Lenovo ThinkCenter M70S 2021

The M70S is a solid refurbished office desktop with a strong i5 chip and 16GB of RAM. Its business score of 62.5 is respectable, but the integrated GPU is a dealbreaker for anything beyond basic display. At under $600, it's a decent deal for a no-frills Windows 11 Pro machine.

The Lenovo ThinkCenter M70S is a refurbished compact desktop aimed at offices that just need to get work done. It packs a 10th Gen i5-10500, 16GB of DDR4, and a 512GB NVMe SSD into a tidy little box that won't hog your desk space. Windows 11 Pro is already loaded, so it's ready to slot into a business network right away.

Don't expect fireworks here. This is a no-nonsense machine for spreadsheets, email, and maybe some light multitasking. The integrated UHD 630 graphics mean gaming is basically off the table, but for everyday office workloads, the six-core CPU still holds its own surprisingly well.

In our benchmarks, the i5-10500 performs solidly for business tasks, landing in the 65th percentile overall. That's more than enough for Office apps, browser tabs galore, and even some light photo editing. But the integrated GPU drags the whole package down, scoring just 9.6 out of 100 for gaming. We'd call it a capable office partner, not a creative station. The 512GB SSD is snappy, though its capacity and speed are about average compared to newer models.

With prices floating between $586 and $690, a lot depends on where you buy. At the low end, it's a fair deal for a ready-to-use Windows 11 Pro office PC. Once you creep past $650, we'd say you're better off looking at newer refurbs or even a budget mini PC with a more modern chip. Check multiple listings because that $104 spread can mean the difference between a smart buy and a mild overpay.

Stacked against its contemporaries, like the Dell XPS EBT2250 or HP OmniDesk M03-0074, the M70S trades blows similarly, but the Dell often offers better build quality and the HP sometimes sneaks in a stronger PSU. The Mac mini M4 destroys it in raw performance and efficiency, but you'd pay nearly twice as much. For pure office grunt, this Lenovo holds its own as long as you don't need graphics muscle. The gaming-oriented ASUS ROG G700 and iBUYPOWER systems are in a different universe.

If you have any need for a discrete GPU, whether for gaming, video editing, or even driving high-resolution displays smoothly, steer clear. This machine's integrated graphics are anemic, and the 180W PSU won't support a meaningful upgrade. You'd be better off with a mini PC sporting a stronger iGPU or a small tower that can take a real card.

The Lenovo ThinkCenter M70S is built for the reception desk, the back office, or the home study where spreadsheets and Zoom calls are the extent of the workload. It's quiet, compact, and competent for business tasks. If that sounds like your world, you'll be satisfied. Just keep expectations for visuals at rock bottom.