Lenovo ThinkCentre Lenovo ThinkCentre M90q Gen 6 Tiny Desktop Review

A tiny titan for developers, a terrible pick for everyone else. Its 24-core CPU and 64GB RAM crush code, but its integrated graphics can't even handle a casual game.

The Lenovo ThinkCentre M90q Gen 6 is a tiny desktop that packs a massive punch, but only if you're punching spreadsheets and code, not monsters. The one thing you need to know is this: it's a hyper-compact workstation with a monster 24-core Intel Ultra 9 CPU and a staggering 64GB of RAM, all crammed into a box the size of a hardcover book. It's built for developers and power users who need serious multi-threading muscle in a silent, space-saving form factor, and it absolutely delivers on that promise. Just don't even think about gaming on it.

The performance story here is all about the CPU and RAM, and they're both absolute overkill in the best way. That Intel Ultra 9 285 lands in the 91st percentile for processing power, and paired with 64GB of DDR5 (which is in the 96th percentile), this thing chews through virtual machines, massive datasets, and compilation tasks without breaking a sweat. The surprise, honestly, is how cool and quiet it stays while doing it. The integrated Intel graphics, however, are exactly what you'd expect—they're fine for driving four 4K displays for productivity, but that's it. The GPU score is in the 37th percentile, which tells you everything.

At $2,469, the value proposition is razor-sharp and niche. It's absolutely worth it if your job requires a compact, powerful, and utterly reliable workstation for software development, data analysis, or as a dense virtualization host. If that's not you, it's a wildly expensive web browser.

This isn't competing with the gaming desktops like the HP Omen or Alienware Aurora on our list—those are different beasts for different needs. The real competition is other mini PCs and small form factor builds. Compared to something like an Intel NUC, the M90q offers more enterprise features and likely better sustained performance. But if raw compute in a small box is the goal, you could build a more powerful micro-ATX system for less money, though it wouldn't be this tiny or this neatly packaged.

If you're looking to play games, edit video, or do any 3D rendering, this isn't it. The integrated graphics will choke. Go get a proper desktop with a dedicated GPU instead, even if it's bigger and louder.

We're giving a strong, but very specific, recommendation. If you are a developer, IT professional, or power user who needs maximum multi-core CPU performance and tons of RAM in the smallest, quietest, and most reliable package possible, the ThinkCentre M90q Gen 6 is a fantastic choice. For literally anyone else—especially gamers, creatives, or general users—it's complete overkill and a poor use of your budget. Buy the tool for the job.