><li>Slots: (1) PCI slot, (2) PCI-e x1 slot, (1) PCI-e x16 slot (Graphics slot)</li><li>Internal Bays: (1) Internal 3.5", (1) External 5.25", (1) Slim Bay (for Memory Card Reader)</li><li>Size: 335mm x 99mm x 382mm (13.2 inch19es x 3.9 inches x 15 inches)</li></ul><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/dht/auto/1295568720.usr1.jpg" style="border: 1px solid #d2d2bb;" />Figure 3: You're looking at 38 inches of monitor workspace.The 500 GB hard drive is partitioned into two pieces; the 454 GB Windows 7 partition has 19.5 GB used up when initially booted into Windows 7. The other partition, 9.76 GB in size, has 6.07 GB used up for the system recovery image. The drive, when benchmarked by HD Tune Pro 4.5, clocked in at 60.2 MB/s minimum read speeds, 125.9 MB/s maximum read speeds, and an average read speed of 102.3 MB/s - along with an access time if 14.1 ms. It's no SSD, but it's a reasonably fast hard drive.Worth noting is that the motherboard has four RAM slots; it's rare to find a system at this price point capable of rocking 16 GB of RAM - most have two slots and top out at 8 GB. If you're a business running RAM-intensive application, having a 16 GB ceiling is a big plus.<h1><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/dht/auto/1295568749.usr1.jpg" style="border: 1px solid #d2d2bb;" /></h1>Figure 4: The back of the M75e has the ports and connectors you'd expect for an enterprise workstation.The M75e relies upon the AMD Phenom II X4 CPU, clocking in at 3 Ghz. This 45nm CPU is no slouch; it rates a 7.3 in the Windows Experience Index. By way of comparison, my main workstation uses an Intel Core i5 760 CPU running at an overclocked 3.4 Ghz and it rates a 7.5. It's not going to measure up to the heaviest-hitting Core i7 CPUs, but for an office computer, the AMD CPU will shred through the largest spreadsheets and PowerPoint decks with ease.<img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com//dht/auto/1295584337.usr1.png" style="border: 1px solid #d2d2bb;" />Figure 5: The Windows Experience Index rating.I'm not an enterprise guy - my skillset and knowledge-base tap out once you get beyond a dozen deployed systems. So in light of that, I'll simply quote the Lenovo spec sheet when it comes to the enterprise-focused features that come with the M75e:"To reduce your dependency on IT support and to lower maintenance costs, this desktop comes with essential manageability and data security features. Apart from the ThinkVantage® Technologies suite, the ThinkCentre M75e also features the latest easy-to-use Desktop and mobile Architecture for System Hardware (DASH) remote management tool, helping you considerably reduce costly desk-side support visits. The DASH feature is even compatible with Intel® vProTM PCs. The embedded Trusted Platform Module (TPM) chip, Hardware Password Manager tool, onboard PS/2 port and the individual USB enable/disable capability optimize data security, providing you with complete peace of mind."Sounds impressive, right?<h1>What About Those Two 19" Monitors?</h1><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/dht/auto/1295633208.usr1.jpg" style="border: 0;" />Figure 6: That, right there, is a corporate monitor.The Lenovo L1951P monitors are about what you'd expect. These are corporate monitors through and through: one DVI port, one VGA port, and a small cable management clip on the back. The monitors have a matte screen, so they're easy to read and don't pick up glare from overhead lights. Lenovo doesn't specify what kind of panel they use, but at this price point and based on the viewing angles, it's not an IPS panel - it's some form of TN panel. At 19" across, they're only 1440 x 900 in resolution, which feels somewhat low - 1440 x 900 is my ideal resolution for a 13" laptop screen, not a 19" desktop monitor. I'm used to 1920 x 1200 and higher on desktop monitors, so things felt a little "oversized", but this is likely an ideal resolution for your typical office worker. No complaints about things being "too small" with these monitors. The quality of the display itself is what I'd call "middle of the road". Not particularly impressive, but nothing much to complain about either.<img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/dht/auto/1295568734.usr1.jpg" style="border: 1px solid #d2d2bb;" />Figure 7: The back of the Lenovo L1951P monitors.The bigger problem I had with the monitors is the lack of height adjustment - these monitors feel a little low in their stance. You can change the vertical angle of the screens, but once you do that, you eliminate any sort of harmonious dual-monitor set-up where both monitors are bumping bezels and tilted inward in a "V" formation. Given the relatively small size of these monitors, I was disappointed that a dual-panel on a single stand accessory wasn't standard - it looks like you have to <a href="http://shop.