Lenovo ThinkCentre M90q Gen 2 vs Minisforum MS-A1
Minisforum MS-A1 is both faster and cheaper here - the default pick unless you need something specific from the other.
The verdict
- CPU
- Minisforum MS-A1 has 2.1x the CPU throughput (31,519 vs 15,230 PassMark).
- Plex
- Minisforum MS-A1 transcodes more 4K HDR streams (~5 vs ~4).
- Idle power
- Lenovo ThinkCentre M90q Gen 2 idles lower (12W vs 15W) - cheaper to run 24/7.
- Networking
- Minisforum MS-A1 has more NICs (2 vs 1) - better for a firewall or VLAN trunk.
- RAM ceiling
- Minisforum MS-A1 takes more RAM (96GB vs 64GB).
- Local AI
- Lenovo ThinkCentre M90q Gen 2 has a PCIe slot for a low-profile GPU - the other needs a DIY build for local LLMs.
Which wins for each job
| Job | Lenovo ThinkCentre M90q Gen 2 | Minisforum MS-A1 |
|---|---|---|
| Plex / Jellyfin | ~4 streams | ~5 streams win |
| Frigate NVR | ~4 cameras win | add a detector |
| Proxmox / VMs | 15,230 PassMark | 31,519 PassMark win |
| Firewall / router | 1 NICs | 2 NICs win |
| Local AI / LLM | PCIe GPU slot win | no slot |
Approximate - capacity estimates from curated specs, the same logic as the recommender. Verify against your exact setup. Prices move; check the retailer.
Full specs
| Spec | Lenovo ThinkCentre M90q Gen 2 | Minisforum MS-A1 |
|---|---|---|
| Price (list) | $260 | $259 |
| CPU | Intel Core i7-11700T | AMD Ryzen 7 8700G |
| Cores / threads | 8 | 8 |
| PassMark | 15,230 | 31,519 |
| iGPU | Intel UHD 750 | Radeon 780M (RDNA3) |
| NICs | 1 | 2 |
| NIC model | Intel I219-LM | Realtek RTL8125 |
| RAM max (GB) | 64 | 96 |
| M.2 free | 1 | 1 |
| PCIe slot | x8-lp | none |
| Idle (W) | 12 | 15 |
| TDP (W) | 35 | 65 |