Lenovo ThinkCentre M800 Tower
Specification and Upgrade Options
The Lenovo ThinkCentre M800 Tower is a scalable business desktop designed for heavy office workloads, content creation, and home flexibility. First released in 2015, it is built on the Q150 chipset and supports 6th gen Intel Core processors and up to 64GB of DIMM DDR4-2133 memory. Thanks to its larger chassis, it accommodates dedicated graphics cards, making it an excellent candidate for a gaming PC conversion or a high-performance workstation.
If you are looking for a system with maximum upgradability, Lenovo ThinkCentre M800 Tower is a good option. Models in this category usually have 4x PCIe slots, several drive bays and better cooling.
Can you upgrade Lenovo ThinkCentre M800 Tower to play games?
Yes, you can upgrade Lenovo ThinkCentre M800 Tower for gaming with better processors, graphics card, memory, and storage devices. However, like many other business pre-built PCs, this model may have proprietary elements like the power supply, the chassis or the power connector, which can make it difficult for users to install aftermarket PSUs to support better GPUs. You can also find that there is space constrains inside the chassis, making it difficult to accommodete larger GPU to boost the gaming performance.
Does Lenovo ThinkCentre M800 Tower support Windows 11?
No, Lenovo ThinkCentre M800 Tower does not meet the Windows 11 hardware requirements. According to Windows 11 specification, all models with Intel 7th Gen CPU or older are not officially supported. Processor with TPM 2.0 and a UEFI Secure boot BIOS is also required in order to upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11 through Windows Update.
However, anyone with PC that does not pass the upgrade test can download the official Windows 11 ISO, make a bootable flash drive, and install the OS manually.
Processor
The Lenovo ThinkCentre M800 Tower supports Gen6 Intel Core technology on a Q150 chipset. 6th generation Intel Core CPUs (Skylake) represent a more modern baseline for productivity and development workloads. Lower-end CPUs are suitable for office use and programming, while higher-end i7 models can handle home lab setups, multiple virtual machines, and more demanding emulation. Gaming performance is acceptable with appropriate GPUs, though modern titles may expose CPU limitations.
Best CPUs for Lenovo ThinkCentre M800 Tower upgrade:
| Model | Cores (Threads) | Base frequency | Turbo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core i5 6500 | 4(4) | 3.2 GHz | 3.6 GHz |
| Core i5 6600 | 4(4) | 3.3 GHz | 3.9 GHz |
| Core i7 6700 | 4(8) | 3.4 GHz | 4.0 GHz |
GPU upgrade
The Lenovo ThinkCentre M800 Tower can safely support GPUs with suggested PSU of 250W, but more powerful cards require a PSU upgrade. With the stock PSU model, it supports up to an GeForce GTX 1650
GPU upgrade options for Lenovo ThinkCentre M800 Tower with the stock 250W power supply:
| GPU | Power consumption | Memory | Req. |
|---|---|---|---|
| AMD RX 460 | 90 W | 4 GB DDR5 | *SATA to PCIe adapter |
| NVIDIA GTX 1060 | 118 W | 3 GB DDR5 | *SATA to PCIe adapter |
| NVIDIA GTX 1650 Super | 100 W | 4 GB DDR6 | *SATA to PCIe adapter |
GPU compatibility in the Lenovo ThinkCentre M800 Tower depends on several hardware constraints. The physical space available inside the chassis determines the maximum GPU length, height, and thickness that can be installed. In addition, the installed power supply unit (PSU) must provide sufficient wattage and the required PCIe power connectors for the selected graphics card.
Before you begin shopping for a new GPU, it is important to check the power supply unit (PSU) currently installed. This is because the Lenovo ThinkCentre M800 Tower is often sold with different PSU wattages depending on the original configuration.
Memory
Lenovo ThinkCentre M800 Tower supports up to 64 GB of DIMM DDR4-2133 RAM across four DIMM slots, with memory speeds up to 2133 MT/s and dual-channel support depending on the installed configuration.
Actual supported memory capacity and memory channels may vary depending on the installed CPU and chipset.
Typical Lenovo ThinkCentre M800 Tower memory configurations include 8 GB for everyday productivity and 16 GB for gaming, heavier multitasking, or professional workloads.
Wi-Fi Support
Lenovo ThinkCentre M800 Tower supports Wi-Fi and Bluetooth combo card with the on-board M.2 2230 (Wi-Fi/BT) slot. The card contains a Wi-Fi module that supports various Wi-Fi standards, as well as a Bluetooth module. It is small circuit board that is designed to fit into a dedicated slot on the motherboard.
Keep in mind that the card is not always included and you have to install one yourself.
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless adapter upgrades for Lenovo ThinkCentre M800 Tower:
| Model | Speed | Frequency | Interface |
|---|---|---|---|
| WiFi 6E (Gig+) Kit | 3000 Mbit/s | 2.4GHz / 5GHz | NGFF M.2 A/E Key |
| Rekong AX210 | 3000 Mbit/s | 2.4GHz / 5GHz | NGFF M.2 A/E Key |
| Gigabyte GC-Wbax200 | 2400 Mbit/s | 2.4GHz / 5GHz | PCIe |
| TP-Link Archer TX50E | 2400 Mbit/s | 2.4GHz / 5GHz | PCIe |
| TP-Link Archer T9UH | 1300 Mbit/s | 2.4GHz / 5GHz | USB 3.0 |
Ports
Lenovo ThinkCentre M800 Tower provides a fixed set of external I/O ports for connecting peripherals and displays. Port availability and versions determine supported data transfer speeds and display capabilities.
USB ports
Lenovo ThinkCentre M800 Tower includes eight USB ports in total in the following configuration - (6x)USB-A 3.0; (2x)USB-A 2.0; with no USB 3.1 ports available.
Video ports
Lenovo ThinkCentre M800 Tower features two DisplayPort 1.2 outputs, suitable for modern digital displays.
No HDMI output is available on the motherboard.
Motherboard video outputs require a CPU with integrated graphics. Systems equipped with a dedicated GPU must use the video ports on the graphics card instead.
SSD storage - M.2 sockets and SATA ports
The Lenovo ThinkCentre M800 Tower comes with three SATA port(s) for connecting storage devices.
Unfortunately, the Lenovo ThinkCentre M800 Tower has no M.2 PCIe soket and you have to rely on the available SATA ports to connect your drives.
The M.2 PCIe SSD connector in combination with an NVMe drive allows for higher transfer rates, compared to the old SATA interface. In some situations, NVMe device connected to the M.2 PCIe socket can be more than 5 times faster.
*Keep in mind that some M.2 connectors may not support SATA SSDs. Check the motherboard manual to confirm compatibility.
Power Supply
The Lenovo ThinkCentre M800 Tower comes with a 250 Watt PSU. Having a power supply with high power rating is important, especially if you are doing upgrade with addtional components, like dedicated GPU and more HDDs. Will this 250 W be enough, it all depends on your specific use. Please keep in mind that some models might have more than one PSU option. Whenever possible get the most powerful one, as it might make future upgrades easier.
