Dell OptiPlex 990 SFF vs. Fujitsu Esprimo P9012

Comparison and Differences

Dell_OptiPlex_990_SFF.jpg case front and back pannelFujitsu_Esprimo_P9012.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorSmallMini Tower
CPU optionsIntel Gen2 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;Intel Gen12 i5/i7/i9
ChipsetQ67Q670
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GTX 1650 Low ProfileGeForce GTX 1650 Super
RAMDIMM DDR3-1333UDIMM DDR4-3200
RAM slots44
RAM speed1333 MT/s3200 MT/s
RAM max16 GB128 GB
USB ports(10x)USB-A 2.0; (2x) USB-A 3.0; (4x) USB-A 2.0; (4x) USB-A 3.1; USB-C 3.1; USB-C 3.2
Video portsDisplayPort 1.2; VGA;(2x) DisplayPort 1.4
Other portsRJ45; Hdph; (2x) Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; PS2/COM; Serial; Parallel;RJ45; Headset, Line in; Line out
Optional portsN.A.HDMI 2.1; DP 1.4a; DVI; VGA; Parallel; Serial; Thunderbolt 4; (2x) USB-C 3.1 (DP support 60W/15W)
SATA ports35
PCI slotsPCIe 2.0 x16; PCIe 2.0 x4; PCIe 2.0 x1;PCIe 4.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x1; PCIe 4.0 x16 (wired x4)
M.2 slotsN.A.(2x) M.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe 4.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT)
Drive bays3.5in; 2.5in; 5.25in(slim);(3x) 3.5in; 2.5in; (3x) 5.25 inch
PSU240 W280/300 W
Weight5.70 kg (12.57 lb)7.40 kg (16.31 lb)
Released20112022
Manuallinklink
Price**Check PriceCheck Price

** As an Amazon associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
* Dedicated GPU warning: Check if your particular power supply model has enough power. Additionally some PSUs don't come with an auxiliary PCIe power connector and you may need to buy a SATA to PCIe power adapter.

Differences between Dell OptiPlex 990 SFF and Fujitsu Esprimo P9012

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Fujitsu Esprimo P9012 which was released in 2022. The Dell OptiPlex 990 SFF is older and entered production in 2011.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Dell OptiPlex 990 SFF is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Fujitsu Esprimo P9012 and will fit more easily under your desk.

Processor

Usually the newer the generation of the CPU, the better the performance and efficiency is. If your budget allows it, you should go with the Fujitsu Esprimo P9012 as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Dell OptiPlex 990 SFF is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

Both models have have equal amount of ram slots (4 RAM). Usually two RAM slots are more than enough for most cases. However, the count should be taken into account when planning how much and what combination of RAM you are going to need for your system.

The Fujitsu Esprimo P9012 is using the faster 3200 MT/s RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 990 SFF is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 1333 MT/s. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Fujitsu Esprimo P9012 as it has the ability to run 128 GB of RAM. The Dell OptiPlex 990 SFF can do a bit less at max 16 GB. Most of the times, this should be sufficient for the majority of users.

Ports

In total the Fujitsu Esprimo P9012 has 12 USB ports. The Dell OptiPlex 990 SFF is inferior in this regard and packs 10 USB ports. In any case, if you miss USB ports, you can always purchase a USB hub. What is nice about the Fujitsu Esprimo P9012, is that it has 5 USB 3.1 port(s) which allows transfer of up to 10Gb/s. Unfortunately, the Dell OptiPlex 990 SFF has no such port, thus restricting your transfer speeds significantly. For people who want to use external drives on regular basis, this might be an issue.

DisplayPort is crucial for any desktop machine. It is good to see that both models are featuring DisplayPorts. However, the Fujitsu Esprimo P9012 comes with 2 ports, while the Dell OptiPlex 990 SFF has only 1. If you are planning to use multiple monitors, the Fujitsu Esprimo P9012 is the better choice.

None of the models has an HDMI port. If your monitor supports only the HDMI interface, you will need to buy an adapter. Such adapters are cheap so nothing to worry about.

SATA ports are placed on the system board and it is where you connect your HDD, SSD and Optical Disk Drives. More SATA slots will allow you to have more drives running at the same time. In this regard the Fujitsu Esprimo P9012 is better equipped as it comes with 5 SATA slot(s), while the Dell OptiPlex 990 SFF has 3 slot(s).

If you want the fastest transfer speeds for your SSD, an M.2 interface is crucial. Thus, if the M.2 SSD slot is a mandatory requirement for you, go with the Fujitsu Esprimo P9012. Sadly, the Dell OptiPlex 990 SFF has no such slot, and you will be forced to use the SATA interface instead.

Make sure that the available M.2 slot supports the PCIe (also called NVMe) interface. This is important as there are M.2 slots which support only the inferior SATA III interface. For comparison, the SATA III interface has max speeds of 6Gb/s, while the PCIe 3.0 x4 will support speeds up to 32Gb/s!

Power Supply

Having a Power Supply Unit with high power rating is important, if you are going to use components which require extra power. The Dell OptiPlex 990 SFF comes with a decent 240 Watt PSU, but the Fujitsu Esprimo P9012 has a more powerful one rated at 300 Watts. Choosing either one depends on your specific requirements and use case. Also don't forget that some models might have more than one PSU option - try to always get the most powerful one, especially if you plan to upgrade to a powerful GPU.

Motherboard

Dell_OptiPlex_990_SFF_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutFujitsu_Esprimo_P9012_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout