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Lenovo ThinkCentre M910z All-in-One Desktop Review

All work and no play. The ThinkCentre M910z is true to its heritage with an understated, functional design, easy maintenance, and capable performance—thanks to a Core i5 CPU and NVMe SSD. But how did it fare in our bevy of extensive tests and benchmarks?

While the wider market continues to trend toward portable computing, there’s still substantial demand for desktops for certain applications, most notably in the business segment. But the latest generation of mainstream business desktops has not ignored the progress of the rest of the industry—and the Lenovo ThinkCentre M910z leverages the improvements in chipset efficiency alongside years of experience in business machine R&D to provide a well-balanced, quiet, cool, and conveniently-designed all-in-one for the office.

Our test unit includes a 23.8-inch FHD IPS anti-glare touchscreen display, 512 GB NVMe SSD, 8 GB DDR4 memory, and a Core i5-7500 quad-core CPU. It retails for $1,285 at Lenovo.com currently, which is a reasonable price given its large NVMe solid-state drive and other expensive components. What other surprises has Lenovo packed into this machine—and can its real-world performance live up to its promise?

Lenovo ThinkCentre M910z-10NR000KUS
Processor
Intel Core i5-7500 4 x 3.4 - 3.8 GHz, Kaby Lake
Graphics adapter
Memory
8 GB 
, DDR4-2400
Display
23.80 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 93 PPI, yes; 10-point multi-touch, LEN-M910z-B, IPS, glossy: no
Storage
Toshiba NVMe THNSF5512GPUK, 512 GB 
Soundcard
Realtek ALC235 @ High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
6 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 DisplayPort, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm headphone/microphone combo audio jack
Networking
Intel Ethernet Connection I219-LM (10/100/1000MBit/s), Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.1
Optical drive
HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GUD0N
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 502 x 585 x 255 ( = 19.76 x 23.03 x 10.04 in)
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: 1080p with Privacy Switch
Primary Camera: 2 MPix
Additional features
Speakers: 2 x 3W speakers, Keyboard: Desktop, standard, Keyboard Light: no, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
10.3 kg ( = 363.32 oz / 22.71 pounds), Power Supply: 0 g ( = 0 oz / 0 pounds)
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

The ThinkCentre M910z adopts the venerable classic ThinkPad styling and color scheme, adorned in matte black surfaces (hard, sturdy plastic, that is) with occasional red accents. Control buttons (monitor input mode, brightness, microphone mute, power) are conveniently located on the right edge of the machine below the optical drive. The entire machine is fairly compact considering its incorporation of a 23.8-inch display; depth (measuring roughly 255 mm / 10 inches) is the single variable that may prove problematic for some office spaces. Apart from that, the convenience of doing away with a “tower” carries obvious appeal—especially when one considers the relative ease of access to internal components (more on this in our maintenance section in a bit).

The base/stand is also constructed of plastic, but like the rest of the machine, there is little concern surrounding its stability. It’s an articulating stand which allows for height adjustments ranging between 1 inch up to 4.5 inches off the surface, as well as just about every viewing angle (frontwards, anyway) that a user could practically hope for. Thanks to the anti-glare screen finish, positioning the monitor as desired carries few repercussions. The entire machine weighs in at around 10.3 kg (22.71 pounds). There is no separate power adapter; a standard AC cable connects the device directly to an outlet.

Connectivity

Two USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports (one Always On + Fast Charge), the card reader, and a headphone/microphone combo audio jack line the left side of the machine for easy access. The remaining four USB 3.1 ports (for a total of 6), DisplayPort, and Gigabit Ethernet port are located on the back. The power port is also in the center of the back; cables can be routed through an attached organizer loop on the left side of the rear hinge, leaving a clean look behind the machine at the user’s desk.

Left: SD card reader, headset audio jack, USB 3.1 always-on, USB 3.1
Left: SD card reader, headset audio jack, USB 3.1 always-on, USB 3.1
Right: DVD+/-RW, video input toggle, brightness rocker, microphone mute, power button
Right: DVD+/-RW, video input toggle, brightness rocker, microphone mute, power button
Rear: Gigabit Ethernet, DisplayPort, USB 3.1 x 4
Rear: Gigabit Ethernet, DisplayPort, USB 3.1 x 4

SD Card Reader

The integrated card reader is convenient, yet quite slow as determined by our usual benchmarks.

SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Dell Latitude 5580
 
151 MB/s +577%
HP Z1 G2 G1X47EA
 
80 MB/s +258%
Lenovo ThinkPad T470p-20J7S00000
 
74.9 MB/s +236%
Lenovo ThinkCentre M910z-10NR000KUS
 
22.32 MB/s
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Dell Latitude 5580
 
213 MB/s +962%
Lenovo ThinkPad T470p-20J7S00000
 
87.3 MB/s +335%
HP Z1 G2 G1X47EA
 
83 MB/s +314%
Lenovo ThinkCentre M910z-10NR000KUS
 
20.06 MB/s

Communication

The WLAN adapter powering the ThinkCentre’s wireless networking is the popular Intel 8265 Wireless-AC, which also includes Bluetooth 4.1 connectivity. Meanwhile, an Intel I219-LM Gigabit Ethernet adapter is also on board. The webcam can easily be blinded for security via the integrated cover switch.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Lenovo ThinkCentre M910z-10NR000KUS
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
482 MBit/s
Lenovo ThinkPad T470p-20J7S00000
Intel 8265 Tri-Band WiFi (Oak Peak) Network Adapter
472 MBit/s -2%
Dell Latitude 5580
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
382 MBit/s -21%
iperf3 receive AX12
Lenovo ThinkCentre M910z-10NR000KUS
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
667 MBit/s
Lenovo ThinkPad T470p-20J7S00000
Intel 8265 Tri-Band WiFi (Oak Peak) Network Adapter
547 MBit/s -18%
Dell Latitude 5580
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
453 MBit/s -32%

Accessories

No accessories are included with the ThinkCentre M910z apart from the keyboard and mouse peripherals, which we’ll cover in just a moment.

Maintenance

Maintenance is relatively simple for an all-in-one. One of the biggest criticisms historically of AIO desktops has been the accessibility of internal parts—but, at least in terms of the hard drive and RAM access, the M910z makes it easy: simply place the system face down on a safe surface, slide the release latch upward to release and remove the stand from the rear, and press down and slide on the back cover to remove it. Beneath it, you’ll find both the hard drive bay and the RAM (our machine came with an NVMe SSD installed in the interior PCIe M.2 slot, so the hard drive bay was actually empty, awaiting a storage drive if desired).

However, if additional maintenance is required, the internal computer cover must also be removed, which involves the careful disengagement of multiple plastics clips along with a couple of screws, followed by the removal of the system board shield, which is secured by a number of other screws. Overall, maintenance isn’t terrible, though, and for the most part, the easy access to the RAM and the second drive bay probably cover most of what will normally be necessary.

Warranty

The M910z carries a 1-year on-site warranty. Please see our Guarantees, Return Policies & Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

Input Devices

Keyboard and Mouse

The included (corded) input devices are nothing terribly unique, but they are at the very least extremely comfortable and superior to those packed in with competitors such as Dell OptiPlex machines. The Lenovo keyboard features a standard width with full 10-key number pad on the right side. Key travel and feedback are both very good, and typing is relatively quiet. As with most standard office keyboards, it features fold-out feet to optionally prop up the back of the keyboard for a more ergonomic angle.

Meanwhile, the mouse tracks well and slides comfortably across a desk both with and without a mousepad. The buttons provide excellent feedback, and the center scroll wheel clicks perceptibly in increments as it rotates. While basic, these are two very good business input devices.

Touchscreen

The ThinkCentre also features a touchscreen with 10-point multitouch input. It’s easy to forget about its presence thanks to the effective anti-glare coating on the panel, but the screen is accurate, comfortable to use, and fingerprint resistant.

Display

Subpixel array, ThinkCentre M910z
Subpixel array, ThinkCentre M910z

Speaking of the display, the ThinkCentre’s 23.8-inch FHD (1920x1080) IPS anti-glare panel is nothing particularly special by itself. While it’s large, the 1080p resolution factors out to a paltry 93 PPI. Fortunately, for conventional office use, that’s perfectly sufficient.