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/web/LenovoPortal/en_US/catalog.workflow:item.detail?GroupID=38&Code=30R5883&current-category-id=43EA8F717D264420A93AA3B15AB47407&&hide_menu_area=yes" target="_blank">spend $269 for the solution</a>. Given the option to put the M75e horizontal, and the lack of adjustable height on the monitors, I'd have loved to have seen a dual-screen mount that attached to the M75e in some way - that would be a great set-up.A three year warranty is standard on the L1951P monitors, and they qualify for a number of <a href="http://shopap.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary/controller/e/nzweb/LenovoPortal/en_NZ/catalog.workflow:item.detail?GroupID=38&Code=2448HC6&current-category-id=2FAF239B768947AD95895F826C34447E&&hide_menu_area=yes" target="_blank">green standards</a>.<PAGE /><h1>Audio & Video Performance</h1>I was surprised when I heard audio coming from the M75e tower - I assumed I'd hear silence until I connected a pair of speakers or headphones, but there's a tiny speaker inside the chassis as an optional upgrade. Not surprisingly, the speaker doesn't get very loud or sound very good - I was unable to get any information from Lenovo about the wattage, but if I were to guess I'd say 2-3 watts at most. That's the good news - it's loud enough in a quiet environment to hear the dings and beeps of using your computer, and at 100% volume you can get away with watching a YouTube video, or even listening to music here and there...if you care nothing for the quality of the music.The bad news? The speaker distorts extremely easily, with most audio causing distortion at around 80% of maximum volume - and, strangely, certain types of audio cause it to distort like crazy at lower volumes. For instance, my <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzbZvVdXANg" target="_blank">Apple Macbook 13 review</a> video distorts at anything above 20% audio. This built-in speaker might do in a pinch, but you'll want real speakers if you want to hear much of anything.The CPU and GPU hold up quite well when it comes to video performance. 1080p Flash video full screen uses up around 37% of the CPU resources, and playback is smooth under Internet Explorer 8. I tested 720p h.264 videos (20% CPU usage) and 1080p h.264 videos (25% CPU usage) and all of them played back without an issue. DVD playback was equally flawless. The M75e should be able to handle any video thrown at it - even a 4K video on YouTube played back OK, though the CPU was ramped up to 80% usage to play it back and as a result the system lost a bit of responsiveness.<h1>Performance, Benchmarks, and Noise</h1>Boot time was a reasonably quick 36 seconds from hitting the power button to being at the Windows 7 logon screen. Shut down occurs in 11 seconds. Both are within the realm of what I'd expect from Lenovo - they're renowned for the fast boot times on their systems. I used <a href="http://www.futuremark.com" target="_blank">FutureMark's PCMark Vantage</a> suite to benchmark the system, and it clocked in at a very respectable 6086 PCMarks.<img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com//dht/auto/1295584121.usr1.png" style="border: 1px solid #d2d2bb;" />Figure 8: The PCMark Vantage score.<img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com//dht/auto/1295584163.usr1.png" style="border: 1px solid #d2d2bb;" />Figure 9: The PCMark Vantage break-down of each benchmark.I find myself repulsed by loud computers, so I was curious to see how quiet the M75e really was. My office is around 30dB with nearby computers in sleep mode and the M75e turned off. With the M75e powered up and idling, logged into Windows, I measure the volume at 33dB with a sound metre placed six inches off my desk and about six inches away from the front of the tower. How loud is that? Well, if you were the place the M75e on the ground under a desk, you wouldn't hear it at all. However, given the small form factor nature, it's likely to be placed up on top of your desk - especially if you have it laying horizontal with a monitor on top. In that placement, you'll hear the M75e. It's not loud, but in the absence of other noise in your workspace, you'll hear the fans. When I put all four CPU cores under 100% load, the volume level rose to 38dB. This isn't "leave the room while your video is rendering" loud, but it's loud enough. I'd say that, overall, Lenovo did a fairly good job at keeping the volume levels of the M75e in check.