The ThinkCentre M90a Pro Gen 6 builds on Lenovo’s previous-generation AIO for offices, offering faster performance, broad configuration options, an excellent screen, and above-average options for storage expansion.
All-in-one PCs (AIOs) are much easier to buy and set up than traditional desktop PCs, which explains their enduring appeal for offices and basic home use. AIOs combine every piece of a desktop into a single package that takes up about the same space as a display by itself. (Many include a mouse and keyboard in the box, too.) That sums up the appeal of the 27-inch Lenovo ThinkCentre M90a Pro Gen 6 (starts at $1,499; $2,204.99 as tested). This sixth-generation AIO provides all that convenience and backs it up with desktop-grade Intel processors (up to 20 cores), Intel vPro support for extra business-level security, plenty of configuration options, and a gorgeous IPS display. While Lenovo’s ThinkCentre M90a Pro Gen 6 sharply increases in price as you configure it with better components, it delivers uncompromised performance for productivity and content-creation tasks. While we would recommend this model, up-configured, over its Editors‘ Choice award-winning predecessor, we’re still looking for that next business AIO to earn the trophy, as this configuration is too light on storage for the price.Configurations: A Dizzying Array of Choices
You can select from several prebuilt models of the ThinkCentre M90a Gen 6, or choose individual components and configure your own starting at $1,499. This review covers the 27-inch model, though Lenovo also sells a smaller 24-inch model, starting at $1,099.
For the processor, the choices cover a variety of Intel Core Ultra 200-series desktop chips, ranging from the Core Ultra 5 225 to the Core Ultra 9 285 vPro. The Intel vPro processors include advanced support for enterprise management and security suites, a nod to business buyers, which you can find in all but the base model. You can also opt for an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 graphics processor to augment Intel’s integrated graphics. Lenovo offers just one display option: a 27-inch QHD (2,560-by-1,440-pixel) IPS panel, with your choice of Lenovo’s new precision-delivery Focus Sound audio system for an additional $59.
You cannot configure this ThinkCentre M90a with a touch display. While the general professional audience likely won’t miss it much, it’s unfortunate that it’s missing for the customers who might still want that function, especially since it was an option last generation.
Memory options range from 8GB to 64GB of DDR-5600 RAM in dual- and single-channel SODIMM configurations, and the system has three M.2 SSD slots, with drive options ranging from 256GB to 1TB. (Each slot supports up to 2TB capacity.) Lenovo also provides three options for Wi-Fi radios from Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 to Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4, a 3-in-1 media-card reader, and a 5-megapixel (MP) webcam/microphone combo that you can upgrade with an infrared sensor for $19. Finally, you can choose from two stands with different flexibility options, which I’ll dig into later.
As for cost, prices go from $1,499 with a Core Ultra 5 225 chipset, 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD, and integrated Intel graphics, all the way up to $3,639 with the Core Ultra 9 285 vPro, 64GB of RAM, three 1TB SSDs, the RTX 4050 GPU, and the rest of the niceties mentioned above.
The unit provided for this review is a CDW configuration priced at $2,204.99 for a Core Ultra 7 265 vPro, integrated Intel Graphics, 32GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. It also includes Lenovo’s higher-end UltraFlex stand and a basic keyboard and mouse. This configuration is pricey for just 512GB of storage, but businesses may get better pricing through volume-purchase negotiation.Design: High-End and Buttoned-Up for Business
From the front, the ThinkCentre M90a Pro Gen 6 looks a lot like a basic computer monitor, with narrow black bezels and the swiveling webcam/microphone combination mounted on top. The stand is dark gray, and the base features a cutout on the right side for standing up your smartphone, with a red accent that complements Lenovo’s ThinkCentre aesthetic. (You’ll also spot that red accent on the monitor’s display control knob in the back, mimicking Lenovo’s ThinkPad TrackPoint navigator on its laptops.)
Look at this AIO from the side and the rear, though, and you can tell it’s more than just a display. It’s naturally thicker than a monitor, with a dark gray center panel to match the stand and base. All in all, it makes for a reasonably attractive, conservative design that won’t take up any more space than necessary.
The ThinkCentre M90a Pro measures 17.8 by 21.2 by 10.4 inches (HWD) in its tallest vertical mode with the UltraFlex stand. Of course, its depth increases in its flattest orientation, and the optional UltraFlex stand (seen below) allows for -5 to 70 degrees of tilt and up to 70 degrees of lift, the latter via the lower pivot shown in the image below. It can also lie almost entirely flat. Lenovo’s standard Full Function Stand LTPS provides less tilt (just -5 to 22 degrees) and less lift (only 45 degrees), but it can rotate 90 degrees into a portrait orientation, which the UltraFlex can’t.