Subjectively, the display appears rather dim, and there is a bit of a detectable haze as a result of the distance of the actual panel from the digitizer layer/plastic anti-glare surface. Ultimately, it’s still probably a more usable implementation of touch in any office environment where reflections from ambient light could become bothersome, so it’s hard to criticize Lenovo’s decision here at any rate. But it does bring into question whether or not the incorporation of touch interface is all that worthwhile to begin with—since without it, we could be supplied with a normal, anti-glare, single-layer display assembly instead. By the way, a standard non-touch screen is an available option.

215.4
cd/m²
205.7
cd/m²
208.3
cd/m²
222.2
cd/m²
221
cd/m²
215
cd/m²
221.4
cd/m²
213.1
cd/m²
207.3
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
LEN-M910z-B tested with X-Rite i1Pro Basic 2
Maximum: 222.2 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 214.4 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 93 %
Contrast: 961:1 (Black: 0.23 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 3.8 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 3.7 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
90.3% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
58.44% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
65.6% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
90.3% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
64.4% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.38
Lenovo ThinkCentre M910z-10NR000KUS
LEN-M910z-B, IPS, 23.80, 1920x1080
HP Z1 G2 G1X47EA
HWP192F, IPS LED, 27.00, 2560x1440
Apple iMac Retina 5K 27 Late 2015 3.2 GHz M390 MK472D/A
27.00, 5120x2880
Display
14%
33%
Display P3 Coverage
64.4
76.8
19%
99.3
54%
sRGB Coverage
90.3
99.7
10%
100
11%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
65.6
74.4
13%
88.2
34%
Response Times
-66%
-2%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
35.2 ?(15.2, 20)
44.4 ?(16, 28.4, plateau)
-26%
30.4 ?(11.6, 18.8)
14%
Response Time Black / White *
17.6 ?(10.8, 6.8)
30.2 ?(11.2, 19, plateau)
-72%
20.8 ?(4.4, 16.4)
-18%
PWM Frequency
21740 ?(20)
200 ?(95, 330)
-99%
Screen
-3%
15%
Brightness middle
221
365
65%
429
94%
Brightness
214
367
71%
424
98%
Brightness Distribution
93
87
-6%
95
2%
Black Level *
0.23
0.4
-74%
0.58
-152%
Contrast
961
913
-5%
740
-23%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
3.8
4.68
-23%
2.8
26%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
7.3
Greyscale dE 2000 *
3.7
6.6
-78%
1.97
47%
Gamma
2.38 92%
2.34 94%
2.13 103%
CCT
6701 97%
6094 107%
6889 94%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
58.44
66.26
13%
79
35%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
90.3
99.69
10%
99.97
11%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-18% / -12%
15% / 17%

* ... smaller is better

Although Lenovo quotes 250 nits brightness from the panel, we only measured an average of 214.4 cd/m² with a maximum of 222.2 cd/m² (center-left quadrant), which subjectively seems closer to reality as the display is noticeably dim even at the brightest setting. Contrast is a very good 961:1, whereas brightness distribution of 93% confirms a consistent luminosity across the entire panel.

Meanwhile, our color coverage measurements revealed pedestrian (yet still acceptable) results, with 90.3% of the sRGB spectrum covered by the panel and just 58.4% of AdobeRGB. This is compared with 66.3% and 79% of AdobeRGB from the HP Z1 G2 and Apple iMac Retina 5K (2015) displays.

vs. sRGB
vs. sRGB
vs. AdobeRGB
vs. AdobeRGB
vs. HP Z1
vs. HP Z1
vs. iMac Retina 5K (late 2015)
vs. iMac Retina 5K (late 2015)

CalMAN mostly yielded positive results, with ColorChecker and Greyscale DeltaE average values of 3.8 and 3.7, respectively, as well as a Total Gamma of 2.38 and CCT Average of 6701, both of which are practically ideal (and, in this case, actually better than both of the other competing displays in our comparison field).

Color analysis (pre-calibration)
Color analysis (pre-calibration)
Saturation sweeps (pre-calibration)
Saturation sweeps (pre-calibration)
Grayscale analysis (pre-calibration)
Grayscale analysis (pre-calibration)
Color analysis (post-calibration)
Color analysis (post-calibration)
Saturation sweeps (post-calibration)
Saturation sweeps (post-calibration)
Grayscale analysis (post-calibration)
Grayscale analysis (post-calibration)

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
17.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 10.8 ms rise
↘ 6.8 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 33 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
35.2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 15.2 ms rise
↘ 20 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 42 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is similar to the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM detected 21740 Hz ≤ 20 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 21740 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 20 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 21740 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

We detected PWM at brightness levels of 20 percent and below, but the frequency of 21740 is high, so it’s unlikely to be bothersome to most users sensitive to flickering.