<PAGE /><h1></h1><h1>The Green Factor</h1>When it comes to power usage, the M75e is quite eco-friendly. Using my Kill-A-Watt measuring tool, the tower on its own idles at 45 watts - not bad for a quad-core CPU machine with 4 GB of RAM. The CPU throttles down to 800 Mhz, which keeps power usage to a minimum. With both 19" monitors attached and running at 100% brightness, total power draw is only 85 watts. Compare that to the 3.6 Ghz overclocked Core i7 CPU with a 27" Dell Ultrasharp monitor slurping down 233 watts that I'm currently writing this review on, and the difference on the power bill is clear - especially once you multiply it by a few hundred workstations. If the M75e is placed under full load, with all four CPU cores grinding at 100%, it will pull down 142 watts of power. The CPU, at idle, is a cool 24 degrees Celsius; under maximum load, it still only rises to 50 degrees Celsius.<img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com//dht/auto/1295584461.usr1.png" style="border: 1px solid #d2d2bb;" />Figure 10: The secret to controlling every aspect of system power: the Lenovo Power Manager.I ran into something weird with the primary monitor - it would continually go back to 49 out of 100 on the brightness, which was a little dim. I'd turn up the brightness to 100 using the monitor controls, but at random a few minutes later it would go back to the previous setting. These aren't particularly bright monitors when running at 50% brightness, so I wanted to have them ramped up to 100%. The VGA-connected secondary monitor stayed at 100% brightness, but the primary one would not...until I found the Lenovo Power Manager (pictured above). Once there, it was easy to figure out that it was the default Lenovo power profile that was causing the screen to ratchet back power.<h1>Conclusion</h1>If you're looking for a no-nonsense business desktop that takes up less space than a traditional tower computer, one that has enough CPU and GPU firepower to handle any office work yet still be power efficient, and one that can scale up to 16 GB of RAM, the Lenovo ThinkCentre M75e should be on your short list. Although I wish Lenovo had come up with a way to run a dual monitor system via a chassis mount, it's nothing that can't be fixed with a couple of monitor stands. The M75e offers a lot of value for the dollar, all backed up by a three year warranty.Other reviews from around the Web on the Lenovo M75e:<ul><li><a href="http://www.chipchick.com/2010/12/lenovo-thinkcentre-m75e-review.html" target="_blank">CHIPChick</a></li><li><a href="http://www.geardiary.com/2011/01/20/the-lenovo-thinkcentre-m75e-review-a-small-form-factor-desktop-computer/" target="_blank">Gear Diary</a></li><li><a href="http://www.neowin.net/news/review-lenovo-m75e" target="_blank">Neowin</a></li><li><a href="http://www.osnn.net/general-hardware/100651-lenovo-thinkcentre-m75e-lenovo-thinkvision-l1951p.html#post876016" target="_blank">OSNN.net</a></li></ul>Jason Dunn owns and operates <a href="http://www.thoughtsmedia.com/" target="_blank">Thoughts Media Inc.</a>, a company dedicated to creating the best in online communities. He enjoys <a href="http://photos.jasondunn.com/" target="_blank">photography</a>, mobile devices, <a href="http://www.jasondunn.com/" target="_blank">blogging</a>, digital media content creation/editing, and pretty much all technology. He lives in Calgary, Alberta, Canada with his lovely wife, his wonderful son Logan, and his sometimes obedient dog. He wishes more software would leverage multiple CPU cores.<img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com//ppct/auto/1240336793.usr1.gif" />Do you enjoy using new hardware, <a class="iAs" href="http://www.digitalhomethoughts.com/news/show/93798/dell-s-inspiron-mini-10-reviewed.html" target="_blank">software</a> and accessories, then sharing your experience with others? Then join us on the <a href="http://www.thoughtsmedia.com/reviewteam.php" target="_blank">Thoughts Media Review Team</a>! We're looking for individuals who find it fun to test new gear and give their honest opinions about the experience. It's a volunteer role with some great perks. Interested? <a href="http://www.thoughtsmedia.com/reviewteam.php" target="_blank">Then click here for more information.</a><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com//ppct/auto/1240336793.usr1.gif" />