Dell Vostro 3681 vs. Fujitsu Esprimo Q920

Comparison and Differences

Dell_Vostro_3681.jpg case front and back pannelFujitsu_Esprimo_Q920.jpg case front and back pannel
Model
Form factorSmallMicro
CPU optionsIntel Gen10 i3/i5/i7; Celeron; Pentium;Intel Gen4 i3/i5/i7; Pentium; Celeron
ChipsetB460Q87
Dedicated GPU *GeForce GT 1030 Low ProfileN.A.
RAMDIMM DDR4-2666/2933SODIMM DDR3-1600
RAM slots22
RAM speed2933 MT/s1600 MT/s
RAM max64 GB16 GB
USB ports(4x) USB-A 3.0; (4x) USB-A 2.0;(4x) USB-A 3.0; (2x) USB-A 2.0
Video portsHDMI 1.4b; VGA;DisplayPort 1.2; VGA
Other portsRJ45; Headset; Mic; Line-Out; Line-In; Card Reader;RJ45; Line in; Line out; Card reader
Optional portsN.A.VGA (DVI to VGA adapter)
SATA ports22
PCI slotsPCIe 3.0 x16; PCIe 3.0 x1;N.A.
M.2 slotsM.2 2280/2230 M-key (PCIe 3.0 x4, NVMe); M.2 2230 (WiFi/BT); N.A.
Drive bays3.5in; 9.5mm2.5in; 5.25 inch
PSU200 W65 W
Weight4.66 Kg (10.28 lbs)1.60 kg (3.53 lb)
Released20202014
Manuallinklink
Price**Check PriceCheck Price

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* 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 Vostro 3681 and Fujitsu Esprimo Q920

If you are looking for a more modern desktop, then you should go with the Dell Vostro 3681 which was released in 2020. The Fujitsu Esprimo Q920 is older and entered production in 2014.

If you are looking for the smaller form factor the Fujitsu Esprimo Q920 is the right one for you. It is smaller than the Dell Vostro 3681 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 Dell Vostro 3681 as it is running a newer generation CPU. This is not to say that Fujitsu Esprimo Q920 is bad - it can still run some powerful CPUs, albeit being an older generation.

Memory

Both models have have equal amount of ram slots (2 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 Dell Vostro 3681 is using the faster 2933 MT/s RAM. The Fujitsu Esprimo Q920 is slower by supporting RAM speeds of up to 1600 MT/s. Additionally, if you will be needing a lot of RAM, better go for the Dell Vostro 3681 as it has the ability to run 64 GB of RAM. The Fujitsu Esprimo Q920 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 Dell Vostro 3681 has 8 USB ports. The Fujitsu Esprimo Q920 is inferior in this regard and packs 6 USB ports. In any case, if you miss USB ports, you can always purchase a USB hub. None of the desktop models has a USB 3.1 port (10Gb/s), so if you need a fast connection to your peripherals, like external Solid State Drive, you will need to look elsewhere.

Unfortunately, only the Fujitsu Esprimo Q920 has a DisplayPort. The Dell Vostro 3681 does not have one? Don't worry though, nowadays video adapters are cheap and you can get almost any combination of conversion types.

The Dell Vostro 3681 comes with an HDMI port, while the Fujitsu Esprimo Q920 does not support the interface. Of course missing HDMI port is something that can be easily fixed with a good adapter (e.g. DisplayPort to HDMI).

SATA slots are located on the motherboard and it is where SSD, HDD and Optical Disk Drives are connected. Each of the two models being compared have 2 SATA slot(s). Keep in mind that having too few SATA slots might limit your options for connecting additional memory drives.

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 Dell Vostro 3681. Sadly, the Fujitsu Esprimo Q920 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 Fujitsu Esprimo Q920 comes with a decent 65 Watt PSU, but the Dell Vostro 3681 has a more powerful one rated at 200 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_Vostro_3681_motherboard.jpg motherboard layoutFujitsu_Esprimo_Q920_motherboard.jpg motherboard layout