We didn’t bother testing the machine outdoors as it isn’t a practical use for most people. However, near windows and other bright light sources, the display mostly remains comfortably usable thanks to its anti-glare finish. The low brightness does make it a bit harder to appreciate in bright environments, however, and viewing angles suffer a bit (in spite of the “WVA” IPS panel Lenovo uses) because of the separation between the plastic touch layer and the display panel beneath.

Performance

The M910z can be configured with a couple of different CPUs, between 4 GB and 32 GB of DDR4-2400 RAM, and a variety of different single/dual-storage combinations. Our particular unit came equipped with an Intel Core i5-7500 quad-core CPU, 8 GB DDR4 memory, and a 512 GB NVMe Opal SSD. As mentioned above, both the storage drive (especially the secondary storage drive) and memory are fairly easily upgradeable if the user chooses to go with a lower-end configuration from the outset.

LatencyMon reported no issues with real-time audio/video streaming on the M910z.

CPU-Z CPU
CPU-Z CPU
CPU-Z Caches
CPU-Z Caches
CPU-Z Mainboard
CPU-Z Mainboard
CPU-Z Memory
CPU-Z Memory
CPU-Z RAM SPD
CPU-Z RAM SPD
GPU-Z
GPU-Z
Octane v2
Octane v2
LatencyMon
LatencyMon

Processor

The Intel Core i5-7500 CPU included in our review unit is a quad-core processor based on the Kaby Lake architecture with a base clock rate of 3.4 GHz and a max turbo frequency of 3.8 GHz across all four cores. This is the first sample of this processor we’ve evaluated, but according to our benchmarks, performance is only several percentage points above that of its Skylake predecessor (the Core i5-6500). We recorded 159 points and 585 points in Cinebench R15 single/multi-CPU 64-bit, respectively—scores which are just 5% and 7% above those of the Apple iMac Retina 5K 27 AIO (from late 2015), which is equipped with the i5-6500. Meanwhile, the HP Z1 G2 with its Xeon E3-1226 CPU lags behind the iMac by a few more percentage points. The gap narrows to just a couple of percentage points when both single- and multi-core sustained performance is tested via wPrime and Super Pi, however. Meanwhile, the ThinkPad T470p, with its Core i7-7700HQ, manages comparable single-core scores and roughly 18 to 26 percent faster multi-core performance.

It’s uncommon than an All-In-One is expected to feature rock-solid, blistering CPU performance as compared to, say, a gaming or professional workstation desktop. But in spite of that, the M910z provides plenty of power for just about any practical office application outside of those requiring dedicated graphics or heavy-duty professional rendering work.

Cinebench R11.5
Cinebench R11.5
Cinebench R15
Cinebench R15
ComputeMark
ComputeMark
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Lenovo ThinkPad T470p-20J7S00000
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
161 Points +1%
Lenovo ThinkCentre M910z-10NR000KUS
Intel Core i5-7500
159 Points
Apple iMac Retina 5K 27 Late 2015 3.2 GHz M390 MK472D/A
Intel Core i5-6500
151 Points -5%
HP Z1 G2 G1X47EA
Intel Xeon E3-1226 v3
145 Points -9%
Dell Latitude 5580
Intel Core i5-7300U
142 Points -11%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Lenovo ThinkPad T470p-20J7S00000
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
735 Points +26%
Lenovo ThinkCentre M910z-10NR000KUS
Intel Core i5-7500
585 Points
Apple iMac Retina 5K 27 Late 2015 3.2 GHz M390 MK472D/A
Intel Core i5-6500
548 Points -6%
HP Z1 G2 G1X47EA
Intel Xeon E3-1226 v3
534 Points -9%
Dell Latitude 5580
Intel Core i5-7300U
328 Points -44%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Single 64Bit
Lenovo ThinkCentre M910z-10NR000KUS
Intel Core i5-7500
1.83 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad T470p-20J7S00000
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
1.82 Points -1%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Lenovo ThinkPad T470p-20J7S00000
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
8.16 Points +18%
Lenovo ThinkCentre M910z-10NR000KUS
Intel Core i5-7500
6.89 Points
wPrime 2.10 - 1024m
HP Z1 G2 G1X47EA
Intel Xeon E3-1226 v3
311 s * -2%
Lenovo ThinkCentre M910z-10NR000KUS
Intel Core i5-7500
306 s *

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
1.83 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
6.89 Points
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
45.8 fps
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
159 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
585 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
47.2 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
97.8 %
Help
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Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64 Bit

System Performance

General system performance is also excellent, thanks mostly to the fast NVMe SSD. Scores of 5053 in PCMark 8 Work Accelerated and 5077 in PCMark 8 Creative Accelerated dwarf those of the HP Z1 (albeit, from nearly two years ago) by 15% and 68% respectively. PCMark 10, meanwhile, issued a score of 3910.

PCMark 10
PCMark 10
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 8 Work Accelerated
PCMark 8 Creative Accelerated
PCMark 8 Creative Accelerated
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8 Home Accelerated
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Lenovo ThinkCentre M910z-10NR000KUS
HD Graphics 630, i5-7500, Toshiba NVMe THNSF5512GPUK
3916 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad T470p-20J7S00000
GeForce 940MX, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP
3650 Points -7%
HP Z1 G2 G1X47EA
Quadro K2100M, E3-1226 v3, Micron M600 MTFDDAT256MBF mSATA
3396 Points -13%
Dell Latitude 5580
HD Graphics 620, i5-7300U, Toshiba MQ01ACF050
3300 Points -16%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Lenovo ThinkCentre M910z-10NR000KUS
HD Graphics 630, i5-7500, Toshiba NVMe THNSF5512GPUK
5053 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad T470p-20J7S00000
GeForce 940MX, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP
4654 Points -8%
HP Z1 G2 G1X47EA
Quadro K2100M, E3-1226 v3, Micron M600 MTFDDAT256MBF mSATA
4379 Points -13%
Creative Score Accelerated v2
Lenovo ThinkCentre M910z-10NR000KUS
HD Graphics 630, i5-7500, Toshiba NVMe THNSF5512GPUK
5077 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad T470p-20J7S00000
GeForce 940MX, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP
4883 Points -4%
HP Z1 G2 G1X47EA
Quadro K2100M, E3-1226 v3, Micron M600 MTFDDAT256MBF mSATA
3014 Points -41%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3916 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
5077 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
5053 points
PCMark 10 Score
3910 points
Help

Storage Devices

The above dominance is largely a factor of storage speeds, and the Toshiba NVMe in the Lenovo M910z is at the center of the equation. Other configurations exist, including one which includes a mere 500 GB 7200 RPM mechanical hard drive. However, opting for an NVMe SSD out of the gate and possibly adding a secondary storage drive in the open SATA bay later (even another SSD) is an easy way to save money and keep the door open for later hassle-free upgrades.

AS SSD
AS SSD
CrystalDiskMark
CrystalDiskMark
PCMark 8 Storage Accelerated
PCMark 8 Storage Accelerated
Open drive bay (for a secondary SATA drive)
Open drive bay (for a secondary SATA drive)
Toshiba NVMe THNSF5512GPUK
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 2154 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 1062 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 591 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 120.9 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 1101 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 1021 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 49.85 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 43.62 MB/s

GPU Performance

The M910z is no professional workstation, and as such, it lacks the dedicated graphics of the HP Z1 and T470p. The latter unsurprisingly trumps it in terms of GPU performance as a result, but the M910z still turns in a respectable performance which indicates more than capable speeds for everyday office use.

