Lenovo ThinkCentre M720q Tiny

Lenovo’s ThinkCentre M720q Tiny ($389.99 starting price, $764 as tested) is a low-lying small-form-factor PC kitted out for the business set. In our test model, it packs an 8th Generation Intel Core i5 desktop processor inside a compact chassis for space-constrained offices and cubicles. The M720q is designed to sit horizontally, but Lenovo includes a tiny stand that lets you orient it vertically, if you like. And once it’s tucked out of the way, you’ll hardly know it’s there; the M720q operates in near silence. Add in our test model’s support for multiple monitors and a host of security features, and the ThinkCentre M720q Tiny is a good bet for businesses that prioritize trim dimensions and office acoustics over upgradability.

Book-Size Muscle

The ThinkCentre M720q Tiny comes clad in matte black with a couple of red accents: a rectangular Lenovo badge on the front panel, and a red dot in the “i” in “ThinkCentre” that illuminates when you power on. With its sturdy metal chassis, it should be able to take any reasonable office abuse you throw at it.

The M720q Tiny is about the size of a hardcover book. It measures 1.4 by 7 by 7.2 inches (HWD). It’ll take up next to no room on your desk, whether you have it lying horizontally in a corner of your desk…

…or standing up on edge…

If space is so tight that you have no room for the M720 Tiny in either tilt, Lenovo offers a VESA mount for only $12 that lets you fasten the chassis behind a VESA-compatible monitor or even under your desk.

Despite its small size, the M720q Tiny really packs in the ports. On the front, you’ll find two USB 3.1 ports (one Type-A and the other Type-C), along with separate headphone and microphone jacks. I appreciated the comprehensive mix on the small front panel. Having both types of USB ports will save you from needing to dig up a dongle from the back of your junk drawer to connect.

On back, you get full-size DisplayPort and HDMI outputs, an Ethernet jack, and four straight-up USB Type-A ports. Of the USB ports on the back, two are USB 3.1 Gen1 and two are USB 3.1 Gen2, the latter for double the transfer speed with compliant hardware.

Also back here are two punch-out panels for additional connectivity, one of which was occupied in this test unit by a USB Type-C port supporting DisplayPort output for a third video-out option. Other options for these panels include legacy connectors such as VGA or serial ports, or more USB ports.

Easy Access, But Little to Do Inside

Getting inside the system is easy, as long as you have a screwdriver. After removing one screw from the back panel, you are able to slide off the cover to get to the M720q Tiny’s internals. Unless you need to make a repair, though, you won’t have much cause to go in, because there isn’t much expansion room. The chassis has a bracket for a 2.5-inch SATA hard drive or SSD, and nothing more. Still, even having the ability to add more storage is an impressive feat given the system’s trim dimensions. (The test unit on hand has an M.2 SSD mounted flush to the motherboard, allowing for a two-drive configuration.)

One item the M720q Tiny doesn’t allow room for is an internal Wi-Fi antenna. Lenovo includes a pole-style one in the box that you can screw on the back panel if you aren’t connecting the system to your network via wired Ethernet.

Lenovo bundles a basic wired keyboard and mouse set. The keyboard features thick, desktop-style keys with long travel, and the mouse is an ambidextrous shape with an optical sensor. Both are black, and the mouse features a red scroll wheel to match the red accents on the front panel of the M720q Tiny. Based on my time with them, I suspect most office denizens will pine for peripheral upgrades after using the included set…