Best video card for m720t?

[GermanR]

Hello, im searching for upgrade the m720t of my office.

I need to know the best video card for this model (money isn't a issue).

This pc is use for 3d rendering, video edition, etc

I had read that the 1030 2g gddr5 is supported, there is any best video card that this pc can handle?

I know this pc shouldn't be considered for 3d design, but is what the office got me.

Thank you

[BiggAl]

M720t uses the same case and power supplies as M710t, so you can search on graphics upgrades for it.  But bottom line, because of the power supply, the best you can do is GT 1030 DDR5. 

[GermanR]

Thank you for the fast responce.

And if I update the power suppy, what video card this pc can handle?

Thank you

[DSperber · Accepted solution]

You're going to have to compromise on your expectations.  Lenovo's tower desktop machines over the past few years have really shrunk n the "depth" dimension, which influences the length of cards you can install in the available expansion slots.  In particular, your real choices for graphics card add-ons is severely limited.

The M720t tower is a VERY SMALL TOWER.  Even smaller than the M710t tower, which was reduced a few inches from the "at least decent" M700t tower. Add to that a small power supply of 210W and you're REALLY LIMITED.

The mechanical specs for max dimensions of cards you can use are shown in the PSREF:

That means your graphics card must be under 189mm in length and under 104mm in height.

This was exactly why I recently finally gave up on using an M720t for a friend who wanted me to build a new machine  for her.  I first looked at the M720t but eventually I ended up going with an M920t which has a somewhat larger interior than that of the M720t, and also has a larger 250W PSU.

For comparison, the mechanical limiations of the slightly larger (but still not terrific) M920t  max-size card limitations are:  268mm length and 112mm height.  The length is much better but the height is still a bit problematic.  However now at least I could use THIS Gigabyte low-profile GTX 1050ti OC card which is 167mm long and 70mm high, and everything would likely be much happier with the 250W PSU in the M920t.

So in these smaller tower cases the best under-75W graphics card you can install is a GTX 1050ti of some kind, and likely you will be forced to settle for something less because the length and height are a problem, along with the 210W PSU limitation.  Even though it is a "tower" case you cannot use full-size single-fan cards that are "short" and which really shouldn't be causing a problem even with the 189mm max length limitation in the M920t.  For example, I used this single-fan "short" full-size EVGA GTX 1050ti SC card in two M910t towers, and it has a length of 5.7" (144mm) and a height of 4.38" (111.25mm).  Although this might have actually fit in the M920t with its max height of 112mm I didn't want to chance it.  So I didn't use it in the M920t since I had the additional option of that lower but longer low-profile Gigabyte 1050ti card.

The M720t case is even smaller, and has size limitations in both the length (<189mm) and height (<104mm) dimensions, plus its 210W PSU.  You can go from here.  You may have to live with a GT1030 variation as the "best you can get" within the constraints of these recent assortment of Lenovo new smaller tower cases.

Gone are the days of the M93p tower, or even the M700t/M800t/M900t where you could pretty much use any graphics card and could even install a standard ATX power supply (with appropriate 24-14 or 24-10 power adapter to the odd connector on Lenovo  motherboards).  The smaller "depth" of even the M920t cannot hold the standard ATX PSU dimension of 6 11/16" length, and is limited to the Lenovo-supplied PSU (or similar physical sized but larger wattage 3rd-party replacement) with its reduced length of 5 1/2" (maybe standard for "microATC"?)... which is about 1 1/4" shorter in length than a standard ATX PSU.  This turns out to be critical inside the case, in order to allow the drive assembly mechanism to swing down and fully close/lock as intended.  Ths is impossible with the larger standard ATX PSU, I can attest to, as I was recently disappointed when I tried to replace the smaller Lenovo 250W PSU in the M920t with a standard ATX 600W fanless PSU.  So be careful if you shop for a PSU replacement for the M720t, as size REALLY matters here.

I don't have firsthand experience with the GT1030, but that may be your best bet... given the physical limitations and 210W PSU in the M720t.

[BiggAl]

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@GermanR wrote:

And if I update the power suppy, what video card this pc can handle?

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Unlike the M910t and M920t, the M710t and M720t does not use a standard ATX supply, and no one here has upgraded one with an aftermarket supply. 

[GermanR]

Thank you all for the answers

im guessing im going with the 1030 after all

Thank you

[DSperber]

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@BiggAl wrote:

Unlike the M910t and M920t, the M710t and M720t does not use a standard ATX supply, and no one here has upgraded one with an aftermarket supply. 

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In passing, I mention that even the M910t does NOT use a standard ATX supply.  I can confirm this from my experience just this week with trying to do just that in my new M910t.  I thought it was possible, but it's not.

The problem turns out not to be the interior space available inside the M910t case, which IS just barely PERFECTLY ADEQUATE... even when you install the plastic M.2 SSD kit bracket which is right next to the PSU on the metal chassis.  You physically CAN install a standard ATX PSU (3 5/8" x 5 7/8" x 6 11/16") in the space available, and it will just barely fit perfectly even with its 1 3/16" longer length dimension.

The problem is that the swing-up/down drive assembly has to close properly, and it will not.  The edge of the drive assembly which swings down over the corresponding end of the PSU hits that end of the PSU and also its [modular] inserted cables. When you mount a standard ATX PSU at the bottom of the case (which is where Lenovo puts its PSU in these tower cases) the inserted modular cables for CPU and motherboard are high up on the open end of the standard ATX PSU.  So it's both the metal case itself, but mostly the protruding cables, which prevent the Lenovo swing-up/down drive assembly from closing.

I even tried removing the chassis cage for the second 2.5" drive which I wasn't using, which marries to the swing-up/down drive assembly mechanism holding the primary 3.5" drive, hoping that getting it out of the way would compensate and free up room in the swing-down orientation.  It wouldn't.  The problem is simply that the over-arching primary metal chassis design of the swing-up/down assembly still hits the cables from the PSU.  It's too big, given the reduced "depth" of these shrunken Lenovo tower cases. They simply now prevent using most graphics cards, and even replacing the PSU.

Perhaps if I had an ATX PSU whose cables ended up at the bottom of the case with the PSU installed (as is the case for the factory Lenovo PSU) maybe that would have worked. But that wasn't the case for my 600W Seasonic fanless ATX PSU.

I ended up having to remove the Seasonic PSU I'd just spent an hour installing, in order to put back the factory Lenovo 250W PSU.  I'll just have to live with it.  At least I can still use my 2-slot one-fan EVGA GTX 1050ti SC graphics card without a problem.  The 250W PSU is actually only putting out about 150W for my overall configuration, from what I can measure via the external UPS information and what else I have running through the UPS.

Bottom line: even with the M910t case you CANNOT use a standard ATX PSU (6 11/16" length) replacement.  You must shop for a larger wattage but still smaller physical PSU, probably no larger than the 5 1/2" length of the factory Lenovo PSU.