3DMark Ice Storm
3DMark Ice Storm
3DMark Cloud Gate
3DMark Cloud Gate
3DMark Fire Strike
3DMark Fire Strike
3DMark Sky Diver
3DMark Sky Diver
3DMark Ice Storm Extreme
3DMark Ice Storm Extreme
3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited
3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited
3DMark Time Spy
3DMark Time Spy
3DMark 11
3DMark 11
3DMark 06
3DMark 06
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance GPU
Lenovo ThinkPad T470p-20J7S00000
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, i7-7700HQ
3164 Points +97%
Lenovo ThinkCentre M910z-10NR000KUS
Intel HD Graphics 630, i5-7500
1604 Points
Dell Latitude 5580
Intel HD Graphics 620, i5-7300U
1440 Points -10%
1280x720 Performance Combined
Lenovo ThinkPad T470p-20J7S00000
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, i7-7700HQ
2981 Points +107%
Lenovo ThinkCentre M910z-10NR000KUS
Intel HD Graphics 630, i5-7500
1437 Points
Dell Latitude 5580
Intel HD Graphics 620, i5-7300U
1100 Points -23%
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Lenovo ThinkPad T470p-20J7S00000
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, i7-7700HQ
14360 Points +81%
HP Z1 G2 G1X47EA
NVIDIA Quadro K2100M, E3-1226 v3
12292 Points +55%
Lenovo ThinkCentre M910z-10NR000KUS
Intel HD Graphics 630, i5-7500
7943 Points
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Lenovo ThinkPad T470p-20J7S00000
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, i7-7700HQ
2399 Points +148%
HP Z1 G2 G1X47EA
NVIDIA Quadro K2100M, E3-1226 v3
1843 Points +90%
Lenovo ThinkCentre M910z-10NR000KUS
Intel HD Graphics 630, i5-7500
969 Points
1920x1080 Ice Storm Extreme Graphics
Lenovo ThinkPad T470p-20J7S00000
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, i7-7700HQ
35293 Points
3DMark 06 Standard Score
10165 points
3DMark 11 Performance
1782 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
7160 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
907 points
Help
low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 52 35 23 8

Stress Test

The M910z enjoys stable performance under load in our Cinebench loop test (see the graph above in our Processor section for more on that). We also didn’t see any throttling in play during our synthetic stress test.

Full CPU stress
Full CPU stress
Full GPU stress
Full GPU stress
Combined CPU + GPU stress
Combined CPU + GPU stress
CPU Clock (GHz) GPU Clock (MHz) Average CPU Temperature (°C) Average GPU Temperature (°C)
Prime95 Stress 3.6 - 72 -
FurMark Stress - 1100 - 65
Prime95 + FurMark Stress 3.6 1100 84 85

Emissions

System Noise

As is not uncommon with AIO desktops, the fan speeds (and thus noise levels) associated with the operation of the M910z are mostly unchanging regardless of stress level, performance state, or power plan. We measured a relatively unobtrusive 34.6 dB(A)—around 6 to 7 dB(A) higher than ambient noise levels—under all conditions. The iMac in particular can get to be quite a bit louder under load, but it also features dedicated graphics.

Noise Level

Idle
34.5 / 34.6 / 34.6 dB(A)
Load
34.6 / 34.6 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   BK Precision 732A (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 28 dB(A)
Fan noise profile, ThinkCentre M910z
Fan noise profile, ThinkCentre M910z
Lenovo ThinkCentre M910z-10NR000KUS
HD Graphics 630, i5-7500, Toshiba NVMe THNSF5512GPUK
HP Z1 G2 G1X47EA
Quadro K2100M, E3-1226 v3, Micron M600 MTFDDAT256MBF mSATA
Apple iMac Retina 5K 27 Late 2015 3.2 GHz M390 MK472D/A
Radeon R9 M390, 6500, Apple Fusion Drive 1TB (24 GB SSD + 1 TB HDD)
Lenovo ThinkPad T470p-20J7S00000
GeForce 940MX, i7-7700HQ, Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP
Dell Latitude 5580
HD Graphics 620, i5-7300U, Toshiba MQ01ACF050
Noise
5%
-7%
4%
-2%
off / environment *
28
30
-7%
29
-4%
30.6
-9%
Idle Minimum *
34.5
32.4
6%
32.5
6%
29
16%
32.8
5%
Idle Average *
34.6
32.4
6%
32.5
6%
29
16%
32.8
5%
Idle Maximum *
34.6
32.4
6%
32.5
6%
29
16%
33.6
3%
Load Average *
34.6
33.7
3%
39
-13%
35.6
-3%
37.6
-9%
Load Maximum *
34.6
33.7
3%
48.2
-39%
39.7
-15%
37.6
-9%

* ... smaller is better

Temperature

Surface temperatures aren’t a terrible concern with desktops considering the fact that they rarely ever come into contact with the user. Still, the back of the ThinkCentre M910z can get to be rather toasty in a couple of regions—specifically, the center quadrant where the exhaust vent is located, at which point we measured 54.8 °C.

Max. Load
 27.8 °C
82 F
27.6 °C
82 F
32.2 °C
90 F
 
 30.6 °C
87 F
33.6 °C
92 F
34.4 °C
94 F
 
 34.6 °C
94 F
32.4 °C
90 F
39.8 °C
104 F
 
Maximum: 39.8 °C = 104 F
Average: 32.6 °C = 91 F
39 °C
102 F
39.8 °C
104 F
33.8 °C
93 F
44.4 °C
112 F
54.8 °C
131 F
46.6 °C
116 F
38.8 °C
102 F
35.2 °C
95 F
48.6 °C
119 F
Maximum: 54.8 °C = 131 F
Average: 42.3 °C = 108 F
Power Supply (max.)  40.2 °C = 104 F | Room Temperature 22.4 °C = 72 F | Fluke 62 Mini IR Thermometer
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 32.6 °C / 91 F, compared to the average of 29.7 °C / 85 F for the devices in the class Desktop.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 39.8 °C / 104 F, compared to the average of 34.4 °C / 94 F, ranging from 25 to 47 °C for the class Desktop.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 54.8 °C / 131 F, compared to the average of 34 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 26.6 °C / 80 F, compared to the device average of 29.7 °C / 85 F.
Thermal profile, front of unit
Thermal profile, front of unit
Thermal profile, rear of unit
Thermal profile, rear of unit

Speakers

Oddly enough, this side of the speaker grille lacks a speaker
Oddly enough, this side of the speaker grille lacks a speaker

The two 3W front-facing speakers on the M910z muster good volume without noticeable distortions. They’re supplemented with Dolby Audio post-processing software—and while the included presets are mostly underwhelming, it’s easy to customize the equalizer to your liking (and disable that pesky “Simulated Surround” feature) to produce a nicer-sounding output with good clarity, lower mids, and a pretty decent amount of bass, too. The only oddity is the fact that the speakers are offset to the right side of the machine, with the left driver positioned in the center of the screen.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2039.235.439.22534.732.434.73133.73433.74032.833.632.85034.23434.2633733.5378040.231.940.210048.33048.312558.72958.716069296920064.828.564.825063.927.663.931562.527.962.540063.328.263.350066.727.666.763074.42774.480074.52774.5100071.925.971.9125066.925.966.9160061.325.561.3200059.524.359.5250062.82462.8315067.823.867.8400065.723.965.7500059.823.859.863005423.754800050.123.550.11000047.723.647.71250048.923.648.91600048.823.748.8SPL79.537.279.5N44.92.944.9median 62.8median 25.9median 62.8Delta6.81.56.83443.640.550.135.444.639.44545.448.93338.329.931.335.33834.237.225.939.428.848.730.162.629.568.425.56627.170.221.269.520.266.519.768.819.672.319.174.619.377.12069.921.46922.471.625.668.620.863.420.663.622.262.725.358.124.451.534.883.12.455.4median 22.4median 66.53.96.9hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseLenovo ThinkCentre M910z-10NR000KUSLenovo ThinkPad T470p-20J7S00000
Lenovo ThinkCentre M910z-10NR000KUS audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (79.4 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(+) | good bass - only 4.7% away from median
(-) | bass is not linear (15.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.7% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (9.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | reduced highs - on average 6.8% lower than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (11% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (19.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 63% of all tested devices in this class were better, 25% similar, 13% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 17%, worst was 46%
Compared to all devices tested
» 45% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 47% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Lenovo ThinkPad T470p-20J7S00000 audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83.1 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 18.1% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (14.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.2% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.3% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (6.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (19.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 34% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 58% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 22%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 43% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 49% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Frequency Comparison (Checkbox selectable!)
Graph 1: Pink Noise 100% Vol.; Graph 2: Audio off

Energy Management

Power Consumption

Thanks to its smaller display and lack of dedicated graphics, the ThinkCentre M910z is a much more power-efficient solution than either the HP Z1 or the Apple iMac Retina 5K. We measured an idle minimum of just 14.4 W with an average of 29.4 W. The machine never exceeded 88.4 W under load, with an average of 64.1 W in stressful conditions. Of course, the two notebooks in our comparison are miles ahead in terms of idle efficiency, but a large part of that is the larger LCD panels in the AIOs.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.1 / 1.7 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 14.4 / 29.4 / 29.7 Watt
Load midlight 64.1 / 88.4 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Lenovo ThinkCentre M910z-10NR000KUS
i5-7500, HD Graphics 630, Toshiba NVMe THNSF5512GPUK, IPS, 1920x1080, 23.80
HP Z1 G2 G1X47EA
E3-1226 v3, Quadro K2100M, Micron M600 MTFDDAT256MBF mSATA, IPS LED, 2560x1440, 27.00
Apple iMac Retina 5K 27 Late 2015 3.2 GHz M390 MK472D/A
6500, Radeon R9 M390, Apple Fusion Drive 1TB (24 GB SSD + 1 TB HDD), , 5120x2880, 27.00
Lenovo ThinkPad T470p-20J7S00000
i7-7700HQ, GeForce 940MX, Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW512HMJP, IPS, 2560x1440, 14.00
Dell Latitude 5580
i5-7300U, HD Graphics 620, Toshiba MQ01ACF050, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Power Consumption
-109%
-119%
43%
63%
Idle Minimum *
14.4
36.8
-156%
29.5
-105%
3.8
74%
4.3
70%
Idle Average *
29.4
65.3
-122%
59.2
-101%
6.5
78%
10.1
66%
Idle Maximum *
29.7
67
-126%
68
-129%
7.2
76%
11.8
60%
Load Average *
64.1
114
-78%
126
-97%
62.5
2%
32
50%
Load Maximum *
88.4
142
-61%
231
-161%
99.6
-13%
29
67%

* ... smaller is better

Pros

+ Clever and convenient design
+ Versatile articulating stand
+ Fast general application performance
+ NVMe solid-state storage with secondary drive bay
+ Anti-glare touch display
+ Surprisingly capable speakers
+ Quiet
+ DisplayPort video input and output support

Cons

- Disappointing display brightness, some graininess
- Only decent color reproduction
- 1-year standard warranty

Verdict

In review: The Lenovo ThinkCentre M910z
In review: The Lenovo ThinkCentre M910z

Business desktops, including all-in-ones, are part of a market which is simpler to parse than that of the crowded and diverse business laptops landscape. Incidentally, there’s nothing particularly exciting about the ThinkCentre M910z (our configuration: $1,285), which plays it safe with a functional, understated design and checks all of the boxes of a conventional office machine.

But that’s not a bad thing: in keeping with its heritage, the ThinkCentre gets the job done with a function-over-form design that delivers such appreciated features as (relatively) easy maintenance and upgrades and a versatile yet sturdy articulating stand design. But it’s also quiet (even under load), fast in general operation thanks to its quad-core CPU and NVMe SSD, and it packs a set of speakers which belie the typically poor reputation of their business brethren with good sound across most of the spectrum (after a bit of tweaking). The display is a mixed bag, thanks mostly to a dim overall brightness and a somewhat off-putting touchscreen layer (which brings into question whether the buyer should bother with touch interface when it probably is mostly to blame for this deficiency)—but at least it remains anti-glare even when configured for touch! Finally, power consumption is comfortably low, so anyone considering mass-deployment of a fleet of M910z machines should rest easy that they shouldn’t wreck the electrical bill.

There’s nothing particularly exciting about the ThinkCentre M910z, but that’s not a bad thing; it plays it safe with a functional, understated design and checks all of the boxes of a conventional office machine.

Ultimately, there really aren’t any major negatives associated with the ThinkCentre M910z—it’s a capable business desktop that—while unexciting by design—covers all its bases in the business market and is easy enough to maintain and deploy that it ought to enjoy the support of many IT departments.

Lenovo ThinkCentre M910z-10NR000KUS - 09/22/2017 v6(old)
Steve Schardein

Chassis
91 / 98 → 93%
Keyboard
80%
Pointing Device
89%
Connectivity
61 / 81 → 75%
Weight
0%
Battery
0%
Display
80%
Games Performance
58%
Application Performance
93%
Temperature
87%
Noise
82%
Audio
80%
Camera
71 / 85 → 84%
Average
79%
80%
Desktop - Weighted Average

Pricecompare

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Lenovo ThinkCentre M910z All-in-One Desktop Review
Steve Schardein, 2017-09-25 (Update: 2019-04- 1)