Identify the chassis and machine type before shopping
This guide covers ThinkCentre M920q Tiny, the 1-litre Tiny chassis. It does not cover the similarly named Tower or Small Form Factor desktop. Ask for a readable machine-type label and internal photographs. Compare them with the PSREF and the matching hardware maintenance manual. A seller's family-level title can combine several boards, CPUs or included accessories; build the upgrade around the unit being shipped, not the most generous configuration in that family. Do not import the M920 Tower's four-DIMM specifications into this Tiny chassis. Confirm Tiny, the machine type and the board photograph.
What M920q adds, and what it does not
M920q documents Q370 and the Intel I219-LM onboard Gigabit connection, rather than M720q's B360 and I219-V. These are useful identification differences, not a speed upgrade to multi-gig Ethernet. It still documents one storage M.2 socket and two memory slots. Do not pay for the model name expecting M920x's second NVMe position. If remote-management support is essential, verify the exact processor, firmware, machine configuration and deployed management environment rather than inferring readiness from Q370 or the LM suffix alone.
Choose a memory target from the workload and existing modules
Record the installed capacity in each of the two slots before buying. An 8GB machine with one 8GB module has a different upgrade bill from one with two 4GB modules. Match DDR4 SO-DIMM form factor, supported module characteristics and the exact CPU/BIOS. Lenovo's 32GB figure is a historical factory validation, accompanied by a note that later technology can support more. It is evidence for that qualified capacity, not independent proof of larger modules. A 64GB plan needs separately attributed evidence for the exact machine and modules; this guide does not supply that validation.
Plan NVMe and SATA as different physical upgrades
Count only storage sockets: this model has 1. The WLAN socket is for the wireless module and does not count as a second supported NVMe location. Check the SSD's key, interface and 2242/2280 length against the actual position and retaining hardware. For SATA, a drive alone is incomplete: inspect the 2.5-inch carrier, correct cable, board connection and hardware. Do not buy a cable from a listing that merely says Lenovo Tiny without matching the machine type or confirmed FRU. Existing storage may need cloning or an OS reinstall; make a verified backup before changing it.
Resolve the PCIe and drive-bay conflict first
The PCIe card and 2.5-inch drive are mutually exclusive. Q370 does not turn the WLAN socket into a second storage socket. Decide whether the computer's job needs an internal NIC/qualified expansion card or an internal SATA drive before pricing either. A riser, rear bracket, card dimensions, thermal clearance and power configuration must be checked as one assembly. A PCIe connector is not blanket approval for every electrically similar card. If both functions are essential, consider another chassis or a separately validated external storage path. Do not promise NAS redundancy or firewall suitability from the presence of a slot.
Make a complete used-system bill before comparing offers
Add the actual computer, missing RAM, missing SSD, model-matched carrier/cable, retaining parts, power adapter and any required network accessory. Leave unknown costs blank until verified rather than showing a misleading total. Compare that complete configuration with a ready-to-use machine; the cheapest bare unit may cost more after the missing parts. Check actual photographs, seller identity, return terms, BIOS/administrator locks, included OS rights and the condition description. These are seller-specific checks, not claims that all used systems have a particular defect.
Verify the upgrade after installation
Follow the exact maintenance manual: disconnect power, use its ESD procedure and stop if a connector or mount does not match. Confirm memory capacity and storage detection in firmware before relying on the OS. Restore or migrate data from a backup, then run appropriate memory/storage checks and the workload you bought the machine for. These are suggested owner acceptance checks, not results of testing by Madabase. A stable boot alone does not validate every RAM configuration, sustained temperature or long-term reliability.
When this machine is the wrong starting point
Skip a purchase when the seller cannot identify the Tiny model, when the planned card and SATA drive need the same space, when an unverified memory capacity is essential, or when the complete missing-parts cost erases the saving. Stop at the evidence boundary when an exact FRU cannot be established. The query shows component options only after the required route checks. It supplies no universal carrier/cable/riser kit: those FRUs must be matched to the actual machine. Compatibility research remains useful even when the right answer is to keep the existing system or buy nothing.